SB 1950 Proposals for "Appropriate Standards of Care for midwifery".
This is a copy of those adopted by the California College of Midwives "Standards of Practice"
(adapted from the College of Midwives of British Columbia)
ACDM
California College of Midwives
Mar 1999 Principles of Mother-Friendly Childbearing Services
California Licensed Midwives offer primary care to healthy pregnant women and their normal newborn babies from early pregnancy, through labor, birth, postpartum and the intra-conceptional period. The California College of Midwives has detailed standards of practice and guidelines for physician consultation and transfer of care.STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
(1) The California College of Midwives holds the midwife to the standard of a competent health care practitioner who maintains all requirements of state certification, who keeps current with safe midwifery practice and who practices in accordance with the code of ethics, model of practice and other policies and guidelines of the California College of Midwives and the statutory requirements as set forth in the Licensed Midwifery Practice Act of 1993, and as amended by SB 1479 and SB 1950.
(2) The Standards of Practice provide a framework to evaluate the midwife's practice to ensure that it is safe and consistent with the practice of midwifery in California.
STANDARD ONE
The midwife shall be the primary care provider within the midwives' scope of practice.
STANDARD TWO
The midwife shall collaborate with other healthcare professionals and, when the client's condition or needs exceed the midwives' scope of practice, shall consult with and refer to a physician or other appropriate healthcare provider.
STANDARD THREE
If the pregnancy becomes high-risk and primary care is transferred to a physician, the midwife may continue to counsel, support and advise the client at her request.
STANDARD FOUR
The midwife shall work in partnership with the client, recognizing individual and shared responsibilities.
STANDARD FIVE
The midwife shall uphold the client's right to make informed choices and to provide consent throughout the childbearing experience.
STANDARD SIX
The midwife shall provide continuity of care to the client according to the Model of Practice throughout the childbearing experience.
STANDARD SEVEN
The midwife shall respect the client's right to make informed choices about the setting for birth and shall provide care in all appropriate settings. In each case, the midwife shall assess safety considerations and the risks to the client and inform her of same.
STANDARD EIGHT
The midwife shall make every effort to ensure that a second midwife or a qualified birth attendant who is currently certified in neonatal resuscitation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation assists at every birth.
STANDARD NINE
The midwife shall ensure that no act or omission places the client at unnecessary risk.
STANDARD TEN
The midwife shall maintain complete and accurate health care records.
STANDARD ELEVEN
The midwife shall ensure confidentiality of information except with the client's consent, or as required to be disclosed by law, or in extraordinary circumstances where the failure to disclose will result in immediate and grave harm to the client, baby or other immediate family members.
STANDARD TWELVE
The midwife shall be accountable to the client, the midwifery profession and the public for safe, competent, and ethical care.
STANDARD THIRTEEN
The midwife shall participate in the continuing education and evaluation of self, colleagues and the community.
STANDARD FOURTEEN
The midwife shall critically assess research findings for use in practice and shall support research activities.
STANDARD FIFTEEN
The midwife shall order, prescribe or administer only those drugs and midwifery procedures as authorized in the Licensed Midwifery Practice Act, Section 2514 and shall do so in accordance with the client's informed consent.
STANDARD SIXTEEN
The midwife shall order, perform, collect sample for or interpret those screening and diagnostic tests for a woman or newborn as identified in the Licensed Midwifery Practice Act, Section 2514 and in accordance with the client's informed consent.
red print = additions to original material suggested by LMs/consumer feedback
Adapted from the practice guidelines of the College of Midwives,
British Columbia, Canada