• Before you enrol
• Observational skills
• Communication skills
• Motor skills
• Behavioural and social skills
• Intellectual - conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities
• Sustained performance

Committed to equity and diversity

At UniSC, we are committed to facilitating the integration of all students into the University Community.

Reasonable adjustments in teaching and/or assessment methods can be made for students provided those adjustments do not compromise the inherent requirements of the program.

The inherent academic requirements of the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery are the fundamental skills and abilities that the student must be able to achieve to demonstrate the essential learning outcomes of the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery.

This Statement provides realistic information about the inherent academic requirements that you must meet to complete your course and graduate. Make sure you read and understand the requirements for the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery so you can make an informed judgement about your ability to fulfil them.

Externally accredited

UniSC offers the Bachelor of Midwifery which meets external Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) accreditation requirements and provides graduates with the necessary qualification to apply for registration as a midwife in Australia.

• Key midwifery practice skills are embedded and assessed throughout the Bachelor of Midwifery.

Skills you need

The Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery have inherent academic requirements in six categories: 

• Observational skills
• Communication skills
• Motor skills
• Intellectual, such as conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities
• Behavioural and social skills
• Sustained performance

Before you enrol

If you intend to enrol in a Bachelor of Midwifery degree or a Graduate Diploma in Midwifery at UniSC, look carefully at the inherent academic requirements listed in this statement and think about whether you might experience challenges in meeting them.

• If you think you might experience challenges related to your disability, health condition or for any other reason, you should discuss your concerns with a University Ability Adviser or School staff.

Reasonable adjustments

Students with disabilities or other special circumstances may be provided with reasonable adjustment to enable them to meet the inherent academic requirements of the  Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery and if the adjustment is:

• Logistically reasonable.
• Likely to result in the student being able to perform the skills adequately and in a timely manner.

Support and further information is available from UniSC

• Ability Advisers
• Career Advisers
• Relevant academic contacts

Observational Skills 

The core observational skills required for the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma of Midwifery, are:

• Vision
• Hearing
• Smell
• Touch

Vision

The capacity to demonstrate:

• Adequate visual acuity to provide safe and effective midwifery care.
• Sufficient visual acuity to perform the required range of skills.

Justification

These are inherent requirements of the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery because:

• Sufficient visual acuity is necessary to demonstrate the required range of skills, tasks and assessments to maintain consistent, accurate and safe care to self and others.
• Visual observations, examination and assessment are fundamental to safe and effective midwifery practice.

Adjustments

Adjustments must address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in clinical practice. Any strategies to address the effects of the vision impairment must be effective, consistent and not compromise treatment or safety.

Exemplars

As a student you must:

• Accurately draw up medication and measure accurately to administer.
• Observe and detect subtle changes in wound assessment.
• Work in a safe manner in poorly lit areas and at night.
• Read documentation and medication orders including handwriting on paper copies or labels.

Hearing

The capacity to demonstrate:

• Auditory ability to provide safe and effective midwifery care.
• Sufficient aural function to undertake the required range of skills.

Justification

These are inherent requirements of the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery because:

• Sufficient auditory ability is necessary to monitor, assess and manage individuals’ health needs consistently and accurately.
• Auditory assessments and observations are fundamental to safe and effective midwifery practice.

Adjustments

Adjustments must address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in clinical practice. Any strategies to address the effects of the hearing impairment must be effective, consistent and not compromise treatment or safety.

Exemplars

As a student you must:

• Listen to instructions and feedback from multiple sources simultaneously, for example women and multi-disciplinary staff.
• Accurately undertake a blood pressure measurement by auscultation.
• Differentiate sounds, background noise, alarms and speech.
• Respond to emergency signals, for example the call bell system, intravenous pump alerts.

Smell

The capacity to demonstrate adequate olfactory ability or sense of smell to undertake a range of midwifery skills to ensure safety.

Justification

These are inherent requirements of the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery because students must have sufficient olfactory ability to monitor, assess and detect women and infants' physical characteristics and act on any abnormalities detected to provide thorough midwifery care.

Adjustments

• Adjustments must address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in clinical practice. Any strategies to address the effects of the olfactory impairment must be effective, consistent and not compromise treatment or safety.
• Adjustments must enable the recognition, initiation of appropriate response to physical dangers and issues within clinical assessments in a timely and appropriate manner to ensure women and infants safety.

Exemplars

As a student, you must:

• Undertake clinical assessment of women and infants and detect abnormal changes, for example alcohol, urinary tract infection, ketoacidosis.
• Detect substances which may present a danger in the work environment, for example hazardous substances, alcohol or illicit drugs.

Touch

The capacity to demonstrate:

• Sufficient tactile ability to perform competent and safe midwifery care.
• Adequate tactile function to undertake the required range of skills and assessments.

Justification

These are inherent requirements of the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery because:

• Sufficient tactile ability is necessary to monitor, assess and detect women and infants physical characteristics and act on any abnormalities detected to provide timely and thorough midwifery care.
• Tactile assessments and observations are fundamental to safe and effective midwifery practice.

Adjustments

Adjustments must maintain the capacity to make effective assessments of physical characteristics and abnormalities within safe time frames.

