Midwifery Q&A Resource (September Information Webinar)

There have been no changes to currency of practice requirements for registrants. 

Applicants seeking licensure for clinical midwifery practice must have: 1125 hours or attendance at 40 births in the clinical practice of midwifery in the 5 years immediately before their application for registration; or 450 hours or attendance at 12 births in the clinical practice of midwifery in the year before their application for registration and meet competency requirements approved by the Nova Scotia Nursing and Midwifery Regulator (NSNMR).

As self-regulated professionals, midwives are responsible for determining their level of competence to work within all areas of scope. Competence includes knowledge, skill, judgment, professional behaviour and the ability to recognize and manage expected and unexpected outcomes. It must be current for the activity, population, technology, and be supported by policy in the practice setting. Midwives are accountable to work with their employers to ensure they have access the necessary education and training needed to provide safe and competent midwifery services in their practice setting.

You are not required to provide the regulator with evidence of completing employer or post-graduate education unless your practice is called into question by the regulator.

There is no change as a result of the new legislation. Some reasons midwives would consult and transfer care are:

• A client’s condition is outside the midwifery scope, is beyond the midwife’s skill 
• Training or another provider’s specialized assessment is required to provide safe care

Yes, midwives are permitted to count clinical and non-clinical work related to their scope.

The scope of practice for midwives is established through the regulations, which were finalized and made available shortly before the transition to the new legislation. NSNMR's immediate priority was to ensure compliance with the new legislative and regulatory requirements as of June 30, 2026.

Since amalgamation, work to integrate the two regulators has been underway through a phased approach. As part of this work, NSNMR is developing guidance and practice resources to support registrants in understanding and applying the new regulatory framework. 

Nonclinical activities are now imbedded in the scope of practice for midwives. Midwives who are doing nonclinical work will be issued a conditional licence. What was previously referred to as a non-clinical category of license is now listed as a conditional license, as directed by the new Regulated Health Professions Act. 

There are many factors a midwife must consider determining whether they are competent to provide an aspect of care. It is not possible to have a policy, procedure or guidance document to cover all aspects of a midwives practice. When in doubt, pause and consult with your employer, colleagues and/ or transfer care. 

The professional scope of practice of registered midwives in Nova Scotia is defined in provincial regulations. A distinction must be maintained between the scope of the profession, the individual’s scope, and the scope of employment. 

Employers may establish policies, procedures, privileges, and other requirements that manage the provision of care within its organization. An employer might restrict an activity which is in scope due to the availability of resources, operational responsibilities, the existence of an outdated policy, or perceived risk.

Where an employer policy restricts an activity that is otherwise within the scope of midwifery, the restriction should be understood as a limitation on practice within that employment setting and not on midwife's scope. For example, an activity that is restricted in one hospital or clinical setting may be allowed in another.