Bachelor of Midwifery

The Bachelor of Midwifery aims to prepare a competent midwife who can work in a variety of maternity settings to the full capacity of the internationally defined role and scope of practice of the midwife, and according to the ACMI Code of Ethics (1995), ACMI Competency Standards for Midwives (1998) and the Nurses Board of Victoria Code of Practice for Midwives in Victoria (1999). On completion of the degree, graduates will be able to:

• practice competently and confidently at a beginning level in a variety of maternity settings; demonstrate practice which is evidence-informed;
• reflect attitudes which are congruent with the philosophy of valuing women, women-centred care, and woman-midwife partnership;
• work both as a primary carer and in collaboration with other healthcare professionals in providing comprehensive care through women's reproductive life;
• achieve employment in a variety of maternity care settings.

Themes that flow through the Bachelor of Midwifery course are:

• The woman as central to the provision of care
• Care of the woman across the lifespan
• Contexts of professional midwifery practice
• Understanding of scientific processes relevant to the care of woman and family
• Exploration of essential sciences and pharmacology underpinning midwifery practice
• Development of professional values and contemporary midwifery practice
• Midwife as a consumer of evidence supporting midwifery practices
• Provision of care within multicultural contexts
• Midwifery care within a multidisciplinary team
• Sociopolitical determinants of midwifery care
• Various practice spheres for contemporary midwives - institutional, community, rural, international