The mandate and legislated duty of the Council is to serve and protect the public interest by regulating the practice of midwifery. The Council registers qualified, competent midwives to provide safe, high quality care to women and their families in Nova Scotia. The Council is mandated to protect the public by ensuring that all registrants engaged in clinical midwifery practice are safe, competent and ethical practitioners.
The Council is responsible for:
(a) regulating the practice of midwifery in accordance with the registration, licensing and professional conduct processes set out in this Act and the regulations;
(b) establishing, maintaining and promoting standards of midwifery practice; and
(c) approving and promoting a code of ethics.
Council Staff
Registrar/ Executive Director
Anne Jackman
(902) 424-3218
The Registrar of the Council is responsible for planning and implementing the programs of the Council as well as the administration of the Council and its internal staffing and management.
The Registrar is also the secretary and treasurer of the Council.
Members of Council
The Council is comprised of three midwives recommended by the Nova Scotia Association of midwives; a registered nurse recommended by the College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia; a physician recommended by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia; and three public members who are not members of a health profession.
Kerstin Martin, R.M. (Chair)
Maren Dietze, R.M.
Michele Brennan (nursing representative)
Dr. Anne Houstoun (physician representative)
Eve Burns (public representative)
Joanne Hussey (public representative)
Shauna O’Brien (public representative)
Meetings
The Council is required to meet quarterly but in 2009 met on nine occasions in order to address the many issues facing the new Council.
Meetings of the Council are open to the public - please contact the Council for information about the place and time of hearings.
The next meeting of the Council will be held on February 9, 2012.
There are two standing Committees of Council:
1. Registration Committee
This committee considers and recommends concerning any application for registration or accreditation referred to the committee by the Registrar; and
makes recommendations to Council respecting all applications for extension of time, reductions in requirements, equivalent experience and other variations from the requirements of the regulations authorized by the regulations.
2. Registration Appeal Committee
An applicant who is refused registration may appeal that decision to the Registration Appeal Committee. This Committee reviews the decision made by the Registrar and makes a determination that, in its opinion, ought to have been made by the Registrar. The decision of the Registration Appeal Committee is final.
Did You know?
Midwives provide the full continuum of “low risk” prenatal, post-partum and newborn care as well as managing labour and birth, and are responsible for making clinical decisions within their scope of practice.
