CNMs/CMs as primary care providers: scope of practice issues

Since the proliferation of managed care organizations and the expansion of the central role of the primary care provider in the early 1990s, certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives have debated the merits and drawbacks of their inclusion in this category of provider. The present article explores the history of primary care and reviews the most commonly accepted definition of primary care. The boundaries of scope of practice in primary care and the legal and economic ramifications of certified nurse-midwives/certified midwives practice in this area are discussed.