Florida Legislature Enacts Historic Bill Empowering Nurse Midwives and Advancing Women’s Healthcare
Florida Legislature Enacts Historic Bill Empowering Nurse Midwives and Advancing Women’s Healthcare
After a challenging and long-awaited process, the Florida legislature recently passed a bill on January 21, 2024 creating a path for full practice authority of certified nurse midwives holding the “Autonomous Advanced Practice Registered Nurse” license. CNM’s applying for an Autonomous APRN license in Florida must have completed at least 3000 clinical hours under the supervision of an allopathic or osteopathic physician within the past 5 years; submit proof of three graduate-level semester hours (or the equivalent) in differential diagnosis, and three graduate-level semester hours (or the equivalent) in pharmacology completed within the last five years. This bill eliminates the requirement for written referral and transfer agreement and instead incorporated the implementation of an emergency plan of care for transfers in all out-of-hospital or community births. This significant change not only enhances women’s access to healthcare but also acknowledges the expertise of midwives and encourages a collaborative, patient-centered approach to maternity care. The decision underscores the increasingly recognized importance of midwives in improving maternal health outcomes and ensuring equal access to care. This legislative victory not only sets a precedent for other states but also highlights the advantages of expanding midwives’ scope of practice. This legislation will take effect on July 1, 2024.
On a more somber note, the bills also introduced a new “Advanced Birth Center” bill, allowing out-of-hospital centers to offer epidurals, cesarean sections, and inductions of labor. However, this naming and usage can lead to confusion among consumers and patients and bypasses the safety rules and laws required for hospital accreditation and licensure. Additionally, these centers would not be required to have a blood bank or 24/7 in-house physician coverage.Bills: House bill 1549 and SB 7016