Exemplars

As a student you must:

• Detect any changes in circulation observations e.g. temperature and pulse via palpation.
• Conduct a physical assessment and detect any anatomical abnormalities e.g. a distended bladder, heat that may indicate infection.

Communication Skills 

The core communication skills for the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery are:

• Verbal
• Non-verbal
• Writing
• Reading/literacy
• Numeracy

Verbal

The capacity to demonstrate effective and efficient verbal communication in English to provide safe delivery of care:

• The ability to understand and respond to verbal communication accurately, appropriately and in a timely manner.
• The ability to provide clear instructions in the context of the situation.
• Timely clear feedback and reporting.

Justification

These are inherent academic requirements of the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery because:

• Communication with individual women may be restricted to verbal because of physical limitations of the individual (e.g. injury, disease or congenital conditions).
• Speed and interactivity of communication may be critical for individual safety or treatment.
• Timely, accurate and effective delivery of instructions is critical to individual safety, treatment and management.

Adjustments

Adjustments must address effectiveness, timeliness, clarity and accuracy issues to ensure safety.

Exemplars

As a student you must:

• Participate in classroom discussion and simulation.
• Respond appropriately to a care request in the clinical environment.
• Demonstrate ability to communicate with other health professionals e.g. clinical handover, seeking assistance with a deteriorating woman or infant.

Non-verbal

The capacity to demonstrate effective non-verbal communication is fundamental to midwifery and needs to be respectful, clear, attentive, empathetic, honest and non-judgemental.

Students must demonstrate:

• The capacity to recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to behavioural cues.
• Consistent and appropriate awareness of own behaviours.
• Sensitivity to individual differences.

Justification

These are inherent academic requirements of the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery because:

• The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues assists with building rapport with people and gaining their trust and respect in academic, work and professional relationships.
• Displaying consistent and appropriate facial expressions, eye contact, being mindful of space, time boundaries and body movements and gestures promotes trust in academic, work and professional relationships.
• Communication may be restricted to non-verbal behaviours. Being sensitive to individual differences displays respect and empathy to others and develops trusting relationships.

The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues is essential for the safe and effective observation of women and infants’ symptoms and reactions to facilitate the assessment and treatment of women and infants.

Adjustments

Adjustments must enable the recognition, appropriate response or initiation of effective non-verbal communication in a timely and appropriate manner.

Exemplars

As a student, you must:

• Recognise and respond appropriately in all learning environments.
• Maintain consistent and appropriate facial expressions, eye contact, being mindful of space, time boundaries and body movements and gestures.
• Interpret distress, a change in mood, activity or posture.
• Communicate in a respectful, clear, attentive, empathetic, honest and non-judgemental manner.
• Respond professionally to requests from women, supervisors and other health professionals in the clinical setting.

Writing

The capacity to demonstrate:

• Effective written communication that is a fundamental midwifery responsibility with professional and legal ramifications.
• Construction of coherent written communication appropriate to the circumstances.

Justification

These are inherent academic requirements of the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery because:

• Construction of multiple essays/assignments to academic standards are required to convey knowledge and understanding of relevant subject matter, procedures and professional practice.
• Accurate written communication, including record-keeping and women and infant’s notes, is vital to provide consistent and safe care.

Adjustments

Adjustments must meet necessary standards of clarity, accuracy and accessibility to ensure effective recording and transmission of information in both academic and clinical settings.

Exemplars

As a student you must:

• Construct essays and other written assignments to academic standards.
• Construct a midwifery report in a timely manner that meets legal and professional standards.

Reading/Literacy

The capacity to demonstrate:

• Competent literacy skills essential to provide safe and effective delivery of care.
• The ability to accurately acquire information and accurately convey appropriate effective messages.
• The ability to read and comprehend a range of literature and information.
• The capacity to understand and implement academic conventions to construct written text in a scholarly manner.

Justification

These are inherent academic requirements of the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery because:

• The ability to acquire information and to accurately convey messages is fundamental to ensure safe and effective assessment, treatment and delivery of care.
• The ability to read, decode, interpret and comprehend multiple sources of information is fundamental for the safe and effective delivery of midwifery care.

Adjustments

Adjustments to address literacy issues must attend to the capacity to effectively acquire, comprehend, apply and communicate accurate information.

Exemplars

As a student, you must:

• Read information in a variety of formats, for example hand written notes, printed text, graphs and diagrams.
• Paraphrase, summarise and reference in accordance with appropriate academic conventions.

Numeracy

The capacity to demonstrate:

• Competent and accurate numeracy skills that are essential for safe and effective care.
• The ability to interpret and correctly apply data, measurements and numerical criteria.

Justification

These are inherent academic requirements of the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery because competent application of numeracy skills is essential in midwifery to facilitate the safe and effective delivery of midwifery care.

Adjustments

Adjustments must demonstrate a capacity to interpret and apply concepts and processes appropriately in a timely, accurate and effective manner.

Exemplars

As a student, you must:

• Analyse electrocardiograms and cardiotocographs.
• Accurately prepare, calculate and administer medications.
• Accurately record and calculate volumes on a fluid balance chart.

