Saskatchewan College of Midwives Clarifies Unauthorized Practice of Midwifery Statement

A statement issued by College of Midwifery dated January 2012 had Nurse Practitioners (NP's) concerned about their scope of practice in relation to everyday obstetrical situations such as diagnosing pregnancy, prenatal check ups in shared care, and postpartum check ups.  SANP members posed questions with the Saskatchewan College of Midwives, management, Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association (SRNA), the Ministry of Health and the Canadian Nurses Protective Society (CNPS). All responses agreed that NP's can continue to practice prenatal and postpartum care.

 On May 30, 2012, Cheryl Olsen, Registrar for the Saskatchewan College of Midwives confirmed stating:

“Unfortunately, the original version was missing some key information and did not clearly articulate who can perform the authorized practices of midwifery. This oversight caused a great deal of concern around scope of practice for other health professionals. As we developed the statement, aspects of the interpretation of The Midwifery Act with respect to "use of title" and "authorized practices" were missed. We apologize for the inconvenience and the confusion that resulted. I believe that the attached version will address your concerns and provide NPs and other health professionals with what was our intended message.”

 Please see the attached revised statement by the Saskatchewan College of Midwives Unauthorized Practice of Midwifery Revises May 2012.