Glossary

Autonomous Practise / On her own Responsibility
The midwife is responsible for all care she/he provides and decisions she/he makes during the course of pregnancy, labour, delivery and postpartum. The care and decisions are not delegated from, directed by or supervised by any other care provider.

BC
British Columbia

CAM
Canadian Association of Midwives – the national professional midwifery associations in Canada

Client
The woman to whom the midwife provides care.  In order to emphasize that women are the primary decision-makers, midwives in Canada have chosen not to use the term “patientâ€�.

Clinical Preceptor
A clinical preceptor is an experienced midwife who teaches, monitors and reports on the work of a student midwife in a midwifery education program, during a specific clinical placement.

CMBC
College of Midwives of British Columbia – the midwifery regulatory authority in the province of British Columbia

CMM
College of Midwives of Manitoba – the midwifery regulatory authority in the province of Manitoba

CMO
College of Midwives of Ontario – the midwifery regulatory authority in the province of Ontario

CMRC
Canadian Midwifery Regulators Consortium – the network of midwifery regulatory authorities in Canada

CMRE
Canadian Midwifery Registration Examination – the national registration examination for midwives

College
A professional regulatory authority, or in other words, the organization authorized by law to regulate a specific profession and ensures that the public is protected against incompetent or unethical practitioners.

Competency statement or document
A list of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of a midwife.  Each province and territory has its own competency statement and has endorsed the national document (the Canadian Competencies for Midwives).

Continuity of Care
The practice of ensuring that a woman knows her midwives and receives care from the same midwife, or small group of midwives, throughout pregnancy, labour, birth and the postpartum period. The number of midwives who can see one woman is limited. These midwives share a similar approach and philosophy of care and collaborate together. The group ensures that one of the midwives known to the woman is on-call and available 24 hours a day.

Course of Care
Midwifery care provided to a woman and her newborn from early pregnancy throughout the antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum periods, up to six weeks postpartum.

Currency
Clinical experience required in a given time period prior to initial or annual registration.

Entry-level midwife
A midwife who has completed her midwifery education and met provincial/territorial requirements to start practising in Canada, in the full scope of practice, without supervision requirements on her/his registration.

Evidence-based practice
Clinical practice which incorporates careful consideration of current maternity care research, and the provision of relevant, non-biased, and comprehensive information that includes this research evidence to clients to support their decision-making.

Hospital Birth
A birth conducted by a midwife in a setting where surgical (cesarean section) and/or anesthetic (epidural) capabilities are present.

Hospital Privileges
Membership in a hospital’s “staffâ€� that is granted to a health professional under the hospital’s bylaws allowing that professional (usually a primary caregiver such as a doctor, dentist, or midwife) to treat a patient or client within that specific hospital. Under their hospital privileges midwives can provide full midwifery care to women and newborns in hospital. 

Note:  Legislation in Quebec enable midwives to work in hospitals under a different kind of agreement where they are able to access hospital space but do not have privileges.

IEM
Internationally-Educated Midwife who has, or is planning to, apply for registration in a Canadian jurisdiction. 

IMPP
International Midwifery Pre-Registration Program – the midwifery bridging program that internationally-educated midwives must successfully complete if they wish to register in the province of Ontario

Informed Choice
The woman’s right to make informed decisions about her care.  For the midwife, this decision-making process involves taking time with the woman, listening to her questions and concerns, providing her with clear evidence-based information about the benefits and disadvantages of each choice she is considering and supporting her in her decision-making. 

International Applicant
An internationally-educated professional who has, or is planning to, apply for registration in a Canadian jurisdiction.  Also called ITP – internationally trained professional.

MRCNS
Midwifery Regulatory Council of Nova Scotia - the midwifery regulatory authority in the province of Nova Scotia

Multi-jurisdictional Midwifery Bridging Project (MMBP)
The MMBP aims to enable internationally-educated midwives to prepare to register to practise midwifery in a Canadian jurisdiction by providing orientation and training related to the Canadian model of midwifery and the practice standards and requirements in Canada

NAS
National Midwifery Assessment Strategy – a project of the CMRC aiming to ensure best practices in the assessment of internationally-educated midwives in Canada

NWT
Northwest Territories

On her own Responsibility
See Autonomous Practise.

Ordre/Order
A professional regulatory authority, or in other words, the organization that regulates a specific profession and ensures that the public is protected against incompetent or unethical practitioners. Used only in Quebec.

OSCE
Objective Structured Clinical Examination
This is a clinical examination where candidates rotate through exam “stations� or simulated midwifery scenarios using actors and models and respond to the situation as they would in clinical practice.

OSFQ
Ordre des sages-femmes du Quebec – the midwifery regulatory authority in the province of Quebec

Out-of-hospital birth
A birth conducted by a midwife in a setting without on-site surgical (cesarean section) and/or anesthetic (epidural) capabilities. Such sites may include homes, birth centres, nursing stations and some hospitals.

PLEA
Prior Learning and Experience Assessment.  The assessment process undertaken by internationally-educated midwives who wish to be registered in some Canadian provinces or territories.  PLEA includes portfolio assessment and written and clinical exams.

Primary Midwife (also Principal Midwife)
The primary (principal) midwife is a midwife with complete, non-delegated, responsibility for the care of a woman and her newborn. The primary midwife is normally responsible for managing the labour and delivery and for the immediate care of the newborn. In cases where complications arise, the primary midwife makes the decision to transfer care, coordinates the transfer, collaborates with the health professional to whom she has referred her client, and provides supportive care after the transfer occurs. Supervised student midwives who act in the role of primary midwife are also included in this definition.

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA, PLAR, RPL)
The assessment of an individual’s education and work experience for educational credit or registration as a professional.  It can include portfolio-based assessment, examinations, workplace observation or other assessment methods.

Register
The official list of registered midwives in a given province or territory.

Registered Midwife (RM)
Person who has been assessed and registered by a provincial or territorial midwifery regulatory authority and who has the right to call herself/himself a midwife and to act as a midwife. Also referred to as “Registrant� in some documents.

Registrant
See Registered midwife

Registrar
The individual with overall responsibility for maintaining the Register of Midwives thereby ensuring that all registered midwives are competent and safe practitioners. 

Regulatory authority
A professional regulatory authority, or in other words, the organization that regulates a specific profession and ensures that the public is protected against incompetent or unethical practitioners.  Also called “regulatorâ€�. This may be an independent college or order authorized by law to regulate the profession or a government department or other authority authorized by law.

SCM
Saskatchewan College of Midwives – the midwifery regulatory authority in the province of Saskatchewan.

Second Midwife
The midwife who works with and supports the primary midwife at a given birth. Particularly during the second stage, the delivery, and immediate postpartum.  The second midwife often focuses on the care of the newborn after the birth.  Midwives performing the role of “secondâ€� also typically have their own clients for whom they are primary midwife.  Second midwives are fully qualified midwives

Note: There are no “assistant midwives� categories of registration in Canada, although in some provinces there is a very limited role called the “second birth attendant�, usually fulfilled by a nurse in areas where there is a shortage of midwives and/or during hospital births.