CHC gains first certified nurse midwife

The Commonwealth Health Center has gained its first certified nurse midwife.

Jin Cody is the first CNMI registered nurse to pass the American Midwifery Certificate board exam. She received her midwifery certification on Nov. 6, 2017.

That makes her the CNMI’s first nurse midwife—an advanced practice registered nurse in nurse midwifery, the care of women across their lifespan, including pregnancy and the postpartum period, and well woman care and birth control.

Cody grew up in Northern China and migrated to Saipan in 1997, where she has lived since.

Jin took up nursing at the Northern Marianas College and graduated from its nursing program in 2006.

After passing the National Council Licensure Exam, or NCLEX, Cody worked as a registered nurse at the Labor & Delivery Unit of the Commonwealth Health Center for eight years, from 2007 until 2015.

“While working in the Labor and Delivery Unit at CHC, I became fascinated with the birthing process and decided to focus my healthcare training in that endeavor,” she said.

In 2016, Cody decided to become a midwife and enrolled in an online graduate program offered by the Frontier Nursing University in Kentucky.

Cody was inspired to pursue a certification in Midwifery Studies because she saw how challenging the process is.

“As a registered nurse in the L&D Unit at CHCC, I found the process of assisting expectant mothers to be extremely challenging and fulfilling. At that point, I became determined to get the needed education to become a midwife,” she said.

Cody’s hard work paid off. “My education was difficult, but I persisted,” she said.

Cody’s training also provided her with hands-on training in a hospital in Indiana.

“In early 2017, I spent six months in clinical training in a large hospital in Indiana, where I delivered 45 babies and worked in a women’s health clinic. That experience proved to be invaluable,” she said.

Cody is determined to use her knowledge to provide further assistance to mothers in the Commonwealth. She recently returned to CHCC to help improve the prenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care offered in the Commonwealth.

“I know that the Northern Marianas is an underserved area that needs healthcare professionals. As a member of the community for the past 20 years, I am excited to be able to help provide quality care in women’s health. I hope to help the community adopt healthy practices that will ensure positive outcomes for both expectant mothers and their babies,” she said.