Expectant mothers in South Australia Eyre Peninsula and northern regions will benefit from greater access to specialist midwifery care as the University of South Australia introduces the Bachelor of Midwifery at its Whyalla campus from 2023.
The new offering will significantly bolster the regional midwifery workforce providing much-needed local supports to rural communities. In Australia there is a maldistribution of midwives in rural and regional areas with unfilled vacancies and difficulties recruiting adding to workforce shortages.
UniSAs Bachelor of Midwifery Program Director Dr Angela Brown says that the Whyalla based degree will attract and retain a local midwifery workforce. Regional communities need local midwives who can provide quality healthcare for mothers and families Dr Brown says. Time and time again we hear of mothers travelling long distances to access maternity services sometimes for urgent care but often several weeks ahead of their babys due date to ensure they have appropriate care when their baby is born and we know that this can be very stressful for women and families alike.
The new midwifery degree at Whyalla will enhance availability of training locally for regional students providing additional locally trained staff that can work regionally and improve midwifery shortages .Students will be working in partnership with staff in the Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network FUNLHN so they will gain clinical knowledge and hands on experience from highly skilled regional midwives already working in our local antenatal, birthing, and postnatal models of care. Access to the midwifery degree at Whyalla will enhance and complement current midwifery services in regional South Australia.
Whyalla midwifery students will also participate in UniSAs unique Continuity of Care Experience CoCE where student midwives are paired with pregnant women to provide supervised care throughout the pregnancy birth and post natal period. Here students are directly involved in a minimum of 30 births during their studies and participate in the pre and post birth care of many more women.
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