A Consideration Of Benefits For Midwives Employed In Public Health Systems And Private Midwifery Practices

BACKGROUND: Benefits add to the total compensation received by midwives for their professional work in global settings. Some benefits are commonly offered as a package by employers as components of employment contracts. Some benefits may be individually negotiated or may be self-funded by midwives who own their own businesses.PURPOSE: Identify benefits associated with midwifery employment.METHODS: Benefits data available to certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) and certified midwives (CMs) in the United States were collected in online surveys conducted in 2004, 2007, 2010, and 2014. Benefits types received and benefits cost-sharing for midwives and their families were compared descriptively.RESULTS: More than 90% of respondents employed full-time in 2014 reported that they received at least 1 of 16 types of benefits in their midwifery-related employment. Professional liability insurance, paid vacation (paid holiday), and paid time off for continuing education were the only benefits reported by 75% or more of respondents in each of 4 survey years. Trends over time reported by U.S. CNMs/CMs employed full-time suggest a decrease in employer contributions to benefit costs. Nearly half of all CNM/CM respondents reported not knowing the basis for calculation of their salary and compensation package.CONCLUSION: Changes appear to indicate increasing employee cost-sharing of benefits packages in recent years for U.S. midwives. Similarities and differences identified for midwives in global settings are discussed, although information on benefits in global settings was limited. Midwives in all settings may gain from education about strategies for negotiation of salary and compensation packages.