Colorado Code § 12-225-106

Prohibited acts - practice standards - informed consent - emergency plan - risk assessment - referral - rules
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(1) A direct-entry midwife shall not dispense or
administer any medication or drugs except in accordance with section 12-225-107.
(2) A direct-entry midwife shall not perform any operative or surgical procedure; except
that a direct-entry midwife may perform sutures of perineal tears in accordance with section 12-
225-107.
(3) A direct-entry midwife shall not provide care to a pregnant woman who, according to
generally accepted medical standards, exhibits signs or symptoms of increased risk of medical or
obstetric or neonatal complications or problems during the completion of her pregnancy, labor,
delivery, or the postpartum period. Those conditions include but are not limited to signs or
symptoms of diabetes, multiple gestation, hypertensive disorder, or abnormal presentation of the
fetus.
(4) A direct-entry midwife shall not provide care to a pregnant woman who, according to
generally accepted medical standards, exhibits signs or symptoms of increased risk that her child
may develop complications or problems during the first six weeks of life.
(5) (a) A direct-entry midwife shall keep appropriate records of midwifery-related
activity, including but not limited to the following:
(I) The direct-entry midwife shall complete and file a birth certificate for every delivery
in accordance with section 25-2-112.
(II) The direct-entry midwife shall complete and maintain appropriate client records for
every client.
(III) Before accepting a client for care, the direct-entry midwife shall obtain the client's
informed consent, which shall be evidenced by a written statement in a form prescribed by the
director and signed by both the direct-entry midwife and the client. The form shall certify that
full disclosure has been made and acknowledged by the client as to each of the following items,
with the client's acknowledgment evidenced by a separate signature or initials adjacent to each
item in addition to the client's signature at the end of the form:
(A) The direct-entry midwife's educational background and training;
(B) The nature and scope of the care to be given, including the possibility of and
procedure for transport of the client to a hospital and transferral of care prenatally;
(C) A description of the available alternatives to direct-entry midwifery care, including a
statement that the client understands the client is not retaining a certified nurse midwife, a nurse
midwife, or a certified midwife;
(D) A description of the risks of birth, including those that are different from those of
hospital birth and those conditions that may arise during delivery;
(E) A statement indicating whether or not the direct-entry midwife is covered under a
policy of liability insurance for the practice of direct-entry midwifery; and
(F) A statement informing the client that, if subsequent care is required resulting from
the acts or omissions of the direct-entry midwife, any physician, nurse, certified midwife,
prehospital emergency personnel, and health-care institution rendering subsequent care will be
held only to a standard of gross negligence or willful and wanton conduct.
(IV) (A) Until the liability insurance required pursuant to section 12-225-112 (2) is
available, each direct-entry midwife shall, before accepting a client for care, provide the client
with a disclosure statement indicating that the direct-entry midwife does not have liability
insurance. To comply with this section, the direct-entry midwife shall ensure that the disclosure
statement is printed in at least twelve-point bold-faced type and shall read the statement to the
client in a language the client understands. Each client shall sign the disclosure statement
acknowledging that the client understands the effect of its provisions. The direct-entry midwife
shall also sign the disclosure statement and provide a copy of the signed disclosure statement to
the client.
(B) In addition to the information required in subsection (5)(a)(IV)(A) of this section,
the direct-entry midwife shall include the following statement in the disclosure statement and
shall display the statement prominently and deliver the statement orally to the client before the
client signs the disclosure statement: "Signing this disclosure statement does not constitute a
waiver of any right (insert client's name) has to seek damages or redress from the undersigned
direct-entry midwife for any act of negligence or any injury (insert client's name) may sustain in
the course of care administered by the undersigned direct-entry midwife."
(b) As used in this subsection (5), "full disclosure" includes reading the informed
consent form to the client, in a language understood by the client, and answering any relevant
questions.
(6) A direct-entry midwife shall prepare a plan, in the form and manner required by the
director, for emergency situations. The plan must include procedures to be followed in situations
in which the time required for transportation to the nearest facility capable of providing
appropriate treatment exceeds limits established by the director by rule. A copy of the plan shall
be given to each client as part of the informed consent required by subsection (5) of this section.
(7) A direct-entry midwife shall prepare and transmit appropriate specimens for newborn
screening in accordance with section 25-4-1004 and shall refer every newborn child for
evaluation, within seven days after birth, to a licensed health-care provider with expertise in
pediatric care.
(8) A direct-entry midwife shall ensure that appropriate laboratory testing, as determined
by the director, is completed for each client.
(9) (a) A direct-entry midwife shall provide eye prophylactic therapy to all newborn
children in the direct-entry midwife's care in accordance with section 25-4-301.
(b) A direct-entry midwife shall inform the parents of all newborn children in the direct-
entry midwife's care of the importance of critical congenital heart defect screening using pulse
oximetry in accordance with section 25-4-1004.3. If a direct-entry midwife is not properly
trained in the use of pulse oximetry or does not have the use of or own a pulse oximeter, the
direct-entry midwife shall refer the parents to a health-care provider who can perform the
screening. If a direct-entry midwife is properly trained in the use of pulse oximetry and has the
use of or owns a pulse oximeter, the direct-entry midwife shall perform the critical congenital
heart defect screening on newborn children in the direct-entry midwife's care in accordance with
section 25-4-1004.3.
(10) A direct-entry midwife shall be knowledgeable and skilled in aseptic procedures
and the use of universal precautions and shall use them with every client.
(11) To assure that proper risk assessment is completed and that clients who are
inappropriate for direct-entry midwifery are referred to other health-care providers, the director
shall establish, by rule, a risk assessment procedure to be followed by a direct-entry midwife for
each client and standards for appropriate referral. The assessment shall be a part of each client's
record as required in subsection (5)(a)(II) of this section.
(12) Repealed.
(13) A registered direct-entry midwife may purchase, possess, carry, and administer
oxygen. The department shall promulgate rules concerning minimum training requirements for
direct-entry midwives with respect to the safe administration of oxygen. Each registrant shall
complete the minimum training requirements and submit proof of having completed the
requirements to the director before administering oxygen to any client.
(14) A registrant shall not practice beyond the scope of the registrant's education and
training.

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