Midwifery

The Graduate Diploma in Midwifery is an 36-unit course offered by the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

To qualify for the Graduate Diploma in Midwifery, a student must complete 36 units with a grade of Pass or NGP or better in each topic, according to the program of study below.

Except with permission of the Dean (Education):

• no topic may be attempted more than twice
• a student may not include a topic which repeats work previously undertaken
• the program must be completed full-time in two semesters or part-time within six consecutive semesters.

The award of a grade of Fail (F) in the same topic on more than one occasion or in 9 units or more, or failure to complete the course within six consecutive semesters may constitute prima facie evidence of unsatisfactory progress for the purpose of the University's Policy on Student Progress.

Core - Year 1 topics

18 units comprising: NURS9123 Epidemiology and Population Studies for Health Care Practice (4.5 units) NURS9124 Advanced Thinking, Communicating and Problem Solving for Health Professionals (4.5 units) NURS9126 Leadership in Health Studies (4.5 units) NURS9219 Introduction to Research (4.5 units)

Option - Year 1 topics

Select 18 units from the following topics:

MIDW9004 Midwifery Models of Care (9 units) MIDW9005 Psychosocial Contexts in Midwifery (9 units) MIDW9011 Pharmacology and Prescribing for Midwives (4.5 units)* MIDW9012 Investigations and Diagnostics for Midwives (4.5 unit)* MMED9110 Principles of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (4.5 units) MMED9111 Pharmacology for Advanced Professional Practice (4.5 units) GEOG9141 Women's Health and Child Survival (4.5 units)

Students may, in consultation with the Course Coordinator, select as their option topics other postgraduate topics relevant to midwifery.

* Domestic students with current midwifery registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) who successfully complete both MIDW9011 and MIDW9012 may apply to the NMBA for endorsement for scheduled medicines for midwives. Please refer to the NMBA web site for additional requirements for endorsement.

Applicants must normally hold a midwifery degree or equivalent qualification, and must hold a current certificate of registration as a midwife. However, the Dean (Education) may, under certain circumstances and subject to specific conditions, admit others who can show evidence of fitness for candidature.

At the completion of the course students will be expected to be able to:

• demonstrate advanced evidence-based knowledge and skills in their midwifery practice
• critically review contemporary midwifery care within dynamic professional and political contexts
• implement innovative midwifery practice based on a collaborative woman-centred approach
• review, analyse and integrate primary health care and population health principles into midwifery practice
• critically analyse existing models of midwifery care and develop new models of women-centred care appropriate to the contexts of practice
• apply the advanced knowledge and skills required for an extended midwifery role.