Undergraduate: Course rule and topic information

Bachelor of Midwifery

(BMid)

Program of study
Honours degree

INTRODUCTION

The Bachelor of Midwifery provides three entry pathways:

• Pathway 1 for those without previous nursing and midwifery qualifications requires three years of full-time study in the internal mode only;
• Pathway 2 for registered general nurses requires one year of full-time study or the equivalent part-time in the external mode; and
• Pathway 3 for registered midwives requires one year of full-time study or the equivalent part-time in the internal or external mode.

The course is offered by the Faculty of Health Sciences.

COURSE AIMS

The overall aim of the course is to prepare midwives with a comprehensive grounding in advanced theory and midwifery practice. Specifically it aims to educate midwives who:

• are reflective about practice and have well-developed clinical reasoning skills;
• understand how social, environmental and economic factors impact on midwifery practice;
• are able to negotiate with those who have different interests and understand cultural differences and their relationship to midwifery care.

The Bachelor of Midwifery (for registered general nurses and for those without previous nursing or midwifery qualifications) aims to educate midwives who meet the requirements for registration with the Nurses Board of South Australia as a registered midwife.

The Bachelor of Midwifery (for Registered Midwives) aims to develop reflective practice skills and skills to undertake midwifery research, and advance the discipline of midwifery.

COURSE RULE

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Pathway 1: For candidates with no previous formal nursing or midwifery qualifications seeking registration as a midwife. The minimum requirements for consideration for entry are specified in the University Entry Requirements.

Pathway 2: For registered general nurses. Candidates must be eligible for registration as a general nurse with a nurses' registering authority in Australia and hold a current practising certificate. International students must register in Australia as general nurses and enrol in a mix of internal and external mode.

Pathway 3: For registered midwives. Candidates must be eligible for registration as a midwife with a nurses' registering authority in Australia and hold a current practising certificate. International students must be registered as a midwife in the country where they intend to undertake clinical experience.

PROGRAM OF STUDY [March 2006]

To qualify for the Bachelor of Midwifery, a student must complete 108 units with a grade of P or NGP or better in each topic, according to the program of study below. Registered general nurses and registered midwives receive 72 units of credit.

Except with permission of the Faculty Board, the course must be completed within four consecutive years.

Not all option topics are necessarily available in a given year.

Not all core topics are available in each semester, therefore a change in mode of study from full-time to part-time or vice versa is likely to interrupt the program of study.

Clinical placements are compulsory and will normally be undertaken in weekly blocks.

A student who fails the practice component of any topic will receive a Fail grade for that topic.

A student may at any time be precluded or removed from a clinical placement.

The award of a grade of Fail (F) in the same topic on more than one occasion may constitute prima facie evidence of unsatisfactory progress for the purposes of the University's policy on Student Progress.

BACHELOR OF MIDWIFERY (FOR REGISTRATION)

Program of study for commencing students - 2004 onwards

	Semester 1
MIDW1004A	Contexts of Midwifery Practice	4.5
MIDW2003	Building Research Skills for Midwives	4.5
NURS1607	Fundamentals of Science in a Nursing and Midwifery Context	4.5
NURS1701	Effectively Engaging with Others: Communicating Therapeutically	4.5
	Semester 2
MIDW1001	Contexts of Birth	4.5
HLTH1004	Human Bioscience	4.5
MIDW1007	Maternal and Infant Assessment Skills	4.5
MIDW1008	Anatomy and Physiology of Reproduction	4.5
	Semester 3
MIDW2001	Midwifery Skills	6
MIDW2002	Family Dynamics	6
MIDW2005	Maternal and Infant Nutrition	6
	Semester 4
NURS2724	Indigenous Health Issues for Nurses and Midwives	3
MIDW2004	Complexities of Pregnancy and Birth	6
MIDW2006	Babies at Risk	6
MIDW2007	Clinical Pharmacology	3
	Semester 5
MIDW3001	Managing Midwifery Practice 1	9
MIDW3005	Managing Midwifery Practice 2	9
	Semester 6
MIDW3003	Working in Communities	6
MIDW3004	Midwifery Practicum	12

Program of study for students who commenced prior to 2004*

	Semester 1
MIDW1004A	Contexts of Midwifery Practice	4.5
NURS1404	Preparation for Professional Practice*	4.5
NURS1607	Fundamentals of Science in a Nursing and Midwifery Context	4.5
NURS1701	Effectively Engaging with Others: Communicating Therapeutically	4.5
	Semester 2
MIDW1001	Contexts of Birth	4.5
HLTH1004	Human Bioscience	4.5
MIDW1007	Maternal and Infant Assessment Skills	4.5
MIDW1008	Anatomy and Physiology of Reproduction	4.5
	Semester 3
MIDW2001	Midwifery Skills	6
MIDW2002	Family Dynamics	6
MIDW2003	Building Research Skills for Midwives*	6
	Semester 4
NURS2724	Indigenous Health Issues for Nurses and Midwives	3
MIDW2004	Complexities of Pregnancy and Birth	9
MIDW2006	Babies at Risk	6
	Semester 5
MIDW3001	Managing Midwifery Practice 1	9
MIDW3005	Managing Midwifery Practice 2	9
	Semester 6
MIDW3003	Working in Communities	9
MIDW3004	Practicum	9

* Students who commenced prior to 2004 complete NURS1404 Preparation for Professional Practice in First Year instead of MIDW2003.

BACHELOR OF MIDWIFERY (FOR REGISTERED GENERAL NURSES)

BACHELOR OF MIDWIFERY (FOR REGISTERED MIDWIVES)

Option topics may include:

In consultation with the course coordinator, other topics may be undertaken as option topics.

HONOURS DEGREE

A student who has completed all the requirements of the Bachelor of Midwifery, or another qualification which the Faculty Board agrees is equivalent, may be accepted as a candidate for the honours degree providing they have achieved a Credit average or better in fulfilling the requirements for the bachelors degree. To qualify for the honours degree, a student must complete satisfactorily 36 units of study within one year full-time or two years part-time.

	Semester 1
NURS7100	Honours Independent Study	9
NURS7800	Advanced Research in Nursing and Midwifery	3
NURS9002	Issues and Methods in Nursing and Midwifery Research	6
	Semester 2
MIDW7000	Honours Thesis	18