Position statement on midwife practitioners

Professional Codes & Guidelines

Download a PDF copy of this Position statement (186 KB,PDF).

Introduction

The National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (the National Scheme) for health practitioners in Australia commenced on 1 July 2010 under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act (the National Law) as in force in each state and territory.

Under the National Law, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (National Board) is responsible for the regulation of the nursing and midwifery professions, and is supported in this role by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

The National Board has approved registration standards, codes and guidelines and competency standards that together form a Professional Practice Framework (PPF) that defines the requirements and National Board expectations guiding the professional practice of nurses and midwives in Australia.

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National Board position on midwife practitioner

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The National Board wishes to advise people seeking endorsement as a midwife practitioner that it does not have a registration standard against which individuals can seek endorsement as a midwife practitioner.

As part of the transition arrangements for the National Scheme, all midwife practitioners currently endorsed are able to continue their endorsement, providing they meet the National Board’s ongoing requirements for annual renewal of registration and endorsement.

The continuing professional development (CPD) and recency of practice requirements for currently endorsed midwife practitioners are identical to those required for nurse practitioners, as applied to their midwifery context.

Key midwifery professional organisations in Australia strongly supported a new category of midwife, namely the eligible midwife, to have access to professional indemnity insurance, Medicare Benefits Schedule and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme under government schemes.

The National Board has worked closely with Commonwealth, State and Territory governments to develop a set of standards for notation and endorsement of eligible midwives, within the National Board’s Safety and Quality Framework. Midwives seeking notation and endorsement should refer to the relevant registration standards, codes and guidelines on the National Board’s website.

Being endorsed as a midwife practitioner will not provide access to government funded professional indemnity insurance, Medicare Benefits Schedule or Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. To access these schemes, the midwife would need to be notated and subsequently endorsed by the National Board as an eligible midwife.

Find out more about endorsements and notations.