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SDPB Radio Coverage of the South Dakota Legislature. See all coverage and find links to audio and video streams live from the Capitol at www.sdpb.org/statehouse

Midwifery Amendment Deferred To 41st Day

 

After more than an hour of testimony and debate, the State House Health and Human Services Committee deferred House Bill 10-65. The bill allows student midwives to act in other health care capacities while in training. Several state medical groups spoke in opposition, including the South Dakota Board of Nursing, represented by executive director Gloria Damgaard.

Damgaard told members, "House bill 1065 requires that the lay midwife student be directly supervised by a licensed nurse practitioner, a licensed midwife, or a physician.

"But in reality, a nurse practitioner and a nurse midwife could not legally supervise the practice of a lay midwife student. It wouldn’t be within the scope of a nurse practitioner to manage and direct the birth of a baby; and doing so would place that practitioner at risk for possible license sanctions and legal consequences."

Damgaard says the licensed professional has the scope of practice in cases, and not the student—which puts all of the liability on the person overseeing the student’s work. The bill was deferred on a 10-3 vote.

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