Deborah Williamson

The Nurse Midwifery Education Program of MUSC’s College of Nursing ranked among the 10 best programs nationally in Best Graduate Schools, a publication of U.S. News and World Report. The MUSC program ranked ahead of Columbia University in New York and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. There are 50 accredited nurse-midwifery programs nationwide.

Rankings were determined by reputation, with deans and faculty members surveyed to evaluate schools within their disciplines. Criteria included scholarship, curriculum and the quality of the program’s faculty and graduate students.

The College of Nursing and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at MUSC worked collaboratively in the early 1970s to establish the Nurse Midwifery program as an avenue to improve the health care of women and infants in South Carolina. Since 1986 the College of Nursing has offered a master’s program in the field.

“We are pleased to be able to offer the best educational opportunities for nurses motivated to enter the advanced practice nursing arena with a special calling to nurse-midwifery,” said Deborah Williamson, director of the Nurse Midwifery Education Program “The role of a nurse midwife has changed as our health care system has changed. Traditionally, the midwife provided only maternity care, but today we take care of women from the first pelvic through menopause. Whether the woman is old or young, the philosophy of midwifery practice is the same—an emphasis on health promotion, a belief that the woman knows her body best and a respect for individual differences.

Nurse midwives in South Carolina are especially concerned about providing health care to underserved residents in the state. In fact, since the inception of the master’s program at MUSC, 50 percent of nurse midwifery graduates have chosen to practice in medically-underserved communities. The demand for nurse midwives also continues to increase in the private sector. In Charleston, nurse midwives see a diverse group of patients in private practices with delivery privileges at East Cooper Regional Medical Center, the Medical University Hospital, Bon Secours-St. Francis Xavier Hospital and Trident Medical Center.