Caroline Snyder, a Pitt Nursing DNP-Midwifery student, says she was always fascinated by birth.
“When I was three years old, my favorite TV show was ‘A Birth Story’ where they would follow a birthing person through the birthing process,” said Snyder.
It was a no-brainer that Snyder would enroll in nursing school to fulfill her dream of becoming a neonatal nurse. Snyder enrolled in Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s BSN program in 2015 and graduated in 2019. She started her first nursing job at Magee Hospital on Labor and Delivery.
“During nursing school, I always thought I would become a Neonatal ICU nurse,” said Snyder. “But when I stepped into Labor and Delivery, I knew it was the place for me. After being a labor and delivery nurse, I saw a need for better maternal health in our country and realized much of that happens in the outpatient setting building relationships with clients and supporting them through their life and not in just one moment.”
Snyder enrolled in Pitt Nursing’s DNP-Nurse Midwifery program because of the program’s professors, thorough curriculum, hands-on approach to education, and diversity of clinical settings offered.
“The midwifery professors at Pitt are all phenomenal and each brings their own unique experiences to the table,” said Snyder. “This program has also taught me to appreciate birth as a normal process in our life spans, and how to appropriately manage the birthing process when something abnormal happens.”
“The draw of Pitt for me was being in person,” said Snyder. “I know as a learner I do best in person with many hands-on opportunities. I was also drawn to the diversity in clinical settings this program offers. During my time at Pitt, I will get to do deliveries at Magee and at The Midwife Center, Western PA’s only freestanding birth center.”
In 2023, Snyder delivered her first baby. Standing next to her was the midwife she spent much of her OB office clinical hours with the previous semester.
“When her baby was born, everyone in the room was ecstatic and hugging and crying tears of joy. It is great to be a part of a birth where both mom and baby were so loved and supported,” said Snyder. “ It was also nice to be supported by the midwife I spent so much time with because she knew my learning style and I knew her teaching style.”
Snyder is expected to graduate from Pitt Nursing in 2024 and hopes to stay in the Pittsburgh area, but is also exploring her options in Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Boston.
“I would also like to become more involved in community efforts to support women's and family health,” said Snyder.
For more information on Pitt Nursing’s DNP-Nurse Midwifery program