Note: This article was originally posted in our Autumn 2018 newsletter, and has not been updated.
At its October meeting, Council rescinded the Policy on Active Practice Requirements (APR). In place of this policy, the Registration Committee has approved a new operational process for administering the active practice requirements as outlined in the Registration Regulation. The revised Active Practice Requirements document can be read here.
While we recognize that birth numbers are not necessarily the best way to measure currency or competency, it is the system which currently exists under the Registration Regulation. We need to administer it effectively, and have a meaningful process to establish defensible rationales to support active practice shortfall decisions in the interest of public protection.
We determined we needed a new approach to Active Practice Requirements for the following reasons:
- To help ensure consistency with Registration Regulation
- To ensure fair and consistent decision making and administration as it relates to active practice shortfalls
- To enable a streamlined process that is clear for members, the Registration Committee and staff
- Development and use of a risk assessment tool to focus on public protection
- To provide a means to account for midwives who are practising in various models of care
- To enable the College to effectively implement the active practice requirements until such time that the Registration Regulation can be changed.
While members are encouraged to read the new document in full here, we have summarized two of the major changes.
The new process adjusts member due dates for APR if the member was registered in the Inactive class for all or part of their reporting period. This makes our process consistent with the Registration Regulation
Where there is a shortfall in primary births, we will consider counting births attended by the midwife in the role of second midwife towards meeting their APR. Reported seconds can be an indication of the fact that the member is actively practising, especially in out-of-hospital settings, and midwives should be maintaining their knowledge and skills to act as a second at births.
To help facilitate consistent decision making, a risk assessment tool has been developed to help guide Registration Committee panels in reviewing and assessing APR shortfalls. The tool is currently being piloted and will be shared once approved.
In light of the newly approved APR process and approach Council rescinded the Policy on Active Practice Requirements.
The new APR process will come into force November 1, 2018 and will affect how the College processes APR for 2018. This means that some midwives may have their reporting date adjusted, if they have spent time in the Inactive class. It also means that consideration will be given to the births that a member attended as a second midwife.