Teonia Nicole Burton

A Midwife is a trained professional with special expertise in supporting women to maintain a healthy pregnancy birth, offering expert individualized care, education, counseling, and support to a woman and her newborn throughout the childbearing cycle. A Midwife is a skilled and independent practitioner who has undergone formalized training. Midwives are not required to be nurses and may be trained via multiple routes of education (apprenticeship, workshop, formal classes, or programs, etc., usually a combination). The educational background requirements and licensing requirements vary by state. The Midwife may or may not be certified by a state or national organization.

Doulas work in a variety of settings and have been trained to provide physical, emotional, and informational support to a mother before, during, and just after birth and/or provide emotional and practical support to a mother during the postpartum period.

(1) An unlicensed individual who is trained to function in an assistive role to the licensed nurse in the provision of patient/client activities as delegated by the nurse; (2) An individual trained (either on-the-job or through a formal course generally of less than one year) and experienced in performing patient or client-care nursing tasks that do not require the skills of a specialist, technician, or professional. Examples of tasks performed by nurses aides include changing clothes, diapers, and beds; assisting patients to perform exercises or personal hygiene tasks, and supporting communication or social interaction. Specific education and credentials are not required for this work.

Health educators work in a variety of settings providing education to individuals or groups of individuals on healthy behaviors, wellness, and health-related topics with the goal of preventing diseases and health problems. Health educators generally require a bachelor's degree and may receive additional training, such as through mentoring, internships, or volunteer work.

Source: NUCC, CMS