Midwife Licensure Exam Midwifery Law, Scope & Community Role (RA 7392) — RA 7392 & Midwifery JurisprudenceCheat Sheet

Section Title

The Act and Legislative Skeleton

Important Facts

• RA 7392 enacted in 1992 to modernise the regulation of midwifery practice.
• Declared policy: public protection through competence and training verification.
• Licence issued in one region is valid nationwide (national regulation, not regional).
• Midwifery is a PRC-regulated profession, like nursing, pharmacy, and medicine.
• The Act defines scope, educational entry, licensure by examination, renewal, ethics, and penalties.

Key Definitions

Common Values

Section Title

The Professional Regulatory Board of Midwifery

Important Facts

• Board members serve fixed terms and take an oath before assuming office.
• Board members must themselves be registered midwives in good standing.
• Members barred from midwifery school or review-centre connections while in office (conflict of interest).
• Board appointments are at the sole discretion of the President (executive function).
• Board decisions in administrative cases are appealable to PRC and ultimately courts (due process).

Key Definitions

Diagrams To Know

• Organizational hierarchy: PRC → Board of Midwifery → Examinee/Registrant

Section Title

Powers and Functions of the Board

Important Facts

• Board ADMINISTERS, PRESCRIBES, and ENFORCES RA 7392 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).
• Board PREPARES, CONDUCTS, and RATES the licensure examination for midwives.
• Board ISSUES, SUSPENDS, or REVOKES Certificates of Registration (COR) and Professional Identification Cards (PIC).
• Board INVESTIGATES violations of the Act, Code of Ethics, and Board regulations.
• Board HEARS administrative cases against midwives (quasi-judicial function).
• Board PRESCRIBES Code of Ethics and Code of Technical Standards for practice.
• Board MONITORS midwifery education standards (with Commission on Higher Education).
• Board decisions are appealable through PRC and court system (administrative appeal).

Key Definitions

Diagrams To Know

• Board power flow: Regulate → Examine → License → Investigate → Discipline

Common Values

Section Title

Licensure and Registration Pathway

Important Facts

• Candidate must be a Filipino citizen (or citizen of a country extending reciprocity to Filipinos).
• Candidate must be of good moral character (moral fitness standard).
• Candidate must be a graduate of midwifery from a school/college/university recognised by the government (through CHED).
• Candidate must not have been convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude (integrity bar).
• Candidate sits the licensure examination prepared and rated by the Board.
• Passing requires the general average set by the Board; no subject rating may fall below the prescribed minimum (aggregate + individual floor).
• On passing, the candidate takes the professional oath before the Board.
• After oath, the COR and PIC are issued; the person is then registered and may practise as RM.
• Registration by reciprocity is allowed for foreign midwives from countries granting the same to Filipinos (mutual recognition).
• All registrants (exam or reciprocity) are subject to the same Code of Ethics and scope limits.

Key Definitions

Diagrams To Know

• Licensure pipeline: Eligibility check → Exam → Pass → Oath → COR + PIC → Registered Midwife (RM)

Common Values

Section Title

Renewal, CPD, and Currency of Licence

Important Facts

• Licence renewal is not automatic; it requires active compliance with CPD requirements.
• PIC is renewed every 3 years (standard cycle across PRC-regulated professions).
• CPD is mandated by RA 10912 (NOT part of RA 7392 itself; common exam trap).
• Midwife must earn required CPD units/credits from accredited seminars, workshops, training, and approved activities.
• CPD reflects evolving obstetric practice, emergency protocols, and public-health programmes.
• Failure to meet CPD requirements results in inability to renew the PIC, effectively stopping lawful practice.
• CPD requirement applies equally to all midwives, regardless of seniority or experience.
• Accrediting bodies for CPD are designated by PRC and the Board (oversight).

