PURPOSE:
This project presents a national leadership development framework to support professional growth among Certified Nurse-Midwives, Certified Midwives, and student midwives in the United States (US). Developed by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), the framework uses the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) global leadership model as its basis for articulating leader attributes, core competencies, leadership domains, and pathways for leader progression in the US context. It is designed to inform profession-wide leader development programming under the guiding principle that every midwife is a leader. The presentation will outline the process of adapting the ICM model into a country-specific framework.

DISCUSSION:
Despite strong evidence that midwifery care improves maternal and newborn outcomes, midwives currently attend less than 10% of births in the US and remain marginally integrated into mainstream care delivery. Expanding the midwifery workforce is critical to addressing gaps in access to high quality care. Achieving this goal requires not only education and policy reform but also the intentional cultivation of leadership across the profession. The proposed framework establishes leadership development as foundational to workforce expansion, system integration, and professional sustainability.

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
The framework synthesizes elements from the ICM leadership model, existing ACNM leadership competencies, standards of practice, and current evidence regarding effective leadership. It outlines leadership roles across settings (clinical and community settings, health systems and nationally), and identifies essential competencies, and progression benchmarks across the professional careerspan.

KEY MESSAGE:
Midwifery leadership is essential to improving maternal health and elevating midwifery as a normative model of care in the U.S. An evidence-informed framework can guide the development of midwifery leaders across settings and cultivate leaders across the profession. ACNM’s leadership framework provides a foundation for profession-wide development efforts, ensuring all midwives, regardless of professional setting or career stage, are prepared to lead change and strengthen health systems for women and families. Poster session 3 (Group B)