314267 v.1 Bachelor of Science (Midwifery)

BSc(Curtin)

This course is not available to International Onshore Students on Student Visas

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Course Overview

Bachelor degrees prepare students to develop broad and coherent knowledge and skills in a discipline for professional work and further learning corresponding to AQF level 7 qualifications.

Midwives work in a variety of settings such as clinics, hospitals, community practices, birthing centres or in the mother's home. The Bachelor of Science (Midwifery) emphasises the close integration of evidence based theory and clinical practice. Theory content is comprehensive and includes the physical, biological, psychological and social sciences. Students.

Professional Recognition

The course has been designed to meet the requirements for registration as a midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). However, there may be additional education requirements for midwives to work in some countries.

Career Opportunities

Midwives work in a variety of settings such as clinics, hospitals, birthing centres, the mother’s home and in selected regional Western Australian Country Health Services.. Hospital midwifery usually involves shift work and therefore provides flexibility to enable midwives to balance their professional career with family and social activities. Community-based midwives may work shifts and/or work on-call. Your work may also involve other aspects of women’s health, sexual or reproductive health, lactation consultancy and childcare. There are also a number of other employment opportunities that may not involve direct clinical care. Some of these include research and policy development, and may enable you to work office hours. With a highly developed knowledge base and many clinical skills, midwives are in demand both nationally and internationally. This can provide you with work almost anywhere in the world, while continuing to develop your career.

Additional Course Expenses

Students may be expected to purchase a number of textbooks and other essential study materials. Students will be required to purchase a uniform for their clinical experience.

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Course Entry and Completion Details

Applicants are required to meet University academic and English language entry standards; details are provided at http://futurestudents.curtin.edu.au and include flexible entry pathways.

Desirable: Human Biological Sciences 3A/3B and Integrated Science 3A/3B. STAT elements considered are WE and V.

Credit for Recognised Learning

Applications for credit towards a course are assessed on an individual basis. Credit reduces the amount of learning required to complete the course and may be granted for formal education qualifications, non-formal learning from non-award programs of study and informal learning through work experiences. Further information can be found at http://futurestudents.curtin.edu.au.

Pathway to Further Study

Graduates may qualify for entry to a bachelor degree with honours and some graduate certificates, graduate diplomas and master degrees. For further details, see the University website http://curtin.edu.au.

Course Entry/Completion Note

Applicants for this course should refer to the Communicable Diseases and Criminal Record Screening and Clearance section of the faculty website. All applicants short-listed for interview will be contacted immediately following the release of Year 12 results in the final week of December. Interviews will be conducted in the first and second weeks of January. An invitation to an interview will be based on the applicant's academic performance. It is strongly recommended that applicants present a Portfolio at the time of interview.

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Course Organisation

Bachelor degrees typically contain a series of units which may include compulsory (core), optional or elective units to cater for student preferences. They may contain a range of majors/streams for students to choose from to pursue learning in a specialised area of study.

Students commence their clinical experience in first semester and receive clinical experience in a wide range of community and hospital settings. This clinical experience is co-ordinated with theoretical study units and progresses from simulation and observation visits to more prolonged periods in selected settings. Students are involved in the care of women, babies and their families, appropriate to their level of academic preparation and experience, for supervised practice. In midwifery settings Registered Midwives will provide individual assistance and supervision of care.

Course Learning Outcomes

A graduate of this course can:

1. apply principles of midwifery and other associated disciplines such as biological, social, behavioural sciences, nursing, ethics and the law to practice demonstrate competency at a beginning level in accordance with the national competency standards for the Midwife (2006); justify midwifery practice as a woman-centred, political, primary health care discipline founded on the relationships between women and their midwife

2. access and critically analyse issues to support midwifery practice; practice reflectively in order to contribute to midwifery

3. locate, extract and interpret relevant evidence and scientific literature; evaluate the evidence to inform decision making in midwifery

4. communicate both verbally and written, in a way the woman, her family and professional colleagues can understand; promote midwifery within the community in the context of public health policy

