N.J. Stat. tit. 45, ch. 10

N.J. Stat. tit. 45, ch. 10
in effect

N.J. Stat. § 45:10-1 "Midwifery" defined

A person shall be regarded as practicing midwifery within the meaning of this chapter who attends a woman in childbirth as a midwife, or advertises as such, by signs, printed cards or otherwise, but nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit gratuitous service in case of emergency, nor the service of any legally qualified physician or surgeon of this state.

N.J. Stat. § 45:10-2 License to practice midwifery; examinations

A person desiring to begin the practice of midwifery in this state shall first obtain from the state board of medical examiners, hereinafter in this chapter designated as the "board" , a license so to do, as hereinafter provided. The board shall execute the provisions of this chapter, and shall hold examinations in midwifery in the state house at Trenton annually on the third Tuesday in June and October from ten A.M. to five P.M., or at such other place and times as it may deem expedient.

N.J. Stat. § 45:10-3 Applications for examination

Candidates for examination shall present to the board, at least ten days before the examination, a written application on a form provided by the board, setting forth under affidavit the name, age, nativity, residence, moral character and time spent in obtaining a common school education, or its equivalent; and that the candidate has received a certificate or diploma from a legally incorporated school of midwifery, or maternity hospital, in good standing in the opinion of the board at the time of issuing the certificate or diploma, granted after at least eighteen hundred hours' instruction within a period of not less than nine months, or a certificate or diploma from a foreign institution of midwifery of equal requirements as determined by the board, conferring the full right to practice midwifery in the country in which it was issued. The application must bear the seal of the institution from which the applicant was graduated. Foreign graduates must present with the application a translation of their foreign certificate or diploma, made by and under the seal of the consulate of the country in which the certificate or diploma was issued. Applications must be indorsed by a registered physician of this state.

N.J. Stat. § 45:10-4 Examination fee; re-examinations

If the application is approved and the sum of twenty-five dollars shall have been deposited as an examination fee with the secretary of the board, the candidate shall be admitted to the examination, and in case of failure to pass, may be re-examined at any regular examination within one year, without the payment of an additional fee, and thereafter may be examined upon payment of said fee for each examination.

N.J. Stat. § 45:10-5 Character and subjects of examination

The examination may be oral or written, or both, and shall be in the English language and shall be held on the following subjects: a. Anatomy of the pelvis and female generative organs. b. Physiology of menstruation. c. Diagnosis and management of pregnancy. d. Diagnosis of foetal presentation and position. e. Mechanism and management of normal labor. f. Management of the puerperium. g. Injuries to the genital organs following labor. h. Sepsis and antisepsis in relation to labor. i. Special care of the bed and lying-in room. j. Hygiene of the mother and infant. k. Asphyxiation, convulsions, malformation and infectious diseases of the newborn. l. Cause and effects of ophthalmia neonatorum. m. Abnormal condition requiring attendance of a physician. The examination shall be sufficient to test the scientific and practical fitness of candidates to practice midwifery, and the board may require examination on other subjects relating to midwifery from time to time.

N.J. Stat. § 45:10-6 Issuance of licenses; limitation of authority thereunder; records

If the examination is satisfactory, the board shall issue a license, signed by its president and secretary and attested by its seal, entitling the candidate to practice midwifery, but the license shall not authorize the holder to prescribe any drug or medicine, except a preparation of ergot after the birth of the head of the infant, or household remedies, or to attend other than cases of labor. All application papers shall be deposited in the state library for at least two years, when they may be destroyed. Their contents shall be recorded in the official register of the board kept for this purpose which, or a certified copy thereof, shall be prima facie evidence of all matters therein contained.

