Objectives
The Master of Midwifery aims to meet the current and proposed professional requirements for midwives practicing in a variety of environments who will be capable of working in partnerships with women, families, communities and multidisciplinary teams. The knowledge and skill requirements for a midwife working in remote, rural and complex areas for current and future role developments are incorporated at all stages of student learning. At completion of this program the student will be able to: * understand the relationship between historical and contemporary aspects which affect women and family health within all cultural contexts; * evidence competence in meeting the ACMI and International Council of Midwifery standards; * work in partnership with the woman and multidisciplinary team to implement preventative measures, promote and normal birth and detect complications in woman and infant; * work in partnership with the woman to give the necessary continuous supervision, care and advice for women prior to, during and following pregnancy; * conducts deliveries on their own responsibility and cares for the newborn infant; * execute primary and secondary emergency measures in the absence of medical help and/or access relevant medical care (consultation or referral) and other appropriate assistance in order to carry out emergency measures; * incorporate primary health care principles in the maternity context to benefit the long term health of mother, child, the family unit and the community while providing women-centred care in all aspects of assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of midwifery care and maternity services; * evidence high order communication skills and apply these in counselling, education and professional documentation across all aspects of midwifery practice; * relate legal and clinical governance requirements to the role of the midwife in various contexts of practice, while applying ethical standards and reflective strategies; * demonstrate the ability to apply evidence-based research to the role of midwife working within a multidisciplinary team providing care to childbearing women and their families; and * evidence the attributes and skills necessary to participate in professional decision making at practice and policy level and participate in research and inter-professional decision making at practice and policy level.
Course description
About Midwifery
The Master of Midwifery is offered as a post-graduate degree leading to endorsement as a midwife after the completion of the Graduate Diploma of Midwifery, which is an interim/exit award of the Master of Midwifery. Students are enrolled in the Master's Degree as distance students. The Masters of Midwifery is an integrated educational sequence portraying the health care continuum of the pregnant woman and child including pre-pregnancy, antenatal care, childbirth, parenting, postnatal and specialised care needs of young infants. Within the care continuum with the pregnant woman and child in the context of ‘normality', the primary care giver is the midwife. The midwife is a professional who undertakes a program of study which encapsulates the knowledge and skills to meet the requirements of the registering body and is seen to meet state, national and international standards of midwifery practice.
The Master of Midwifery is designed to meet the growing needs of registered nurses, practicing midwives and midwives returning to practice who wish to develop their knowledge and expertise in midwifery. Its design is to produce skilled, caring, knowledgeable and effective midwives who communicate openly and engender trust from a wide range of people and are competent and capable of working in any setting. The midwife works in and across a broad range of settings, from complex settings to community care, and makes a significant contribution to the wider public health agenda.
The philosophy and conceptual framework reflect the relationship between midwifery metaparadigms (woman, wellness/health, environment and midwife) and clinical skills in achieving the program's aim and outcomes.
The breadth, depth and integration of courses within the program provides an educational experience to produce a dual educated professional who is able to meet childbearing women, and their family needs, and become active and competent midwives.
The program aims to develop a midwife who can apply learning in order to meet individual needs within their case care responsibilities.
Please note: student are expected to demonstrate their ability to analyse their own practice through dialogue, reflection, case report and portfolios.
There are 13 courses offered in the Master of Midwifery, 10 courses which are offered in the Graduate Diploma of Midwifery.
Applicants must be registered nurses, endorsed midwives or midwives seeking re-endorsement.
1. Registered nurses who are seeking to achieve endorsement as a Midwife can study in either the Master of Midwifery or the Graduate Diploma of Midwifery.
2. Endorsed midwives who hold a Graduate Diploma in Midwifery or Registration Certification as a midwife and who can demonstrate they are currently practicing in midwifery can apply to study in the Master of Midwifery.
3. Endorsed midwives seeking to update their midwifery knowledge and skills or/ wish to seek re endorsement can apply to study in either the Master or the Graduate Diploma of Midwifery.
Career Opportunities
This program aims to meet the current and proposed professional requirements for midwives practicing in a variety of environments who will be capable of working in partnerships with women, families, communities and multidisciplinary teams. The knowledge and skill requirements for a practitioner working in remote, rural and complex areas for current and future role developments are incorporated at all stages of student learning.
Program Structure
To be eligible for the award of Master of Midwifery students must complete a total of 13 courses/96 units of credit (or equivalent with approved credit) as set out in the program structure:
* Level 1: 4 compulsory courses
* Level 2: 6 compulsory courses
*
Advanced Level: 3 compulsory courses
Study Schedule
Course Code Course Name
Term 1 - 2009
COIS20079 Research Methods
MDWF29001 The Contemporary Midwife
Term 2 - 2009
MDWF29002 Maternity Research Project
There is a compulsory residential school - please refer to the residential school timetable