Key Definitions

Diagrams To Know

• Renewal timeline: Current PIC → CPD units earned → Renewal application → PIC reissued (3-year cycle)

Section Title

Professional Oath and Code of Ethics

Important Facts

• The oath is a mandatory prerequisite to registration; no COR is issued without it.
• Core ethical duties: practise only within legal scope; refer promptly when case exceeds scope.
• Core ethical duties: maintain confidentiality of client information; obtain informed consent.
• Core ethical duties: keep accurate records of every case attended; avoid acts endangering mother or newborn.
• Core ethical duties: uphold profession's dignity; refrain from fee-splitting and false advertising.
• Code of Ethics is separate from the statute itself (prescribed by Board, not written in RA 7392).
• Breach of Code may result in administrative sanction (suspension or revocation) WITHOUT criminal conviction.
• Administrative liability (Code violation) and criminal liability (illegal practice) are separate and can run together.
• Code applies to all registered midwives uniformly across the country.

Key Definitions

Diagrams To Know

• Ethical duty framework: Scope → Refer → Confidentiality → Consent → Records → Safety → Integrity

Section Title

Scope of Midwifery Practice

Important Facts

• Midwife's scope is NORMAL care — pregnancy, delivery, postnatal recovery, newborn care, family planning, community health.
• Midwife is NOT a physician; she does not diagnose, prescribe (except as Board allows), or manage complicated cases.
• Practising BEYOND SCOPE is grounds for licence revocation and penal liability.
• Recognise-and-refer is the core competency that keeps midwifery independent yet safe.
• Complicated/high-risk cases must be referred to hospital/BEmONC facility and appropriate specialist.
• Referral must be documented in the client's record with reason, time, and receiving facility/provider details.
• Midwife remains responsible for the client until handover to the receiving provider is complete.
• Scope is defined in RA 7392 and further clarified by Board Code of Technical Standards.

Key Definitions

Diagrams To Know

• Scope boundary: Normal maternal/newborn/family-planning/community care (Midwife domain) ↔ High-risk/complicated cases (Refer to hospital/specialist)

Section Title

Penal and Administrative Provisions

Important Facts

• RA 7392 makes it unlawful to practise or represent oneself as RM without a valid COR and current PIC.
• Penalty for illegal practice: fine and/or imprisonment (exact peso amount and prison term in statute; state generally if uncertain).
• Grounds for refusal of COR: same as grounds for suspension/revocation (prospective bar).
• Moral turpitude: crime involving dishonesty, fraud, theft, or integrity (e.g., falsifying exam scores).
• Malpractice/gross negligence: serious error or omission causing harm (e.g., failing to refer a bleeding mother).
• Immoral/dishonourable conduct: behaviour bringing shame to the profession (e.g., fee-splitting, sexual misconduct).
• Fraud in obtaining licence: dishonesty in exam or application (e.g., cheating, false credentials).
• Practising beyond scope: performing tasks outside midwifery (e.g., suturing complex perineal tears, prescribing systemic antibiotics without protocols).
• Mental incompetence: lack of mental fitness to practise safely.
• Administrative liability (Board sanction) is separate from criminal liability (court conviction); both can occur together.
• Civil liability (malpractice damages) is also separate and concurrent.

Key Definitions

Diagrams To Know

• Liability framework: Administrative (Board) + Criminal (Court) + Civil (Damages) = THREE parallel systems

Common Values

Section Title

RA 7392 vs RA 9173: Midwifery vs Nursing

Important Facts

• Midwifery law: RA 7392 (1992); Nursing law: RA 9173 (2002) — DIFFERENT acts, DIFFERENT years.
• Midwifery Board: Professional Regulatory Board of MIDWIFERY; Nursing Board: Professional Regulatory Board of NURSING.
• Midwife title: Registered Midwife (RM); Nurse title: Registered Nurse (RN).
• Midwifery entry: traditionally 2-year diploma/associate midwifery course; upgraded over time to higher credential.
• Nursing entry: 4-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
• Midwife's signature act: conducting NORMAL spontaneous deliveries; community MCH.
• Nurse's signature act: comprehensive nursing assessment and care; delegated medical functions.
• Midwife scope: NORMAL maternal and child health — narrow, specialised, independent.
• Nurse scope: broad general care across all ages, conditions, settings, and under medical/nursing direction.
• Both professions: PRC-regulated, licensure by exam, CPD required, Code of Ethics, recognise-and-refer principle.
• Both professions: administrative and penal liability for scope violations, moral turpitude, malpractice.
• CRITICAL DISTINCTION: Midwife is NOT a nurse; they are separate, non-interchangeable professions.

