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The Nurses Amendment Bill: The implications for midwifery

Abstract:

"...or registered midwife..." three words are poised to change the face of midwifery practice in New Zealand as most midwives have known it. Inserted after "general practitioner" in Sections 54.1 and 54.2 of the Nurses Act, these words return to midwives our status, our professionalism and our independence. Helen Clark, Minister of Health, introducing the Nurses Amendment Bill to the House of Representatives said "Having a baby is not an illness. It is a normal physiological process that for generations was viewed as such. With the advent of medical technology, there has been a trend towards treating pregnancy and labour as an illness. This has resulted in an increasing amount of medical intervention in the management of normal pregnancy which has led to the erosion of the midwives role. This has proved both costly and in many cases, inappropriate.

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continuity of care, Helen Clark, Nurses Amendment Act, professional autonomy and responsibility