NARM acknowledges that many midwives are providing prenatal and postpartum assessments virtually in order to minimize in-person contact during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have been asked whether or not these virtual visits may count toward meeting the NARM clinical requirements.
While accepting that experienced CPMs may be providing safer care by minimizing contact, NARM maintains that in-person experience is essential for the training of new midwives. NARM considers virtual clinicals to be a new and valuable element of clinical training, but considers these experiences to be in addition to the hands-on clinicals required for certification.
However, NARM recognizes that some students in the final weeks of training may have their Continuity of Care clinicals impacted by the preceptor’s decision to do virtual visits. In an effort to not penalize these students during unprecedented times, NARM has made a decision to allow some virtual clinicals.
NARM will allow two virtual clinicals to apply to the Continuity of Care clinicals for each Continuity of Care Client: one prenatal in the final trimester and one postpartum done anytime between 24 hours and six weeks post birth.
- The maximum number of virtual clinicals is 10 per applicant, 2 per client for COC only
- The virtual prenatal and postpartum visits do not replace the numbers required on forms 112c and 112e
- The minimum numbers of in-person clinicals documented on those forms must still be met
- The virtual prenatal and postpartum are in addition to the in-person visits and apply only to the Continuity of Care requirement
- The preceptor must be present either physically or virtually while the student attends the virtual visits
If any prenatal or postpartum visits are done virtually for Continuity of Care, they should be documented on Form 200 under “total number of prenatals” and “total number of postpartums” with the total number, comma, and number virtual. For Example:
- If five prenatals were performed and one was virtual, the designation would be “5, 1v”
- If one of the postpartums was performed virtually, the column for # postpartum visits would be filled out “2, 1v”
This allowance will be in place for clinicals between March 1 and July 31, 2020.
Extensions or modifications will be at the discretion of the NARM Board of Directors.
For more information —
For questions, email Applications@narm.org.
eBlast emailed April 17, 2020