Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) under the Nursing Research program (CFDA 93.361) awarded $163,825 to the University of Colorado-Denver for a project titled "Developing Positive Work Environments to Retain the Nurse-Midwifery Workforce: Co-Creation of an Organization-Level Toolkit." The award, effective September 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029, funds the development of the Organizations Support Midwives (OSM) toolkit—an organization-level intervention designed to improve professional well-being and retention of certified nurse-midwives through implementation of clinical and procedural policies that establish positive work environments (PWEs).

The project addresses critical workforce shortages in midwifery care by targeting midwife burnout and attrition, with 23.4% of midwives not actively practicing in the field and over 40% meeting burnout criteria. The research employs a comparative case study methodology guided by the Job Demands-Resources Model and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research 2.0 to identify organizational policies that promote PWEs—characterized by autonomy, high-quality care valuation, effective collaboration, practice leadership, and support for low-intervention care philosophy—and to systematically evaluate barriers and facilitators to policy implementation. The deliverable toolkit will provide organizations with evidence-based strategies to enhance the work environment, thereby supporting retention of the existing midwifery workforce and improving access to midwifery care as a national maternal health strategy.