Inherent requirements for Midwifery

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) regulates the practice of midwifery in Australia, and one of its key roles is to protect the public. Registration as a registered midwife (RM), (including as a student), requires you to meet the NMBA’s mandatory registration standards. RM’s, (including students) are required to practice within the relevant NMBA approved standards, codes, guidelines, and frameworks.

Nurses and midwives work in changing and unpredictable environments and as such are required to continue to develop professionally and maintain their capability for professional practice. Concerns can be raised about a health professional (including a student) if their behaviour is considered to be placing the public at risk, they are practicing their profession in an unsafe way or lacking the ability to make safe judgements about women and newborns in their care due to an impairment in their health.

Inherent requirements

Inherent requirements are the essential components of a program or subject that demonstrate the abilities, knowledge, and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes of the program or subject, while preserving the academic integrity of the university's learning, assessment, Midwifery Placement Experience (MPE), and accreditation processes. The inherent requirements are the abilities, knowledge, skills, and requirements needed to complete the program that must be met by all students.

The School of Nursing and Midwifery is committed to making reasonable adjustments to teaching and learning, assessment, midwifery clinical practice, and other activities to enable students to participate in their program. Reasonable adjustments must not fundamentally change the nature of the inherent requirement. Students are required to undertake activities which reflect the Australian health care context.

Safety of the public is the guiding principle for programs leading to eligibility for registration as a midwife in Australia. NMBA approved programs of study are required to have inherent requirements that students must meet before admission and whilst enrolled in the program. These are the inherent requirements of 4684 Bachelor of Midwifery. Please see the Inherent Requirement Guidelines and Fitness to Practice Policy for further information.

Students who have a disability or health condition may be able to have reasonable adjustments made to enable them to meet these requirements.

You are not required to disclose information about a disability or health condition that you are living with. If you think your disability, chronic health or mental health condition will impact on your studies, you are encouraged to discuss your concerns with a University Disability Advisor. If you need reasonable adjustments, you are required to register with the Disability Service.

If you think you might experience challenges related to a disability, health condition or for any other reason, you should discuss your concerns with the Director of Academic Program Midwifery.