Postgraduate Midwifery Program

Postgraduate Midwifery Program – Consolidation of Midwifery Practice

Program

The Postgraduate Midwifery Program is specifically designed for Registered Nurses Nurses who have consolidated their nursing practice in the acute care setting and completed a Graduate Diploma of Midwifery/Post Graduate Degree. We recognise that your needs and objectives in a graduate midwifery program are different and we have designed a program that ensures consolidation of your midwifery practice.

This program is a six month intensive program. During the first six months you will have the opportunity to participate in TeamCare to gain experience in the provision of care for women during pregnancy, labour and birth and the postnatal period. 

Duration

Part time (0.8 EFT) for the six month program at the Women's Parkville, with employment at the Women’s, beginning in February or August 2020.

The split intake allows us to employ more graduate midwives and provide more support to participants in the program. 

Clinical opportunities

Postgraduate midwives participate in team care and will be allocated to blocks in the following areas

Postgraduate midwives participate in team care and will take part in study blocks allocated in the following areas

• 3 months Birth Centre
• Antenatal Clinic
• Acute Antenatal Unit
• Postnatal Unit

Following this intensive program postgraduates will be offered the opportunity to rotate through these other areas of the Women’s to enhance their skills, if they wish:

• Special Care Nursery
• Women’s Emergency Care
• Theatres

This will be in addition to working in the TeamCare model in Maternity Services. The Women’s is keen to ensure that the program is tailored to meets the needs of each graduate.

Professional development days

Professional development days are provided throughout the year, occurring more frequently early in the year. These days are tailored to meet the specific needs of your graduate group and cover a broad range of topics that promote creative and reflective midwifery best practice. They are complemented by individual tutorials and a comprehensive inservice program.

The Women's offers an abundance of learning opportunities. We provide a comprehensive range of services available to women, many specialist practitioners and a variety of education programs available to staff.

Performance development

We understand the importance of regular feedback and provide a structured three month performance review program. Together, we discuss your progress and identify ongoing learning needs to help you consolidate and develop your midwifery practice.

Support

• The Program Coordinator’s role is to support, counsel and mentor graduate midwives.
• A team of Clinical Support Midwives and Preceptors are willing and able to guide in the clinical setting. The Clinical Support Midwives' role is to orientate, support and guide novice practitioners throughout the year.
• A Preceptor is allocated to each new graduate midwife. Their role is to buddy with the graduate midwife and familiarise them with the clinical environment.
• Each placement provides Graduate Midwives a supernumerary time appropriate to that area.

Annual leave

Annual leave will be allocated during the program to recharge your batteries.

Advocacy

The Women's supports the rights of women to make individual decisions related to their health and well-being. This also includes making available pregnancy termination services. In your role as a postgraduate midwife you may care for women undergoing termination of pregnancy and, included in your care, you may be required to administer the first medication in this process. If you have any concerns in this regard you may need to rethink whether the Women's is the right hospital choice for completion of your Postgraduate Midwife program. 

Graduate Midwife Information Evening

The Graduate Information Evening will be held on Monday 3rd June 2019. Please note that attendance at the information evening is not compulsory and non-attendance does not affect your application in any way.

To reserve a place each applicant must email Clinical Education (no multiple bookings). Please do not attend unless you have booked as numbers are strictly limited by safety regulations.

Applications for the 2020 Graduate Midwife Program open in May 2019.

More information about the application process

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