Meet Ann Darlington, CNM

Specialty: Nurse-Midwifery
Now living in: Seattle
How long on the board: I have been a member since the beginning, in the early 80s; President of the BOD from January, 2007 to 2009.

Current work place and position: I am a staff CNM in our 7-member nurse-midwifery practice, Midwifery and Women’s Health, a part of NeighborCare Health (formerly Puget Sound Neighborhood Health Centers). NeighborCare is a consortium of community health centers offering medical and dental services to our region’s underserved at 15 sites throughout the Puget Sound region. My group provides OB/Gyn care at 4 of the clinics, and births at Group Health Central’s in-hospital birth center in Seattle.

Brief work history: I became CNM in ’81 (University of Utah) and worked at Virginia Mason Nurse-Midwifery Service from then until their OB lay-off in early 2002. (Our group was hired by Puget Sound Neighborhood Health Centers 10 minutes later.) I also serve as (unpaid) clinical faculty at UW, as a student preceptor and occasional guest lecturer.

Why you chose your specialty: Birth is a marvelous combination of an everyday event and a true miracle. Nurse-midwifery is never boring and the employment (and volunteer) opportunities are diverse and thus far, never-ending. In my younger days I was a political science major on track to be a lawyer when I realized I wanted something more direct and hands-on. I am woman-centered in my thinking about life, so midwifery keeps me immersed professionally in areas I care about personally. Access and choice in health care are Big Deals for me.

Why you volunteered for the BOD: I wanted to help create a statewide organization to empower NPs and their clients, a goal that fit well with my political and health care interests. We worked hard and long to get full prescriptive authority for NPs. That success and the national recognition we receive as a state with top rankings on patient access to care remain sources of pride and areas to safeguard. Over the years we have built a mature, respected presence in Olympia and in state nursing circles, including WSNA, and I donŐt want to lose our momentum. We must remain ready for The Next Big Political Thing (and there is always one just over the horizon).

What you most care about regarding NPs: I care that we and our clients have the power to provide and to access our services, and that NPs can hold on to what makes us special (the “nurse part” of who we are) and be respected for our good work. “Respect” is politically defined in many ways, including fair compensation and unfettered opportunity within our scope of practice.

Your hopes for AUWS: I hope that AUWS can grow and expand our influence, within our NP practice world as well as in the world of state politics; that we stretch to more fully represent all NP specialties, geographic locations, and issues; and that we continue our work with other groups (nursing and other professions) to promote safe, accessible, affordable health care for all. We can and should be part of the solution to rising health care costs and diminished access to care in our communities.