Thirty Years of Midwifery Education in the Rural and Diverse State of New Mexico

Abstract

AbstractThe purpose of this article is to discuss the evolution of the University of New Mexico (UNM) Nurse‐Midwifery Education Program, its impact on New Mexico communities, and the vision moving forward for the program in a rural and culturally diverse state. New Mexico has a rich history of community‐based midwifery and the UNM Nurse‐Midwifery Education Program, founded in 1991, is rooted in this tradition. Graduates are prepared to practice in rural and underserved communities, advance birth equity, and decrease perinatal health disparities. Faculty have advanced the program mission to improve the health and well‐being of New Mexico families through diversifying the midwifery workforce, growing community collaboration, and engaging in research and scholarship activities aimed at promoting access to care. Program faculty recognize the critical need to address factors underpinning the rising maternal morbidity and mortality crisis, including rurality, poverty, and structural racism. These efforts have yielded positive results, with 60% of program graduates serving New Mexico communities and increasingly diverse midwifery student cohorts (70% of currently enrolled students). Efforts to support midwifery student success are bolstered through a recently awarded Health Resources and Services Administration Maternity Care Nursing Workforce Expansion grant. Through such endeavors, the program will continue to strive toward social justice and human dignity.