Proposed bill to expand scope of practice and encourage recruitment of midwives | CBC News

The state is changing the role of midwives to expand services and increase recruitment.

The bill introduced earlier this month would expand the scope of practice for midwives, allow students to practice clinically in New Brunswick, and add three new positions to the New Brunswick Midwifery Council, the governing body that oversees the profession.

Under current law, the practice of midwifery includes “the care, assessment, and monitoring of women during normal pregnancy, labor, and the puerperium.”

Health Minister John Dornan said in an interview that if passed, the legislation would allow midwives to work within their training, providing care to people throughout their childbirth period by providing contraceptive advice and other routine procedures.

Dornan said the changes could also help recruit more midwives to the state, which has been a challenge.

“If we want to keep more midwives in New Brunswick, it would be helpful for them to receive some of their training here in the province,” he said.

Candise Brown, executive director of the Midwifery Council, said current regulations do not allow students to pursue clinical training in the state.

Dornan said if the legislation passes, the changes would go into effect “the next day.”

As for the future of midwifery practice in the state, Dornan said the government wanted to expand the service to other communities.

The Fredericton Birth Center opened in 2017 and provides care to patients within a 60-minute drive. Despite plans to expand care, only the capital city provides this care in the state.

Dornan said hiring a group of midwives willing to work in a variety of areas will take time.

She said the fact that midwives are a relatively new option for women giving birth in New Brunswick could also be a reason for the slow expansion of services.

Midwives say it will ease the burden on the health system

Jasmine Graham, a Fredericton-based midwife who wants to open a private clinic in the province, said the changes could help ease the strain on a strained health-care system.

Currently, she can provide care for newborns up to six weeks old, but the changes will extend that care to 18 months and also include vaccinations and developmental testing.

Graham said they are already able to offer these services to pregnant women and will continue to do so. For people of reproductive age — We provide services such as Pap tests, screening for sexually transmitted infections, and treatment for urinary tract infections.

She told her patients, [these procedures] Doing it with someone you know and have a relationship with can be really reassuring for people who don’t have a primary care provider. ”

Graham said she hopes the law changes will eventually lead to the expansion of midwifery services beyond the Fredericton region.

Ursula Linnaeus, president of the New Brunswick Midwives Association, said the proposed changes are a “step in the right direction” but more work is needed to provide services across the province.

She agreed that the proposed legislation would help fill gaps in healthcare and ultimately allow midwives to help meet the health needs of patients who don’t have access to proper care.

“I think it will help in terms of providing access to sexual and reproductive services,” Linnaeus said.

Ms Brown said the Midwifery Council had been working with the province for about a year to reform the Midwifery Act.

“This will give families more options for care after their baby goes home, and may also allow non-pregnant people of reproductive age to access midwifery services,” she said.

“These are not earth-shaking changes, but I think they are the kinds of changes that will help create the conditions necessary to improve access.”

The bill passed second reading on Tuesday and is awaiting third reading.