Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNM) are licensed health care practitioners educated both in nursing and midwifery. They are required to pass a national certification exam, and most have Master's or higher degrees. They provide prenatal care, labor and delivery care (most CNM attended births occur in hospitals), care after birth, newborn care, assistance with family planning decisions, preconception care, menopause management, and primary care to women throughout the life-span.

Nurse-midwifery care is woman centered and based on a philosophy of safe and satisfying healthcare. CNMs are licensed to prescribe drugs, perform medical procedures, and provide other technological interventions based on the needs and desires of the client.

While the roles, functions and knowledge of midwives and physicians overlap to some degree, midwives' particular interest, specific skills, and expertise are related to the care of women as they experience normal developmental changes throughout the life-span, particularly during pregnancy and birth.