Nurse Midwives

Diagnose and coordinate all aspects of the birthing process, either independently or as part of a healthcare team. May provide well-woman gynecological care. Must have specialized, graduate nursing education.

The occupation "Nurse Midwives" has an automation risk of 35.2%, which closely aligns with its base risk of 35.7%. This moderate risk level is largely because a significant portion of nurse midwives' responsibilities involves structured, protocol-driven activities that can be supported or partially replaced by automation technologies. For example, tasks such as providing prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, or newborn care to patients often follow well-defined guidelines, making them more susceptible to automation through advanced monitoring systems, telemedicine, or robotic assistance. Similarly, monitoring fetal development—by listening to the fetal heartbeat, taking measurements, and estimating fetal size or weight—can be streamlined via automated diagnostic equipment. Moreover, documentation tasks, such as recording health histories, symptoms, and physical conditions, are increasingly performed using electronic health records and AI-assisted scribing tools. On the other hand, the role contains core responsibilities that are notably resistant to automation. Managing newborn care during the crucial first weeks of life demands nuanced clinical judgment, swift response to unpredictable changes, and the compassionate delivery of hands-on care, all of which remain beyond current technology’s reach. Conducting clinical research on maternal health, infant care, and related subjects requires creative problem-solving and critical thinking abilities, both of which are challenging to replicate with automation. Additionally, nurse midwives are responsible for planning, providing, and reviewing educational programs for nursing staff, healthcare teams, and the community—tasks that rely heavily on interpersonal skills, adaptability, and the ability to tailor education to specific audiences. The primary bottleneck skill limiting automation in this field is originality, with an estimated impact of 3.0%. This suggests that while some routine or repetitive tasks can be automated, the unique, creative, and highly individualized judgment needed for many aspects of midwifery creates a significant barrier to full automation. Originality is crucial when assessing atypical patient situations, implementing evidence-based innovations, and developing new educational content or research methodologies. Thus, as long as nurse midwives are expected to make creative decisions, adapt to new clinical situations, and provide empathetic human interaction, substantial portions of their job will remain resistant to automation despite the encroachment of technology in healthcare.