Respectful Maternity Care Program
Respectful care for every patient, every interaction, every time.
The AWHONN Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) Program is designed to help hospitals and birthing centers create and sustain a culture where dignity, equity, empathy, and person-centered care are the standard for every birth. The ultimate goal of the program is RMC Designation, a national recognition awarded to facilities that demonstrate commitment, measurable progress, and improved outcomes in respectful maternity care.
The Journey Toward RMC Designation
AWHONN supports facilities through a structured, evidence-based pathway that moves organizations from early awareness to full integration of respectful care practices and ultimately to national recognition with an RMC designation. This journey is guided by three integrated components of the RMC Program, the RMC Implementation Toolkit, the RMC Train-the-Trainer program, and RMC Designation.
RMC Implementation Toolkit
Newly updated December 8, 2025
The foundation of the program is AWHONN’s comprehensive RMC Implementation Toolkit, built around the 10-Step C.A.R.E. P.A.A.T.T.H. and grounded in the Respectful Maternity Care Evidence-Based Guideline and Framework. This structured pathway guides organizations in integrating respectful care through the following steps – see image.
The toolkit provides practical, customizable resources including readiness assessments, progress trackers, sample policies, patient-facing materials, communication tools, staff reflection guides, learning opportunities, and quality-improvement templates to support teams at every step.
The RMC Implementation Toolkit will be updated each June. We encourage you to revisit the toolkit annually to access the latest materials and enhancements.
Last updated 12/8/2025.
Access Resources
Individual Access: Respectful Maternity Care Framework Evidence-Based Guideline & Toolkit Bundle
Free for members/ $74.95 for nonmembers
RMC Single Facility License for both EBG and Implementation Toolkit for institutional access: $300 per facility*
*For facility wide implementation please contact productsales@awhonn.org.
With the purchase of the RMC Facility License, the resources in the RMC Toolkit and the EBG may be downloaded, saved and printed for clinical use.
What’s New
RMC Train-the-Trainer Program – Coming in 2026
We’re expanding the RMC Train-the-Trainer program to help staff implement respectful maternity care. The updated program will include support during implementation, more patient education tools, and translated resources for non-English-speaking populations.
RMC Designation – Coming in 2026
Hospitals can soon apply for RMC designation at Bronze, Silver, or Gold levels to showcase their commitment to respectful care. Designations reflect progress and impact on patient outcomes, with a renewal process to maintain alignment with RMC principles.
Learn More
Read the press release to explore what’s ahead for the RMC program.
Acknowledgements
AWHONN gratefully acknowledges the work of the individuals who have contributed their time and expertise to the development of the Respectful Maternity Care Program.
- Team Lead: Kelly McGlothen-Bell, PhD, RN, IBCLC
- AWHONN Nurse Leader: Catherine M. Hill, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC
- Shawana Burnette, DNP, RNC-OB, NEA-BC, CLNC
- Nastassia K. Davis, DNP, MSN, RN, IBCLC
- Team Lead: Madelyne Z. Greene, PhD, RN
- AWHONN Nurse Leader: Catherine M. Hill, MSN, APRN, FNP-BC
- Jennifer E. Wissemann, D.N.P., RNC-LRN, RNC-OB, CNE, C-ONQS, Co-Lead
- Laura Bacon Ruck BSN, RNC-OB
- Lisa Z. Klein, DNP, MSN, BSN, RNC-OB, RNC-LRN
- Marla Nichols, RN, BSN, MSN, CNE, IBCLC
- Madeline Virginia Tiani, RN, MSN
- Caroline Toby, DNP, CNM
- Team Lead: Rose L. Horton, MSM, RN-OB, NEA-BC
- AWHONN Nurse Leader: Sarah Copple, MSN, RNC-MNN
- Shawana Burnette, DNP, RNC-OB, NEA-BC, CLNC
- Nastassia K. Davis, DNP, MSN, RN, IBCLC
- Christine Kidd, MSN, RNC-MNN, FNP-BC
- Kelly McGlothen-Bell, PhD, RN, IBCLC
Purpose: To advance the implementation of Respectful Maternity Care practices across healthcare settings, ensuring equitable, dignified, and patient-centered care for all birthing individuals and newborns. The multidisciplinary collaborative will work to increase awareness and accessibility, expanding the reach and utilization of recommended processes, policies, and programs that foster respectful maternity care. The RMCC will also help identify and address barriers to successful implementation and strategies to overcome the barriers.
Staff Members:
- Sarah Copple MSN, RNC-MNN, C-ONQS: AWHONN Staff Lead
- Karen Crowley, DNP, APRN-BC, WHNP, ANP, CNE
Members:
| Amy Ushry, MPH, BSN, RN, CCM American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists |
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| April Chavez Maternal Sepsis Survivor, Advocate & Certified Patient Family Partner |
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| Michelle Munroe, DNP, APRN, CNM, FACNM, FAAN American College of Nurse-Midwives |
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| Beth Quinn, MSN-RNC, MNN Council for Women and Infant Specialty Hospitals |
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| Charles Johnson Family Advocate, Founder and President of 4Kira4Moms |
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| Heather Nixon, MD Society for Obstetric Anesthesia |
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| Kendra Bailiff, MSN, RNC-MNN Nurse Educator- RMC Train-the-Trainer Pilot Site Coordinator |
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| Sabrina Torres Doula-Patients R Waiting |
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| Sharilyn Kelly, DNP, RN, NE-BC, C-ONQS, RNC-OB Designation Advisory Board Representative/ RMC Study Implementation Site |
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| Shawana Burnette, DNP, RNC-OBNEA-BC, CLNC, FAWHONN RMC Program Expert |
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Purpose: To establish criteria for and maintain status of three levels of designation for the RMC program. This will include application criteria for the levels, artifacts for submission of designation, review process, review rubrics, notification process, redesignation process, and frequency of national calls. In addition, the advisory board will determine the qualifications, length of service, selection, and training of the review committee and will participate in the inaugural designation process.
It is AWHONN’s goal to have three levels of designations that demonstrate:
- Commitment to RMC through implementation of the RMC program (Bronze)
- Improvement of nurse and patient experiences (Silver)
- Improvement of health outcomes (Gold)
Staff Members:
- Sarah Copple MSN, RN-MNN, C-ONQS
- Karen Crowley, DNP, APRN-BC, WHNP, ANP, CNE
Members:
| Sharilyn Kelly DNP, RN, NE-BC, C-ONQS, RNC-OB |  |
| Lori Allan RNC-OB |  |
| Elizabeth Polinard Ph.D, RN |  |
| Tina Morris MSN, BSN, RNC-EFM |  |
| Bridget Funk PhD, CNE, C-ONQS, RN |  |
| Krista Jackson CNS, RNC-OB, C-ONQS, C-EFM, REC-C |  |
Sponsorship of this educational resource was provided by Huggies® Healthcare™.
© Copyright 2022 by the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. All rights reserved. Print copies of the RMC Toolkit only are permitted for clinical use within a single accessing facility. For all other publication or dissemination requests, contact permissions@awhonn.org.
