FUTURE PROSPECTS OF NURSE-MIDWIFERY IN THE UNITED STATES*

The future prospects of the nurse-midwifery profession are evaluated by considering both the factors which support and also those which may impede continued growth. Nurse-midwifery's contribution to health policy goals, in particular, increased access to services and cost containment; consumer preference for this provider; and the uniqueness of the content of care given in nurse-midwifery practice all portend favorably for the future of the profession. Factors which might jeopardize continued growth include an oversupply of obstetricians and legal and reimbursement constraints. Reckoning with the possible effects of a physician oversupply may be the most important task facing the profession.