KS House votes to free nurse midwives from doctor oversight

Nurse midwives would be able to deliver babies without a doctor’s oversight under a bill passed by the Kansas House on Monday. SB 402 advanced on a voice vote. It would allow certified nurse midwives to handle routine deliveries without having a collaborative agreement with a physician. The nurse midwives would be allowed to prescribe medicines, order diagnostic tests and perform birth procedures such as episiotomy, Hawkins said.