N.J. Stat. § 45:10-7 Annual registration; fee; lists of licensees; penalty

Every licensed midwife shall procure from the secretary of the board annually on or before November first, a certificate of registration. The certificate shall be issued by said secretary upon the payment of a fee to be fixed by the board, not to exceed the sum of five dollars. The secretary shall mail annually, on or before October first, to each licensed midwife a printed blank form to be properly filled in and returned by such licensed person on or before the succeeding November first to the secretary of the board. Upon the receipt of the form properly filled in, and such fee, the annual certificate of registration shall be issued and transmitted. Said secretary shall annually, on or before the first day of January, mail to each licensed midwife who has registered for the preceding year a list containing the names and post-office addresses of all licensed midwives who have registered under this chapter for said year. Every licensed midwife who continues the practice of midwifery after having failed to secure any annual certificate of registration at the time and in the manner required by this section shall be subject to a penalty of twenty-five dollars for each such failure, which penalty shall be sued for and recovered by the board in the manner hereinafter provided for the recovery of penalties.

N.J. Stat. § 45:10-8 When midwives required to call physician

Midwives shall always secure the immediate services of a reputable registered physician whenever any abnormal signs or symptoms appear in either mother or infant.

N.J. Stat. § 45:10-16 Clerks of courts to report to board convictions of licensed midwives

The clerks of every court wherein any person licensed to practice midwifery is convicted of a crime, shall make a report of such conviction in writing to the board upon blanks provided by it, and such report shall state the name and address of such person so convicted, the date thereof, the nature of the crime of which the person was convicted and the sentence imposed by the court.

N.J. Stat. § 45:10-17 Definitions

As used in this act: "Board" means the State Board of Medical Examiners. "Certified nurse midwife" means a certified nurse midwife registered with the board. "Drug" means drugs, medicine and devices, as determined by the board. L.1991,c.97,s.1.

N.J. Stat. § 45:10-18 Certified nurse midwife may prescribe drugs

A certified nurse midwife who meets the qualifications pursuant to section 3 of this act may prescribe drugs, as delineated in standing orders and practice protocols developed in agreement between a certified nurse midwife and a collaborative physician. The practice protocols shall be established in accordance with standards adopted by the board. L.1991,c.97,s.2.

N.J. Stat. § 45:10-19 Qualifications for nurse midwife to prescribe drugs.

3. To qualify to prescribe drugs pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.97 (C.45:10-18), a certified nurse midwife shall have completed 30 contact hours, as defined by the National Task Force on the Continuing Education Unit, in pharmacology or a pharmacology course, acceptable to the board, in an accredited institution of higher education approved by the Department of Higher Education or the board. Such contact hours shall include one credit of educational programs or topics on issues concerning prescription opioid drugs, including responsible prescribing practices, alternatives to opioids for managing and treating pain, and the risks and signs of opioid abuse, addiction, and diversion. L.1991, c.97, s.3; amended 2017, c.28, s.14.

N.J. Stat. § 45:10-20 Application for authority to prescribe drugs

A certified nurse midwife shall apply on a form prescribed by the board to obtain the authority to prescribe drugs pursuant to section 2 of this act and shall present evidence acceptable to the board of meeting the requirements of section 3 of this act. L.1991,c.97,s.4.

N.J. Stat. § 45:10-21 Board may prohibit nurse midwife from prescribing drugs

If the board determines that a certified nurse midwife who is permitted to prescribe drugs pursuant to this act has violated any provisions of this act or any provision of a regulation pertaining to certified nurse midwives or violated any State or federal law or regulation applicable to the prescription of drugs, the board shall prohibit that certified nurse midwife from prescribing any drugs. L.1991,c.97,s.5.

N.J. Stat. § 45:10-22 Rules, regulations

The board shall promulgate rules and regulations in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) necessary to effectuate the purposes of this act. L.1991,c.97,s.6.

N.J. Stat. § 45:10-23 Certain midwives required to complete bias training.

7. A certified nurse midwife, certified professional midwife, or certified midwife who was licensed prior to the effective date of this act shall, as a condition of license renewal, complete at least one credit of educational programs or topics concerning explicit and implicit bias, which educational programs and topics shall meet the requirements for a training program set forth in subsection b. of section 1 of P.L.2021, c.79 (C.26:2H-12.108). L.2021, c.79, s.7.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-activity/statutesFetched: 10/17/2026

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