Unnecessary Hassles for Midwives

Midwives have been working with leaders in medicine, nursing and the legislature to promote the practice of nurse-midwifery and update North Carolina's state practice act. One of the barriers to midwifery practice in North Carolina is the archaic and unnecessary requirement of physician supervision. This requirement doesn’t ensure safety or improve access to care, however it does make it harder to practice as a certified nurse-midwife in North Carolina and does limit access to midwifery services. And that compromises health outcomes for women and babies and increases health costs.