The Certified Professional Midwife credential, issued by NARM, is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the accrediting body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE, formerly NOCA). The mission of ICE is to promote excellence in credentialing for practitioners in all occupations and professions. The NCCA accredits many healthcare credentials, including the Certified Nurse-Midwife. NCCA encourages their accredited certification programs to have an education evaluation process so candidates who have been educated outside of established pathways may have their qualifications evaluated for credentialing. The NARM Portfolio Evaluation Process (PEP) meets this recommendation. The CPM is the only NCCA-accredited midwifery credential that includes a requirement for out-of-hospital experience. 

               The purpose of recertification is to encourage CPMs to advance and enhance their knowledge and skills and/or to promote continued competence by requiring CPMs to demonstrate current levels of knowledge and skills.

• Each CPM must complete the Recertification Application and attach all pertinent documentation. Recertification applications may be submitted 90 days prior to the expiration date. A CPM, no matter what route of entry they came through for initial certification, will be considered expired if she/he is more than 90 days past recertification deadline without declaring inactive status.
• A total of 30 CEUs over three years are required for recertification, including five mandatory CEUs in Peer Review and 25 CEUs in a variety of other categories. In lieu of the 25 CEUs, applicants may re-take the NARM Examination. To request a re-testing form, contact applications@narm.org.
• Current CPR and neonatal resuscitation. (CPR and/or neonatal resuscitation may not be used as part of your CEU totals for recertification.)

CEUs for Category 1 must have been granted by an accrediting organization such as MEAC, ACOG, ACNM, AWHONN, AAFP, State Health Departments, Nursing or Perinatal Associations. CEUs taught by midwifery associations or non-accredited educational programs will not count unless accredited as CEUs by a third party. Non-accredited CEUs may be listed in Category 2.

               NARM only accepts certification for CPR and neonatal resuscitation from courses that include a hands-on skills component. Online only courses are not accepted. Approved CPR courses include the American Heart Association, the Red Cross, and American Safety and Health Institute (ASHI) Basic Life Support. Neonatal resuscitation courses must be approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Canadian Paediatric Society, or pre-approved by NARM. Courses must be approved for use in the U.S. or Canada.

               For purposes of NARM Recertification, NARM uses the term “CEU” to refer to required continuing education, which may be documented in hours or in units. 1 contact hour is equal to 0.1 units. NARM requires a total of 25 contact hours of continuing education for recertification.

All applicants and CPMs are required to complete a workshop, module, or course on Cultural Awareness for certification. Participation is required for recertification, if not previously submitted for the initial certification. Approved courses/modules such as:

• A course on cultural awareness within a midwifery education program accredited by MEAC or a specific state approved midwifery education program
• A course on cultural awareness within a state approved medical/health education program
• A cultural awareness course offered as a workshop accredited for CEUs by MEAC

              There are several online sites that provide Cultural Awareness modules for health care providers and offer CEUs.  A Google search should bring up quite a few options.  Please note that Cultural Awareness modules are not required to have CEUs attached, but if they do you may also use them in Category 1.  If there are no CEUs provided the course/module must be health care related and presented through an institution or other recognized source.  A certificate of completion may be submitted as proof of participation. Some options include:

• Mercy in Action: Cultural Competency and Respect in the Provision of Maternity Care
• The online module offered by the US Department of Health & Human Services – Office of Minority Health. Culturally Competent Nursing Care: A Cornerstone of Caring
• The online module offered by the March of Dimes – Developing and Assessing Culturally Appropriate Health Education for Childbearing Women (book purchase required)