Key Definitions

Diagrams To Know

• Midwifery vs Nursing comparison matrix

Item

RA 7392 = Philippine Midwifery Act of 1992; repealed RA 2644 (1960 law); it is THE governing statute for registered midwives.

Rank

1

Item

Board of Midwifery: Chairman + 2 members (3 total), appointed by the President; all must be registered midwives of good standing.

Rank

2

Item

Core Board powers: prepare/conduct/rate MLE, issue/suspend/revoke COR + PIC, investigate violations, prescribe Code of Ethics, monitor education.

Rank

3

Item

Licensure admission: Filipino citizen (or reciprocity), good moral character, graduate of CHED-recognised midwifery programme, no moral turpitude conviction.

Rank

4

Item

To register: pass MLE → take oath → receive COR + PIC → use title 'Registered Midwife (RM)' legally.

Rank

5

Item

PIC renewed EVERY 3 YEARS; renewal requires CPD units under RA 10912 (CPD Act of 2016) — CPD is NOT in RA 7392 itself (exam trap).

Rank

6

Item

Scope: NORMAL maternal, newborn, family-planning, community care; high-risk/complicated → REFER immediately; practising beyond scope = grounds for revocation + penal liability.

Rank

7

Item

Illegal practice: no valid COR/PIC → fine and/or imprisonment; describe penalty generally if exact figures uncertain.

Rank

8

Item

Grounds for licence denial/suspension/revocation: moral turpitude, malpractice/gross negligence, immoral conduct, fraud, beyond scope, mental incompetence.

Rank

9

Item

RA 7392 (1992, Midwife, RM) ≠ RA 9173 (2002, Nurse, RN); different laws, boards, titles, scope; midwife ≠ nurse; both use PRC, CPD, Code of Ethics, recognise-and-refer.

Rank

10

Tip

LEGISLATION ACCURACY: Examiners obsess over correct Republic Act numbers. Midwifery = RA 7392 (1992); Nursing = RA 9173 (2002); CPD = RA 10912 (2016). Write these down immediately when exam starts.

Tip

BOARD COMPOSITION: It is '1 Chairman + 2 members' (total = 3), NOT 5 or 7. The President appoints them. Memorise this exact figure.

Tip

CPD vs RA 7392: A common trap — CPD renewal is mandated by RA 10912 (separate statute), NOT RA 7392 itself. If asked 'What law requires CPD for midwives?', answer: RA 10912. If asked 'What is the main midwifery statute?', answer: RA 7392.

Tip

SCOPE RED FLAG: Any question asking 'Can a midwife manage X?' If X is high-risk/complicated (e.g., severe pre-eclampsia, retained placenta requiring manual removal, fetal distress), the answer is NO — refer. Scope = normal only; complications = refer.

Tip

PENALTIES: If a question asks the exact fine amount or prison term, and you are unsure, do NOT guess. State instead: 'RA 7392 imposes a fine and/or imprisonment for illegal practice' — this is correct and avoids a false specific claim.

Rows

Columns

• Feature
• RA 7392 (Midwifery)
• RA 9173 (Nursing)

Table Title

RA 7392 (Midwifery) vs RA 9173 (Nursing) — Critical Distinctions for the MLE

Rows

Columns

• Requirement
• RA 7392 (Midwife)
• RA 9173 (Nurse)

Table Title

Admission Requirements for Licensure Examination

Rows

Columns

• Category
• Midwife (RA 7392)
• Nurse (RA 9173)

Table Title

Scope and Practice Comparison