The American College of Nurse-Midwives' Benchmarking Project: A Demonstration of Professional Preservation and Improvement

Cathy L. Emeis, Diana R. Jolles, Karen Perdion, Catherine Collins-Fulea

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Maternal and newborn outcomes in the United States are suboptimal. Care provided by certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives is associated with improved health outcomes for mothers and newborns. Benchmarking is a process of continuous quality assurance providing opportunities for internal and external improvement. Continuous quality improvement is a professional standard and expectation for the profession of midwifery. The American College of Nurse-Midwives Benchmarking Project is an example of a long-standing, midwifery-led quality improvement program. The project demonstrates a program for midwifery practices to display and compare their midwifery processes and outcomes of care. Quality metrics in the project reflect national quality measures in maternal child health while intentionally showcasing the contributions of midwives. The origins of the project and the outcomes for data submitted for 2019 are described and compared with national rates. The American College of Nurse-Midwives Benchmarking Project provides participating midwifery practices with information for continuous improvement and documents the high quality of care provided by a sample of midwifery practices.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)210-220
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing
Volume35
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2021

Keywords

  • benchmarking
  • midwifery
  • midwives
  • outcomes
  • quality improvement

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pediatrics
  • Critical Care
  • Maternity and Midwifery

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