Policy on Midwifery and Midwifery Practice
Re-endorsed by Annual Conference 2014
The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association recognises that midwives:
· Practise within their scope of practice in diverse settings including the home, hospitals, clinics and community settings.
· Practice within different models of continuity of midwifery care such as Team midwifery or midwifery-led continuity of care, case load midwifery, Midwifery Group Practice (MGP), and traditional care or shared care models of midwifery.1
· Are responsible and accountable professionals who work in partnership with women to give the necessary support care and advice during pregnancy, labour and birth and the postnatal2 period and provide care for the newborn infant, undertake promotion of normal birth, preventative health care and the detection of complications in the mother and child.
· Collaborate with medical or other appropriate health professionals.
· Carry out emergency measures when necessary.
· Provide health counselling and health promotion for the mother, her family and the broader community.
The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association adopts the policy that:
1. The international definition of a midwife that was revised and adopted by the International Confederation of Midwives Council, 15 June 2011 is endorsed.3
2. The National Maternity Action Plan developed by the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council (AHMAC) is endorsed.4
3. Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) which is supported by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
4. Eligible midwives are qualified to order laboratory tests and investigations, and prescribe a specified range of drugs commonly used in the care of childbearing women in accordance with the NMBA registration standards.5
5. Midwives must meet and comply with all the codes, guidelines and assessment frameworks as determined by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, according to their status as a registered midwife or eligible midwife.
6. Midwives should also meet and comply with the Australian College of Midwives’ Consultation and Referral Guidelines.
7. Midwifery care provided during pregnancy, labour and birth and postnatal period, is only undertaken by registered midwives, other nursing and midwifery clinicians and students undertaking midwifery education under the appropriate supervision of a midwife, except in cases of emergency where a midwife is unable to attend.
8. Courses leading to registration as a midwife are developed in conjunction with the professional body that represents midwives. Entry to practice may come from initially being a registered nurse and undertaking a recognised course in midwifery or through a direct entry route.
9. Midwives supervise and provide midwifery education.
10. Students of midwifery must have access to high quality clinical education that prepares them for safe and collaborative practice in all aspects of maternity care.
11. Skill maintenance programs are available for all midwives who require them.
12. Refresher programs should be readily available and meet the individual learning needs of the midwife returning to practice. These programs should be provided in a flexible manner and include an option for distance education and locally arranged clinical placements.
13. Flexible industrial agreements should be available for midwives to accommodate different models of care including continuity of midwifery carer models.
14. Midwives who are self employed or work in isolated practice must have processes in place to demonstrate they meet the national competency standards for midwives and to monitor the safety and quality of their practice.
15. Midwives are able to access professional indemnity insurance that reflects the level of risk associated with their practice.
16. Clients of eligible midwives should receive reimbursement for maternity care from Medicare as well as from private health insurance companies.
17. Hospitals and NSW Health Local Health Districts should facilitate the provision of clinical privileging for privately practising midwives.
18. International Midwives Day on 5 May each year is celebrated.
19. Consumer representatives protect the interests of consumers, service users and potential services users.
International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) Definition of the Midwife
A midwife is a person who has successfully completed a midwifery education programme that is duly recognised in the country where it is located and that is based on the ICM Essential Competencies for Basic Midwifery Practice and the frame work of the ICM Global Standards for Midwifery Education; who has acquired the requisite qualifications to be registered and/or legally licensed to practice midwifery and use the title ‘midwife’; and who demonstrates competency in the practice of midwifery.
Scope of Practice
The midwife is recognised as a responsible and accountable professional who works in partnership with women to give the necessary support, care and advice during pregnancy, labour and the postpartum period, to conduct births on the midwife’s own responsibility and to provide care for the newborn and the infant. This care includes preventative measures, the promotion of normal birth, the detection of complications in mother and child, the accessing of medical care or other appropriate assistance and the carrying out of emergency measures.
The midwife has an important task in health counselling and education, not only for the woman, but also within the family and the community. This work should involve antenatal education and preparation for parenthood and may extend to women’s health, sexual or reproductive health and child care.
A midwife may practise in any setting including the home, community, hospitals, clinics or health units.
Revised and adopted by ICM Council 15 June 2011
References:
1 Midwifery Continuity of Carer Model Tool-Kit. NSW Ministry of Health (2012).
2 The World Health Organisation defines the postnatal period as being up to 6 weeks after birth of the baby www.who.int/topics/pregnancy/en/
3 www.internationalmidwives.org
4 Midwifery Coalition Inc (2013) Downloaded 10/03/14 from www.maternitycoalition.org.au/consumer-representation.html
5 http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Registration-Standards.aspx
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