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Midwifery Scope of Practice
The Midwifery Council is required by Section 11 of the Health
Practitioners Competence
Assurance Act 2003 (HPCAA) to prescribe the Scope of Practice
for midwifery. The scope was
first published September 2004. The Scope and qualifications
were re-published in 2010following an amendment to the
qualifications. The Midwifery Scope of Practice is the legal
definition of midwifery in New Zealand.
The Midwifery Scope of Practice
The midwife works in partnership with women, on her own
professional responsibility, to give
women the necessary support, care and advice during pregnancy,
labour and the postpartum
period up to six weeks, to facilitate births and to provide care
for the newborn.
The midwife understands, promotes and facilitates the
physiological processes of pregnancy and
childbirth, identifies complications that may arise in mother
and baby, accesses appropriatemedical assistance, and implements
emergency measures as necessary. When women require
referral midwives provide midwifery care in collaboration with
other health professionals.
Midwives have an important role in health and wellness promotion
and education for the
woman, her family and the community. Midwifery practice involves
informing and preparing thewoman and her family for pregnancy,
birth, breastfeeding and parenthood and includes certain
aspects of women's health, family planning and infant
well-being.
The midwife may practise in any setting, including the home, the
community, hospitals, or in any
other maternity service. In all settings, the midwife remains
responsible and accountable for the
care she provides.
Gazette Notice Scope and Qualifications 2010
The Competencies for Entry to the Register provide details of
the skills, knowledge and attitudes
expected of a midwife to work within the Midwifery Scope of
Practice. Whereas the Midwifery
Scope of Practice provides the broad boundaries of midwifery
practice, the Competenciesprovide the detail of how a registered
midwife is expected to practise and what she is expected to
be capable of doing. The Competencies are on the
"Competencies"page.
Midwives working in the area of Abortion Services, Family
Planning Services and Neonatal Intensive Care
In March 2005 Council added a footnote to the Midwifery Scope of
Practice to the effect that "in
relation to a preterm baby, the Midwifery Council defines the
six-week postpartum period ascommencing from the expected date of
birth rather than the actual date of birth". In other words,
http://www.midwiferycouncil.health.nz/images/stories/pdf/gazette%20notice%202010%20-scope%20%20quals%20website.pdfhttp://www.midwiferycouncil.health.nz/images/stories/pdf/gazette%20notice%202010%20-scope%20%20quals%20website.pdfhttp://www.midwiferycouncil.health.nz/midwifery-competence/http://www.midwiferycouncil.health.nz/midwifery-competence/http://www.midwiferycouncil.health.nz/midwifery-competence/http://www.midwiferycouncil.health.nz/midwifery-competence/http://www.midwiferycouncil.health.nz/images/stories/pdf/gazette%20notice%202010%20-scope%20%20quals%20website.pdf
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Council recognises that for preterm babies, the postpartum
midwifery role may extend beyond
six calendar weeks.
The Council has also clarified its expectations in relation to
direct entry students and midwives
working in neonatal intensive care units; in relation to
midwives working in gynaecology areas;
and in relation to all midwives working in maternity units in a
clinical role. This information canbe downloaded below.
Council requires all midwives working in maternity units in a
clinical role to hold a
Midwifery Practising Certificate.
Further interpretations on Scope March 2005Adobe Acrobat
Document: 137 KB, 20 seconds @ 56kbps
Information for midwives in relation to the Midwifery Scope of
Practice - further interpretations
March 2005
http://www.midwiferycouncil.health.nz/images/stories/pdf/Microsoft_Word__Information_for_midwives_in_relation_to_the_Midwifery_Scop_205.pdfhttp://www.midwiferycouncil.health.nz/images/stories/pdf/Microsoft_Word__Information_for_midwives_in_relation_to_the_Midwifery_Scop_205.pdfhttp://www.midwiferycouncil.health.nz/images/stories/pdf/Microsoft_Word__Information_for_midwives_in_relation_to_the_Midwifery_Scop_205.pdf
