Q's about the bachelor Of Midwifery Undergraduate degree

[bon]

Charli'smumma - because its a double degree there is equal focus on nursing and midwifery, because at the end you effectively have 2 degrees - 1 in nursing and 1 in midwifery. If you don't really have in interest in nursing I wouldn't bother with it - just do a midwifery degree. I am currently doing a Bachelor of Nursing with Central Queensland Uni via distance. I am really liking it so far, although its only my first year and I am part time. CQU don't offer a BMid, just postgrad midwifery. I have an equal interest in nursing and midwifery which is why I would like to do the double degree. Right now though it is only offered in full time, which means travelling to Brisbane every day and I don't want to, and can't really afford to, have my kids in daycare full time. So distance ed is perfect right now!

[~mamaspice~]

Hi Bon.

Did you apply for nursing at CQU through QTAC?
My OP wasn't quite good enough to get into the midwifery at UQ so I was thinking of doing 4 nursing subjects to get my OP up to get into UQ. Otherwise I should be able to get into ACU again. I just like UQ's course structure much better.

I know what you mean about the travelling thing though. The closest uni to me is Griffith but they don't have an undergraduate mid degree yet. Although they are thinking about it but probably not until the new tertiary hospital is built here on the coast in 2012 and I don't want to wait that long

[bon]

Yep I applied through QTAC. I like the course structure of UQ too, although their schools of nursing and midwifery are based at Ipswich I think? So you would have to go there for the on-campus days. Which is too much travelling for me unfortunately.

Maybe you could go with ACU with the aim of transfering to UQ after you have done a few subjects?

[~mamaspice~]

Hi Bon,

Yeah I was thinking of starting at ACU and changing to UQ as another option.

Yep you are right, the BN & BMid degrees are based at the ipswich campus but from the 6th week of your first year you are based at a hospital for 3 days a week and have only one day of lectures on campus which you can get away without going to them if you're happy to download the lecture notes off the net instead.
The BMid is based at either Ipswich Hosp or RBWH and the dual degree is based at the Mater.

[~mamaspice~]

I am sooo excited.

I just got an email back from the Nursing and Mid course convenor at Griffith University. She I hopeful that they will be offering a BMid in 2010. They are in the process of securing clinical placements now. I've got my as that would be perfect for me!

[Mother Goose]

Back to your Q about whether or not there are any restrictions on what you can/can't do if you have a straight Bach Mid (no nursing), I think it varies from State to State as a friend of mine recently told me about an experience where only certain mids at the hospital she birthed in were able to administer meds. So perhaps check with the Board of Nursing (which also covers Midwives) in the State/Territory you are planning on practicing in.

HTH

MG

[SamanthaP]

I have an acquaintance who has just completed her midwifery masters in QLD. She was saying that she doesn't feel at all comfortable in the labour ward environment. They have much lower standards than the Bmid course. I think it's something like only 15/20 NVBs to register compared to 40 NVB's for the Bmid course. I can't remember all the differences as we had the discussion a good six months ago, but it was so striking the difference in what you learn. She said that people assume that because you're a nurse you somehow know about midwifery, which obviously it doesn't. Scary stuff.