Are you allowed to deliver?

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Specializes in Cath Lab, OR, CPHN/SN, ER.

Crazy question, I know!

When I lived in a town that was home to a large teaching hospital (the only hospital for 30 miles), the CNM's were not allowed to deliver. They saw patients in clinic and did ob/gyn care, and most did a lot of teaching with the college of nursing as well.

I am only assuming it was a non-direct way to allow the medical students and residents more learning opportunities. I saw the same in the ER (the paramedics were limited in their skills so they ER residents could do the intubations and other skills).

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It's not exactly that they are not allowed to deliver, they are not HIRED to deliver in that hospital. CNM's do see OB/GYN patients, that's part of our scope of practice, and a hospital isn't obligated to allow you to catch babies if they've only hired you for clinics. There are many hospitals where the midwives actually teach the residents. With midwifery you can branch out to many types of practices.

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Limiting the practice of CNMs to non-delivering roles might be a way to increase workload for residents - they have requirements on how many deliveries they have to do and the hospital might not have the volume for other providers. It might also be due to malpractice concerns or political issues.

I deliver, and I teach residents. It all depends on your setting.

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beckinben,

Hello just wondering what state you live? I wonder does that determine the ability to deliver.

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Specializes in LDRP.

If I'm not mistaken, CNM's are legal and can "deliver" in every state in the country. It is up to individual institutions whether they have the privileges to do so.

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