Nursing and Midwifery: Similarities and Differences in Tasks, Authorities and Responsibilities

Aim of the study is to describe similarities and differences in the tasks, authorities and responsibilities of nurses, especially women's health and diseases nurses and midwives. This study was made in the qualitative multiple case study design as the literature based. Nursing (2007) and midwifery (2014) have been defined as occupations gained through undergraduate education in legal regulations. New legal arrangements were made for both occupations and the duties, authorities and responsibilities of the nurses according to the fields worked and the job and job descriptions of midwives were determined in 2014. In these legal arrangements, it is noteworthy that midwives' job and job descriptions are similar to the duties of women's health and diseases, child health and diseases and public health nursing. On the other hand, in our country, it is seen that the occupations of nurses and midwives working in family health and community health centres and affiliated units are not defined according to vocational trainings and both professionals are obliged to carry out the same duties. In addition, with the legal arrangements made in 2007 and 2012, the nursing authority was given to midwives and the certification of the midwives in many nursing fields with the Certificate of Certified Education issued in 2014 has led to the confusion of authority and duty by bringing both professions to work in the same field. This study have concluded that different fields of expertise and working areas of nursing coincide with some job and job descriptions of midwives, nurses and midwives worked in family health and community health centers are obliged to perform the same duties, midwives work in the nursing field with nursing authority and certification programs