Celebrate Nurse Midwives

During National Midwifery week, recognize the integral role nurse-midwives play in women’s health

New Mexico babies aren’t the only ones kicking for joy this week, as The University of New Mexico College of Nursing is celebrating New Mexico’s nurse midwives and all they do to provide care for women and children in our state.

National Midwifery Week, Oct. 3-9, was established by the American College of Nurse-Midwives to recognize midwives and midwife-led care. 

Midwives don’t just catch babies during labor. Nurse-midwives provide holistic care to women throughout their lives, from their first menstruation to the transition through menopause and beyond. That includes providing primary care, gynecologic treatments and contraception and more.

The UNM College of Nursing Nurse-Midwifery program is among the best in the nation, ranked 11^th nationwide according to U.S. News & World Report. Their alumni are making an impact in New Mexico, with a majority of graduates remaining in the state. These nurses are providing critical care to families in communities that are historically under-represented.

“At UNM, we’re working to improve healthcare access and availability, particularly in rural parts of our state,” said Felina Ortiz, a clinician educator and assistant professor in the College of Nursing. “A nurse-midwife in these communities can provide a broad range of specialized woman’s health services, like well-woman annual exams. Of course, we can help care for mothers and babies, too.”

UNM’s nurse-midwifery program is recognized nationally as a leader in serving students of color, and the College of Nursing is working to increase the number of midwives of color to mirror New Mexico’s population.  

Just under 30% of the College of Nursing’s graduates identify as black, indigenous or a person of color. Nationally, the midwives of color account for approximately 10% of all midwives according to a 2017 article in the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health. 

In celebration of National Midwifery Week, the College of Nursing would like to recognize the following UNM nurse-midwives of color who are providing care for New Mexico communities:

 

Felina Ortiz, DNP, RN, CNM

Ortiz has been certified in nursing programs within four institutions in two states; during that time, Ortiz never learned from a faculty member of color. Her experience as a student inspired her to improve support for midwifery students and nurses of color as a UNM faculty member. She studies ­health equity, maternal-child health disparities within communities of color. She was also the chair for the National American College of Nurse-Midwives’ Midwives of Color Committee, which works to recruit, support and encourage midwives of color throughout the country.

Brittany Simplicio, MSN, RN, CNM

One of approximately twenty Native American nurse-midwives in the United States, Simplicio provides full scope midwifery care to patients at UNM Hospital. She protects all patients’ access to low-intervention pregnancy care and birth. Simplicio also mentors and supports BIPOC students and voices anti-racist practices.

Tamara Gardner, MSN, RN, CNM

Gardner graduated from the UNM Midwifery Program in 2011 and has been working for the UNM department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Midwifery division ever since. This year she was certified as a psychiatric nurse practitioner through the College of Nursing’s post master's certificate program. She looks forward to practicing reproductive psychiatry and continuing to serve her community as a midwife.

Katie Kivlighan, PhD, RN, CNM

Kivlighan is studying how synthetic hormones used in labor affect breastfeeding mothers and babies. She has also been teaching others how to provide critical care for women and children as a faculty member in the college’s Nurse-Midwifery program since 2019. In addition to teaching and researching, Kivlighan provides midwifery care for rural and underserved communities in New Mexico.

Hien Tran, MSN, RN, CNM

Tran is a first-generation middle school and high school graduate. She is as a certified nurse-midwife serving patients at UNM Hospital. Originally from Vietnam, Tran has a longstanding history of community engagement including working with youth groups, adolescents, Albuquerque Public Schools, and the Asian and Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian communities. 

If you are interested in making an impact on women’s and children’s health in your community, visit the UNM College of Nursing’s website and learn more about becoming a master’s prepared nurse-midwife. High school students are encouraged to sign up for the American College of Nurse Midwives’ Wave of Midwifery program. This initiative provides monthly seminars for high school students of color interested in midwifery until December.  

If you would prefer to support or honor a nurse-midwife for Nurse-Midwifery week, consider making a donation to the UNM College of Nursing.

Learn more and donate here