THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234

 

TO:	The Honorable the Members of the Board of Regents
FROM:	Johanna Duncan-Poitier
SUBJECT:	Regents Permission to Operate in New York State:   University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
DATE:	October 11, 2006
STRATEGIC GOAL:	Goal 2
AUTHORIZATION(S):

 

SUMMARY

 

Issue for Decision (Consent Agenda)

 

Should the Regents approve the proposed permission to operate in New York State for the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey?

 

Reason(s) for Consideration

 

Required by State statute

 

Proposed Handling

 

This question will come before the Board of Regents at its October 2006 meeting for final action.

 

Procedural History

 

Regents permission to operate in New York State is required by Section 224 of the Education Law which prohibits out-of-state colleges and universities from transacting business in New York without Regents permission.

 

Background Information

 

The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey is seeking Regents permission to operate in New York State in order to place its students in health care agencies for supervised clinical experiences in midwifery.  Article 140 of the Education Law restricts the practice of midwifery to licensed persons or students enrolled in educational programs that the State Education Department has registered.  The University’s midwifery program is accredited by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.  The program meets the standards for registration as set forth in the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.

 

Recommendation

 

It is recommended that the Regents approve the proposed permission to operate effective October 24, 2006, authorizing the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey to use clinical agencies in New York for clinical education of students in its Advanced Certificate program in nurse-midwifery.

 

Timetable for Implementation

 

This approval will be effective until November 30, 2011.

 

 

 

 

INFORMATION IN SUPPORT OF RECOMMENDATION

 

            Section 6951 of the Education Law defines midwifery as “the management of normal pregnancies, childbirth and postpartum care as well as primary preventive reproductive health care of essentially healthy women as specified in the written practice agreement and shall include newborn evaluation, resuscitation, and referral of infants.”  Pursuant to a written agreement with an obstetrician, a midwife is authorized to “prescribe and administer drugs, immunizing agents, diagnostic tests and devices, and to order laboratory tests.”

 

            Established in 1975, the Nurse-Midwifery program at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey is designed to provide midwifery education within the context of primary care as part of a comprehensive approach to health care.  The Nurse-Midwifery program at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey is accredited by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM).

 

            The curriculum requires completion of 36 credits of didactic and clinical coursework.  Content includes:  Teaching in the Health Professions, Foundations of Primary Health Care, Interconceptional Nurse-Midwifery Management, Antepartal Nurse-Midwifery Management, Intrapartum/Postpartum Nurse-Midwifery Management, Pharmacology, Neonatal Nurse-Midwifery Management, Professional Issues in Nurse-Midwifery, and Integrated Nurse-Midwifery Practice.  Students are required to complete a comprehensive examination at the end of the program.  The program is offered in a mastery learning modular format that facilitates correlation of clinical experiences with the contents of each module.  There are 307 contact hours for didactic coursework, 66 contact hours for campus laboratory practice, and 887 contact hours for clinical experiences that are supervised by nurse midwifery faculty.  The program can be completed in 12 months of full-time study or 24 months of part-time study.

 

            The program is intended for registered nurses with bachelor’s degrees who have at least two years of professional experience in maternal/neonatal health care or a closely related area.  In addition, applicants must have completed a physical assessment course within five years of beginning the program, have a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, submit a satisfactory reference from the current or most recent employer, provide documentation of observation of 10 labors and births within the last 2 years, be certified as a childbirth educator or provide evidence of attendance at a series of childbirth classes, and complete a personal interview.  Applicants with fewer than two years of relevant experience must document attendance at a fetal monitoring course within the last two years.

 

            The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey plans on using one agency in New York State, Staten Island Midwifery Associates, located in Staten Island.  Only one student will be placed in a New York agency for 2006-2007, and no more than three students will be placed in New York State annually thereafter.           

 

There are seven full-time and three part-time faculty.  Six of the faculty have master’s degrees in nursing and the remaining four are enrolled in master’s degree programs in nursing.  Three of the four faculty who are enrolled in master’s degree programs in nursing have master’s degrees in fields other than nursing.  Two of the faculty are doctorally prepared and two are enrolled in doctoral programs.  All faculty have ACNM certification.  The preceptors who will supervise students at Staten Island Midwifery Associates hold ACNM certification and New York State certification as midwives. 

 

            There are four nurse-midwifery programs (programs that restrict admission to registered nurses) and one direct-entry program at four New York universities.  Two of the four are independent:  Columbia University and New York University.  The other two are State University campuses:  The State University of New York at Stony Brook and the Health Science Center at Brooklyn.

 

            Like programs preparing practitioners in other professions, nurse-midwifery programs typically use a large number of health facilities for student clinical experiences.  They may be in several states.  Because of statutes like New York’s restricting practice by students to those enrolled in state approved programs, institutions must undergo a variety of state review processes to assure lawful practice by students.  In New York, this entails receiving the Regents permission to operate and Department registration of the program so that one student a year may practice in the State.

 

            Staff have determined that there would be no reduction in access to clinical experiences at cooperating facilities if authorization is granted.  Because of the limited nature of the University’s authorization to operate in New York State, it should have no effect on New York institutions.

 

            The Office of the Professions has determined that the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey meets the standards for registration set forth in the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education.