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 twelve months in duration. 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. If you are a registered nurse wishing to study midwifery to register as a midwife please see the information on the postgraduate midwifery clinical placements page.

Duration

Part time (0.8 EFT) for the program at the Women's Parkville, with employment at the Women’s, beginning in February or August 2021.

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 is 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.
• 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 2021 Graduate Midwife Information Evening scheduled for Monday 15th June 2020 at the Parkville campus has been cancelled. A webinar outlining the Women’s 2021 Post Graduate Midwifery program will be provided on Monday 15th of June  2020 between 5pm and 6pm. Please email Clinical Education to book to attend.

We are currently unable to conduct personal tours at the Women’s due to Department of Health and Human Services Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions.

Applications for the 2021 Graduate Midwife Program open on Monday 13th July 2020.

More information about the application process

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