Onboarding plan
Nurse Midwife Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)
A practical, printable plan to take a new nurse midwife from first day to full productivity.
Nurse Midwife onboarding at a glance
Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.
Before day one
- Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
- Verify required credentials: Certified Nurse-Midwife (AMCB), State APRN license (as applicable)
- Prepare equipment and access: fetal heart monitors; ultrasound (basic); delivery instruments; electronic health records
- Assign a buddy or preceptor
- Enroll the new hire in Nurse Midwife training so foundations are covered before or during week one
Week one: orient and protect
- Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
- Follow infection control
- Monitor for obstetric emergencies
- Practice emergency drills
- Know when to consult or transfer care
- Shadow an experienced nurse midwife through a full shift
- Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)
Days 1–30: learn
Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.
- Supervised practice: conduct a prenatal visit
- Supervised practice: support a patient in labor
- Supervised practice: respond to postpartum hemorrhage
- Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
- 30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins
Days 31–60: contribute
Goal: handle a regular workload independently.
- Provide prenatal care: independently
- Manage labor and deliver babies: independently
- Care for mothers and newborns after birth: independently
- Provide gynecologic exams: independently
- Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
- Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
- 60-day check-in
Days 61–90: own
Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.
- Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
- Begin cross-training on a secondary task
- Agree on a credential goal (for example, Certified Nurse-Midwife (AMCB))
- Discuss the career path: Labor and Delivery RN → Certified Nurse-Midwife → Lead Midwife
- 90-day review
Competency checklist
| Skill or task | Trained | Observed | Signed off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conduct a Prenatal Visit | |||
| Support a Patient in Labor | |||
| Respond to Postpartum Hemorrhage | |||
| Prenatal care | |||
| Labor management | |||
| Newborn assessment | |||
| Gynecologic care |
How to measure onboarding success
- Days until the new hire works without a preceptor
- Competency sign-offs completed on time
- Documentation or charting error rate
- 90-day retention
How Nurse Midwife training maps to this plan
- Introduction to the Nurse Midwife Role
- A Day on the Job
- Essential Nurse Midwife Vocabulary
- Core Duties and Responsibilities
- Common Tasks, Step by Step
- Tools, Equipment and Technology
- Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
- Skills Employers Look For
- Launching Your Nurse Midwife Career
- Final Knowledge Check