Course and Subject Handbook

Applicants of non-English speaking backgrounds must meet the English language proficiency requirements of ”Band 3a” – Schedule II of the JCU Admissions Policy.

Applicants must be registered as a nurse in Australia, and:

• have completed an AQF level 7 bachelor degree in a health related field at this or another university; or
• have completed qualifications recognised as equivalent to the above; or
• submit as an exceptional case, evidence of professional attainments including professional experience in nursing.
• have completed a minimum of twelve (12) months clinical experience as a registered nurse.
• have concurrent placement arranged for a minimum 0.4FTE in a Midwifery unit.

Students must submit the following additional registration forms with application:

• Graduate Diploma of Midwifery Student Registration form
• Graduate Diploma of Midwifery Clinical Placement Agreement

For more information, refer to: How to apply

Additional Information for Midwifery Applicants Information published by JCU or otherwise made available to students when applying, may specify additional criteria to be considered in ranking applicants in order of merit if the number of applications exceeds a quota or other limit on the places made available for the course. Information provided by applicants during the application process and any other information obtained by JCU in the application process may be used by JCU to rank applicants in order of merit by reference to those additional criteria.

Must be registered as a Registered Nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.

Under the National Law, JCU has a responsibility to notify the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) if a student undertaking midwifery practice experience has an impairment that may place the public at risk of harm.

At the discretion of the College Dean, students may be required to undertake a prescribed English language test to ensure that they have an acceptable level of English language proficiency, including at least at the level required to be admitted to the course, to safely participate in professional experience placements.

Students are required to undertake a portion of the course via a intensive and/or mixed attendance mode delivery (two 5-day residential schools at Mackay Campus). Students not resident in the Mackay region are required to arrange travel and accommodation at their own expense.

This course includes extensive professional or clinical placements. Students are required to initiate their clinical placement arrangements at their chosen clinical site. Clinical placement can be undertaken in any midwifery or maternity model of care. A student placement agreement between JCU and the maternity care provider must be in place prior to an offer of enrolment. The clinical placement facility must have sufficient birthing capability to enable the student to attain prescribed birth requirements under supervision. The model of placement and supervision will vary depending on the model(s) of care available to students by the maternity care provider. Eighty (80) hours of special care nursery placement is prescribed. Students undertaking placement in a facility or model of care where special care nursery facilities are not available will be required to attend this placement at an approved special care nursery at their own expense.

To successfully complete the Graduate Diploma of Midwifery degree, students are required to recruit pregnant women who consent to the student attending and observing aspects of their care provision in a continuity of care model. Clinical agencies may require students to attend continuity of care experiences as additional to planned professional or clinical placements. Aspects of continuity of care experiences are likely to occur outside business hours.

Further information about placements can be found at Coursework Enrolment Procedure.

Inherent requirements are the identified abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours that must be demonstrated, during the learning experience, to successfully complete a course. These abilities, attributes, skills, and behaviours preserve the academic integrity of the University's learning, assessment, and accreditation processes, and where applicable, meet the standards of a profession. For more information please visit: Graduate Diploma of Midwifery. All JCU students have the opportunity to demonstrate, with reasonable adjustments where applicable, the inherent requirements for their course. For more information please visit: Student Disability Policy and Procedure.

Students must complete all professional experience placement requirements by the prescribed deadlines and maintain currency of these requirements in order to stay admitted in the course.

You will find your course requirements here:

https://www.jcu.edu.au/professional-experience-placement/preparation-checklists