Motor Skills 

The core motor skill for the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery is the capacity to demonstrate manual dexterity which is reliant on developed gross and fine motor skills.

Midwifery involves physical demands and requires gross motor function including assisting women to weight bear, manual handling, transferring women, moving equipment and manoeuvring around equipment in confined spaces. Actions include squatting, twisting, bending, kneeling, pushing and pulling.

Midwifery requires fine motor skills and dexterity including manipulating instruments, using hand eye coordination to complete tasks as necessary. Actions include grasping, pressing, pushing, turning, and squeezing to provide safe and effective care.

Justification

These are inherent academic requirements of the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery because performing these tasks consistently and safely is required to reduce the risk of harm to self and others in providing midwifery care to women and their infants.

Adjustments

Adjustments should facilitate functional effectiveness to enable safety to self and others and a capacity to provide appropriate care.

Exemplars

As a student, you must:

• Maintain balance while safely mobilising and transferring women.
• Perform treatments such as: aseptic wound dressing, suctioning an airway, connecting monitoring equipment.
• Stand for long periods of time.
• Pull, push, squat, kneel, twist, bend and carry equipment.

Behavioural and Social Skills 

The core behavioural and social skill required for the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery is the capacity to function effectively and sensitively in a demanding and diverse academic and clinical environment.

Core behavioural and social skills in midwifery include:

• Ethical behaviour.
• Effectiveness in uncertain and stressful situations.
• Sufficient self-awareness to manage fluctuations in health and emotional status.
• The ability to function effectively in teams.

Behavioural and social skills are a core requirement of the midwifery program because midwives are accountable and responsible for ensuring professional standards of behaviour in all contexts and meeting legal and regulatory standards to enable safe delivery of healthcare. Behavioural standards are evidenced by compliance with the policies of both academic and clinical placements and of the accrediting body for the midwifery program:

• Student Conduct and Discipline – Governing Policy
• Student Placement Agreement – login to WILS online required
• Competency Standards
• Code of Ethics
• Work Integrated Learning policies
• Social media policies
• Policies of clinical placement organisations

Justification

These are inherent academic requirements of the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery because midwifery students work in changing and unpredictable environments. Midwives and midwifery students are accountable and responsible for ensuring professional standards of behaviour in professional practice and on placement. These are requirements of the accrediting body.

Adjustments

Reasonable adjustment must support stable, effective and professional behaviour in both academic and clinical settings. Adjustments must not compromise the policies, codes and standards of behaviour.

Exemplars

As a student, you must:

• Critically reflect on practice and respond appropriately to constructive feedback.
• Cope with own emotions and behaviour effectively when dealing with individuals in the clinical setting.
• Be able to:
  • Function effectively in a frequently demanding role.
  • Work constructively in a diverse and changing academic and clinical environment.
  • Work individually and as part of a team in unpredictable environments.
  • Manage events which include human suffering objectively and professionally.
  • Monitor and manage emotions and behaviour effectively when dealing with women, their families and colleagues in the clinical or academic setting.
  • Comply with policies, guidelines and codes of conduct which facilitate professional interactions in the classroom, clinical laboratories, online learning sites, clinical settings and student social media sites.

Intellectual – Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities 

The core intellectual skill for the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery is the capacity to demonstrate analysis and application of knowledge and information.

Intellectual skills are essential to:

• Locate appropriate and relevant information.
• Process information relevant to practice.
• Integrate and implement knowledge in practice.
• Recall information without reference.
• Make measurement calculations.

Justification

These are inherent academic requirements of the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery because information literacy skills are the basis for evidence based practice. Safe and effective midwifery care is based on comprehensive knowledge that must be recalled, understood and applied appropriately. Students must be able to accurately acquire information and convey appropriate, effective messages. Students must be able to identify problems, create and implement management plans, and evaluate outcomes within defined timeframes.

Adjustments

Adjustments must ensure that a clear demonstration of knowledge and intellectual skills are not compromised or impeded.

Exemplars

As a midwifery student, you must:

• Interpret assessment data to formulate a safe plan of care.
• Recall formulae for medication calculations and apply to medication administration.
• Interpret, understand and act on orders for women and infant care.
• Apply policies and procedures in clinical settings.

Sustained Performance 

The core sustainable performance skill for the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery is the capacity to demonstrate maintenance of physical, mental and emotional performance over extended periods of time.

Justification

These are inherent academic requirements of the Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma in Midwifery because midwives must be able to perform activities with a level of concentration that ensures a capacity to focus on the activity until it is completed appropriately. Midwives are required to care for women and babies with acute and complex needs, respond to unpredictable demands from women and be flexible around taking rest periods and breaks due to the unpredictable nature of the work.

Adjustments

Reasonable adjustment must support the completion of full shifts per day of practicum and ensure the sustainability or maintenance of consistent and safe performance within the environment of a clinical setting.

Exemplars

As a student, you must:

• Care for women with complex needs and unpredictable responses over specified time frames.
• Perform multiple or repetitive tasks during an assigned period of duty with a level of concentration that ensures a capacity to focus on the care of the woman and/or infant until it is completed appropriately.