"A midwife is a person who, having been regularly admitted to a midwifery educational programme, duly recognised in the country in which it is located, has successfully completed the prescribed course of studies in midwifery and has acquired the requisite qualifications to be registered and/or legally licensed to practise midwifery."   {Code of Conduct for Nurses in Australia,}

This workshop will consider the definition from the national law perspective as an overview to the regulation of midwives and the protection of the public. It will also provide an opportunity to catch up on recent developments of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

Unprofessional Conduct and Impairment

Anyone can make a complaint about a midwife’s health, performance or conduct under the National Law. However, it also requires that a registered health practitioner must notify the relevant Board if, in the course of practising their profession, they form a reasonable belief that another registered health practitioner has behaved in a way that constitutes “notifiable conduct”.

• What is notifiable conduct?
• How does the national law define unprofessional conduct and impairment?
• What is the guideline for mandatory notification?
• What are the exemptions from mandatory notification?
• Who is responsible for making a report and when is it mandatory?
• How do you make a report?
• What are the powers of investigators under the national law?
• Social Media and the Health Practitioner

Social media use amongst health practitioners, while valuable, may also have negative effects on professional standards depending on how it used. This session will discuss the growing issues and pitfalls of health practitioners using social media and will look at some cases of unprofessional conduct and the relevance to guidelines, especially in the context of codes of conduct and ethics.

The Coroners Court and the Midwife Witness

Legislation in each jurisdiction defines circumstances when adverse events in health care are reportable to the Coroner’s court. This session will provide a brief overview of these requirements and explore the midwife’s role in appearing in this court as a witness.

• What are reportable deaths and why is the midwife's documentation regarding them so crucial?
• What would be expected of you if you were called to appear in the Coroner's court?
• If this occurs, what legal advice should you seek?