5. demonstrate competence in technological literacy collect and manage information ethically and effectively

6. demonstrate ability in interdependent and self-directed learning; incorporate learning opportunities in midwifery practice; invite, act upon, and offer constructive feedback on midwifery practice from women and colleagues

7. recognise the importance of skilled professional care (midwifery) for women and babies in an international context; incorporate relevant international evidence/recommendations into midwifery practice

8. support culturally safe, non-discriminatory midwifery for all women and their babies demonstrate an understanding of how diverse values, beliefs and socio-cultural differences may impact on the health of women and babies

9. understand and apply the concepts of autonomy, accountability, responsibility and collaboration in practice; demonstrate ethical midwifery practice for women and families receiving maternity services; interpret the law relevant to the midwife's scope of practice; demonstrate beginning behaviours associated with leadership

Duration and Availability

The course is three years' full-time study. Bentley campus offers one intake a year in February.

Location and delivery Mode

Year	Location	Period	All*	Internal	Partially Online Internal^	External	Fully Online#
2014	Bentley Campus	Semester 1	Y
2014	Bentley Campus	Semester 2		Y

The information displayed above refers to study periods and locations where the course is available for first time entry. Students are normally only offered or admitted to a course once.

* The course itself may not be available either solely internally or externally but individual units may be offered in either or both of those modes. Prospective students should contact the Course Coordinator for further information.

^ Course and associated units are offered in this mode permitting International Onshore student enrolment.

# Course and associated units are offered in this online only mode and DO NOT permit International Onshore student enrolment.

Course Structure				Hrs/Wk	Credit
Year 1 Semester 1
310825	v.2		Foundations of Midwifery Practice 121		25.0
313391	v.3		Human Structure and Function 100	4.0	25.0
313394	v.3		Foundations for Professional Health Practice 100	4.0	25.0
313398	v.3		Imagining Health in Social and Cultural Contexts 100	3.0	25.0
					100.0
Year 1 Semester 2
310826	v.1		Healthy Childbearing 122		25.0
313399	v.3		Integrated Systems Anatomy and Physiology 100	4.0	25.0
314512	v.1		Evidence Informed Health Practice 130	2.0	25.0
314510	v.1		Health and Health Behaviour 130	3.0	12.5
312649	v.4		Indigenous Cultures and Health 130	2.0	12.5
					100.0
Year 2 Semester 1
310827	v.1		Healthy Childbearing 212	4.0	25.0
310828	v.2		Supporting Women 223		25.0
313030	v.1		Applied Bioscience 263	5.0	25.0
314133	v.1		Inquiry for Clinical Practice 365	4.0	25.0
					100.0
Year 2 Semester 2
310830	v.2		Family Centred Care 225		25.0
310829	v.1		Complications of Childbearing 214	4.0	25.0
313035	v.3		Behavioural Health Science for Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine 264	3.0	25.0
313037	v.3		Clinical Practice 264	48.0	25.0
					100.0
Year 3 Semester 1
310832	v.2		Complex Care and Mental Health 322		25.0
313034	v.1		Applied Bioscience 264	6.0	25.0
310831	v.1		Complex Maternal and Neonatal Care 311	4.0	25.0
313043	v.1		Behavioural Health Science for Nursing and Midwifery 366	4.0	25.0
					100.0
Year 3 Semester 2
310834	v.2		Transitional Midwifery Practice 324	24.0	50.0
310833	v.1		Enhancing Midwifery Practice 313	4.0	25.0
313046	v.1		Nursing and Midwifery Capstone 467	7.0	25.0
					100.0

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Further Information

For more information about the course, please contact the Faculty of Health Sciences on telephone (08) 9266 1000, email futurestudents@health.curtin.edu.au, or visit our website: http://healthsciences.curtin.edu.au

Course Structure Disclaimer

Curtin University reserves the right to alter the internal composition of any course to ensure learning outcomes retain maximum relevance. Any changes to the internal composition of a course will protect the right of students to complete the course within the normal timeframe and will not result in additional cost to students through a requirement to undertake additional units.

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