Bachelor of Midwifery

The Bachelor of Midwifery is a professionally accredited degree that qualifies you to register as a midwife. It is recognised as an approved program of study by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. At CDU, you can study a Bachelor of Midwifery online with intensive weeks (clinical teaching blocks) or on campus, full-time or part-time, as you learn from experts in the field.

As a graduate of the Bachelor of Midwifery, you will be ready to provide woman-centred, evidence-based care for women, babies and families throughout the childbearing journey in a variety of settings, with a particular focus on rural, remote and First Nations Australians. You will help to promote the health and wellbeing of women and their families by supporting the woman's childbearing choices and providing expertise around pregnancy, birth, postnatal and the newborn periods. You will also be prepared to collaborate with other health professionals to continue midwifery care in complex situations.

As a midwifery student, you will have access to extensive technical and academic support, an easy-to-use online learning platform, and a network of nearly 400 midwifery students situated right across Australia. You will enjoy some flexibility of fitting studying around your family and work commitments and will need to be disciplined and committed in making time for study.

Practical placements

In order to complete the Bachelor of Midwifery, you are required to undertake professional experience placement. This provides you with invaluable practical experience and the readiness for midwifery practice.

Continuity of care is a core element of the course so a commitment to out-of-hours and between semester clinical work is required. Students must follow 10 -15 women across the duration of the degree, seeing these women four times antenatally, being on call for birth, and seeing them twice postnatally. These requirements are in addition to placement. These experiences must be done in your local community due to the many months of a woman-s journey. It also requires access to your local hospitals who may or may not support you to visit their facilities.

It is important to be aware that:

• In order to progress in the course, you are required to attend placements.
• All placements are arranged by CDU.
• Placements are subject to availability at healthcare facilities.
• Placements may include morning, evening, night, weekend and public holiday shifts. They may be scheduled shifts or on-call shifts.
• Non-attendance at placement may only occur in extenuating circumstances which, for the purpose of placements, do not include childcare and work commitments.

Compulsory attendance

This course has compulsory simulation teaching block attendance for one week each semester, facilitated at Darwin, Alice Springs or Sydney campuses. Students are also required to undertake a professional experience placement each semester, varying in length from 3 to 6 weeks. Travel and associated costs are to be covered by students themselves. Wherever possible, students are placed according to their residential address. However this is subject to availability of placements and not guaranteed. Depending on location, students may have to travel (including interstate) for their professional experience placements.

Placements in public hospitals are limited in the following regions, and you may be expected to travel outside of your local health district for placements:

• Melbourne Metro*
• Sydney Metro**
• Tasmania

By applying for this course, you confirm your understanding professional experience placements in these areas are limited and there is a possibility you will need to travel outside of these areas.

*Melbourne Metro Postcodes: 3000-3210,3335-3341,3425-3443,3750-381,3910-3920,3926-3944,3972-3978,3980-3983, 8000-8899

**Sydney Metro Postcodes: 1000-1920, 2000-2239, 2555-2574, 2740-2786

Safe practice

To study a Bachelor of Midwifery, you will need to have an inherent set of requirements. These are the essential abilities, knowledge and skills needed to achieve course learning outcomes and to be able to safely practice as a midwife.

Potential applicants are advised that midwifery is a profession which places considerable physical and psychological demands on the individual however the rewards of the profession can be profound.

Reporting obligations

Under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, CDU is required to register midwifery students with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and to notify AHPRA if a student has or develops a health impairment that may place the public at substantial risk of harm. Students have obligations under the National Law and are expected to understand their obligations prior to enrolling. More information on Student Registration is available on the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia website.

Places are limited

The Bachelor of Midwifery is a quota course, which means CDU receives more applications than there are places available. In assessing applicants, CDU will prioritise eligible applicants residing in the NT. Remaining eligible applicants will be ranked in order of academic merit. Offers will be ranked and made in order of academic merit.

If you currently reside in the Northern Territory and have done so for a minimum of 12 months; or if you identify as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander you will compete in separate subquotas.

If you are not eligible to be considered for the above subquotas, you are still encouraged to apply, noting that it is a competitive course requiring high academic achievement in order to receive an offer.

Graduates will be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) to practice as a midwife in all Australian States or Territories.

Further course information is available on the Institution course website

Essential Admission Requirements:

Midwifery students must meet a specific level of English language proficiency before they start in a course.

You can show English language proficiency by:

• completing a declaration that English is your primary language, or
• sitting an English language proficiency test.

See further information www.satac.edu.au/information-for-nursing-and-midwifery-applicants.

Pre-clinical requirements:

You must provide proof that you have met all university and State/Territory pre-clinical requirements before starting clinical placements. These requirements include, but are not limited to:

• immunisation requirements
• Senior First Aid qualification
• annual criminal record checks
• working with children clearances
• fitness-to-practice requirements.

Potential applicants are advised that midwifery is a profession which places considerable physical and psychological demands on the individual however the rewards of the profession can be profound.