Migliaccio Named Fellow of the American College of Nurse-Midwives

College of Nursing Faculty Member Receives National Recognition

Laura Migliaccio, DNP, RN, CNM, nurse-midwifery concentration coordinator and assistant professor in The University of New Mexico College of Nursing, has been named a fellow of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM).

Migliaccio has taught in the College of Nursing’s Nurse-Midwifery program and has precepted student midwives and residents at UNM since 2000. She joined the College faculty in 2016 while continuing to work as a full-scope midwife providing care with the UNM Nurse-Midwifery Division.  

Migliaccio earned a doctor of nursing practice degree from New Mexico State University in 2019, where she focused on the development and support of clinical preceptors. She completed her master’s in nurse-midwifery at UNM in 1998.   

Passionate about supporting learners and preparing preceptors – the nurses who assist nursing students learning skills in clinical rotations – Migliaccio has worked with ACNM to engage preceptors and update available resources for them. She also offers preceptor orientations and recently facilitated a continuing education workshop for New Mexico preceptors.

Migliaccio is part of a strong, supportive community of nurse-midwives in New Mexico. She’s served in leadership positions at UNM, within New Mexico and nationally.

She was the chief of midwifery in the UNM Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology for more than 10 years. She chaired ACNM’S New Mexico affiliate chapter for two terms and has since served on its nominating, policy and legislative committees. She’s also served as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Midwifery and Women’s Health and advocated for nurse-midwives’ legislative initiatives as a member of the national ACNM’s Government Affairs Committee.

Fellowship in the ACNM honors midwives who demonstrate leadership, clinical excellence and outstanding scholarship, and whose achievements have merited special recognition both within and outside of the midwifery profession. Fellows serve the ACNM in a consultative and advisory capacity.

“I feel proud to be a part of the rich heritage of midwifery in New Mexico,” Migliaccio said. “There is a long history of traditional and indigenous midwives who provide comprehensive quality care for their communities. In midwifery, it is essential to address historical trauma and racism, and our academic program recognizes the many strengths and challenges faced by historically marginalized communities.

“We continue to work toward ensuring a more diverse and representative student body and faculty.  Midwives are dedicated clinicians who build partnerships with clients and care deeply about their communities. I feel very fortunate to help nurture and support midwifery in New Mexico.”

Migliaccio is joined by three other UNM College of Nursing faculty fellows: Felina Ortiz, DNP, RN, CNM; Amy Levi, PhD, RN, CNM, and Kristen Ostrem-Niemcewicz, DNP, RN, CNM, FNP-BC.