(1) Risk factors shall be assessed throughout labor to determine the need for emergency transport. The autonomous nurse practitioner shall transfer the patient to a hospital with obstetrical privileges if one or more of the following occur during labor, delivery or immediately thereafter:
- (a) Premature labor, meaning labor occurring at less than 37 weeks of gestation.
- (b) Premature rupture of membranes, meaning rupture occurring more than 12 hours before onset of regular active labor.
- (c) Non-vertex presentation.
- (d) Evidence of fetal distress.
- (e) Abnormal heart tones.
- (f) Moderate or severe meconium staining.
- (g) Estimated fetal weight less than 2,500 grams or greater than 4,000 grams.
- (h) Pregnancy induced hypertension, which is defined as 140/90, or an increase of 30 mm hg systolic or 15 mm hg diastolic above baseline.
(i) Failure to progress in active labor:
1. First stage: lack of steady progress in dilation and descent after 24 hours in primipara and 18 hours in multipara.
2. Second stage: more than 2 hours without progress in descent.
3. Third stage: more than 1 hour.
- (j) Severe vulvar varicosities.
- (k) Marked edema of cervix.
- (l) Active bleeding.
- (m) Prolapse of the cord.
- (n) Active infectious process.
- (o) Other medical or surgical problems.
- (2) Every certified nurse midwife engaged in the autonomous practice of nurse midwifery must maintain a written policy for patient transfer and include the use of form DH5109-MQA, 09/2024, Autonomous Certified Nurse Midwife Emergency Plan-of-Care for Delivery, which is incorporated by reference and available at HYPERLINK "https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-17527"https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-17527.
- (3) An Autonomous Certified Nurse Midwife shall report an emergency transfer to the Board of Nursing and submit a copy of the EPC with the report.
- (4) Any adverse incident must be reported to the Department of Health using the Autonomous Certified Nurse Midwife Adverse Medical Incident Report form DH5105-MQA, 8/2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference and available at: HYPERLINK "https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-17528"https://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-17528.
Rulemaking Authority 464.0123(3)(b) FS. Law Implemented 464.0123(3)(b) FS. History–New 2-4-25.