South Carolina Code of Regulations › Chapter 61 - DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL › Subchapter 61-24 - Licensed Midwives

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 6, June 28, 2024
A.
		  Purpose and Scope; Definitions.
1. Purpose and
		  Scope. The purpose of this regulation is to provide requirements for licensure,
		  education, minimum standards of care and practice to individuals who desire to
		  practice midwifery in the State of South Carolina.
2. Definitions. For the purposes of these
		  regulations the following definitions apply:
a. Apprentice Midwife. A person authorized by
		  the Department to engage in a course of study, to include clinical experience
		  under the supervision of a physician, certified nurse-midwife, certified
		  professional midwife, or midwife licensed in the State of South Carolina, who
		  will prepare that person to become a licensed midwife.
b. Apprentice Midwife License. A license
		  issued by the Department to authorize a person desiring to become a midwife to
		  obtain clinical experience under supervision of a physician, certified
		  nurse-midwife, certified professional midwife, or midwife licensed in the State
		  of South Carolina. This license is not transferable.
c. Certified Nurse-Midwife. A registered
		  nurse licensed to practice in this state that has been certified by the
		  American College of Nurse-Midwives and officially recognized by the State Board
		  of Nursing for South Carolina.
d.
		  Community Health Center. A not-for-profit organization which receives federal
		  funding to operate a local health center.
e. Contact Hour. A unit of measurement to
		  describe 50-60 minutes of an approved, organized learning experience or two
		  hours of planned and supervised clinical practice which is designed to meet
		  professional educational objectives.
f. Continuing Education. Participation in an
		  organized learning experience under responsible sponsorship or supervised
		  clinical practice, capable direction and qualified instruction and approved by
		  the Department for the purpose of meeting requirements for renewal of licensure
		  under these regulations.
g.
		  Certified Professional Midwife (CPM). A professional midwifery practitioner who
		  has met the standards for certification set by the North American Registry of
		  Midwives (NARM).
h. Department. The
		  S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
i. Health Care Provider. A physician or nurse
		  practitioner.
j. License. A
		  document issued by the Department which authorizes an individual to practice
		  midwifery within the scope of these regulations. The license is not
		  transferable.
k. Licensee. A
		  licensed midwife or a licensed apprentice midwife.
l. Midwife. A person licensed by the State of
		  South Carolina who provides midwifery services as defined below.
m. Midwifery Instructor. A physician,
		  certified nurse-midwife or licensed midwife, licensed in the State of South
		  Carolina, who has a supervisory relationship with an apprentice
		  midwife.
n. Midwifery Services.
		  Those services provided by a person who is not a medical or nursing
		  professional licensed by an agency of the State of South Carolina, for the
		  purpose of giving primary assistance in the birth process either free, for
		  trade, or for money, provided, however, that this shall not preclude any
		  medical or nursing professional from being licensed in accordance with this
		  regulation. This definition shall not be interpreted to include emergency
		  services provided by lay persons or emergency care providers under emergency
		  conditions.
o. North American
		  Registry of Midwives (NARM). National organization which provides and maintains
		  an evaluative process for multiple routes of midwifery education and training,
		  and develops and administers a standardized examination system for CPM
		  credentialing.
p. Nurse
		  Practitioner. A registered nurse licensed to practice in this state and
		  registered with the S.C. State Board of Nursing. A certified nurse-midwife is
		  accepted by the Board of Nursing as meeting these requirements.
q. Physician. A person who is licensed to
		  practice medicine in the State of South Carolina.
r. Supervision. Coordination of learning
		  experiences, direction, and continued evaluation of the practice of an
		  apprentice midwife.