Inherent requirements for Midwifery


Introduction

Western Sydney University and the School of Nursing and Midwifery (SoNM) strongly supports the right of all people to pursue a midwifery degree.

Inherent requirements are the essential components of a course or unit that demonstrate the abilities, knowledge and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes of the course or unit, while preserving the academic integrity of the University’s learning, assessment and accreditation processes. The inherent requirements are the abilities, knowledge and skills needed to complete the course that must be met by all students.

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

The School is committed to making reasonable adjustments to teaching and learning, assessment, professional practice and other activities to enable students to participate in their course. 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 which may include mixed gender, religious and culturally diverse environments. For further information contact your Director of Academic Program.

Successfully completing the course enables you to apply for registration as a registered midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA), which is a partner board of the Australian Health Practitioners Registration Authority (AHPRA).

To support prospective and current students’ decision making, a series of inherent requirement statements have been developed. These statements specify the essential skills, knowledge and abilities required for the midwifery degrees.  Students should use this information to make informed decisions about their chosen course of study. The statements are clustered under 8 domains consisting of ethical behaviour, behavioural stability, legal, communication, cognition, sensory ability, strength and mobility and sustainable performance.

The inherent requirements outlined below provide a guide to inform decision making for students and staff.

How to read the inherent requirement statements

If you are intending to enrol in a midwifery course in the School of Nursing and Midwifery (SoNM), you should look at these inherent requirement statements and think about whether you may experience challenges in meeting these requirements.

If you think you may experience challenges for any reason including a disability or chronic health condition, you should discuss your concerns with the SoNM staff, such as the Director of Academic Program, Academic Course Advisor, School Disability Coordinator or campus Disability Advisor. These staff can work collaboratively with you to determine reasonable adjustments to assist you to meet the inherent requirements. In the case where it is determined that inherent requirements cannot be met with reasonable adjustments, the University staff can provide guidance regarding other study options.

These inherent requirements should be read in conjunction with other course information and NMBA publications such as Guidelines for Mandatory Notifications, Midwife standards for practice, Midwifery code of ethics and Midwifery code of conduct.

Each inherent requirement is made up of the following five levels:

  • Level 1 - introduction to the inherent requirement
  • Level 2 - description of what the inherent requirement is
  • Level 3 - explanation of why this is an inherent requirement of the course
  • Level 4 - the nature of any adjustments that may be made to allow you to meet the requirement
  • Level 5 - examples of things you must be able to do to show you've met the requirement

There are eight domains of inherent requirements for Midwifery courses. Some domains have a number of sub-domains.

  • Ethical behaviour
  • Behavioural stability
  • Legal
  • Communication
  • Cognition
  • Sensory ability
  • Strength & mobility
  • Sustainable performance

Inherent requirement statements

Ethical behaviour

  Inherent requirements statements
1 Midwifery is a profession governed by Standards for practice, code of ethics and Code of conduct (opens in a new window) where midwives are both accountable and responsible for ensuring professional behaviour in all contexts.
2Student demonstrates knowledge of, and engages in ethical behaviour in practice.
3

Justification of inherent requirement:

  • Compliance with the standards, codes, guidelines and policies facilitates safe, competent interactions and relationships for students and/or the people they engage with. This supports the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of all
4Adjustments must ensure the standards, codes, guidelines and policies are not compromised or result in unethical behaviour. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

  • Demonstrating appropriate behaviour with confidential information in classroom and professional practice settings
  • Demonstrate appropriate behaviour when working with women from diverse backgrounds

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Behavioural stability

  Inherent requirements statements
1Behavioural stability is required to function and adapt effectively and sensitively in this role.
2Student demonstrates behavioural stability to work constructively in a diverse and changing academic and professional practice environment.
3

Justification of inherent requirement:

  • Behavioural stability is required to work individually and in teams in changing and unpredictable environments. Midwifery students will be exposed to a woman's private and emotionally charged pregnancy, labour and birth and post birth period which may include complex and emergency situations. Midwifery students will be required to have behavioural stability to manage these events objectively and professionally
4Adjustments must support stable, effective and professional behaviour in both academic and professional practice settings. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

  • Being receptive and responding appropriately to constructive feedback
  • Coping effectively with own emotions and behaviour when working with women and their families during their maternity experience

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Legal

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Communication

This area of study requires effective, verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills.

Verbal
  Inherent requirements statements
1Effective verbal communication, in English, is an essential requirement to provide safe delivery of care.
2

Student demonstrates:

  • Sensitivity to individual and/or cultural differences
  • Ability to understand and respond to verbal communication accurately, appropriately and in a timely manner
  • Ability to provide clear instructions in the context of the situation
  • Timely clear feedback and reporting
3

Justification of inherent requirement:

  • Communicating in a way that displays respect and empathy to others and develops trusting relationships
  • Communication 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
4Adjustments must address effectiveness, timeliness, clarity and accuracy issues to ensure safety and appropriate care. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

  • Responding appropriately to a care request in the practice environment
  • Effectively communicating verbally with other health professionals in emergency situations
Non-verbal
  Inherent requirements statements
1Effective non-verbal communication is fundamental to midwifery and needs to be respectful, clear, attentive, empathetic and non-judgmental.
2

Student demonstrates:

  • Capacity to recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to behavioural cues
  • Consistent and appropriate awareness of own behaviours
  • Sensitivity to individual and/or cultural differences
3

Justification of inherent requirement:

  • The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues assists with building rapport with people and gaining their trust and respect in academic 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 and professional relationships
  • Being sensitive to individual and/or cultural differences displays respect and empathy to others and develops trusting relationships
  • The ability to observe and understand non-verbal cues is essential for safe and effective observation of a woman's and/or newborn's symptoms and reactions to facilitate the assessment and treatment of women and/or their newborn
4Adjustments must enable the recognition, initiation of or appropriate response to effective non-verbal communication in a timely and appropriate manner. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

  • Recognise and respond appropriately to non-verbal cues when undertaking an antenatal booking history
  • Recognise non-verbal cues to identify the stages of labour
Written
  Inherent requirements statements
1 Effective written communication, in English, is a fundamental midwifery responsibility with professional and legal ramifications.
2 Student demonstrates capacity to construct coherent written communication appropriate to the circumstances.
3

Justification of inherent requirement:

  • Construction of written text based assessment tasks to reflect the required academic standards are necessary to convey knowledge and understanding of relevant subject matter for professional practice
  • Accurate written communication, including record-keeping and women's and newborns' notes, is vital to provide consistent and safe midwifery care
4Adjustments must meet necessary standards of clarity, accuracy and accessibility to ensure effective recording and transmission of information in both academic and professional practical settings. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

  • Constructing an essay to academic standards
  • Documenting midwifery notes in a woman's maternity record in a timely manner that meets professional standards

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Cognition

This area of study requires knowledge of theory and the skills of cognition, literacy and numeracy.

Knowledge and cognitive skills
  Inherent requirements statements
1 Consistent knowledge and effective cognitive skills must be demonstrated to provide safe and competent midwifery care.
2

Student demonstrates:

  • Capacity to locate appropriate and relevant information
  • Ability to process information relevant to practice
  • Ability to integrate and implement knowledge in practice
3

Justification of inherent requirement:

  • Safe and effective delivery of midwifery care is based on comprehensive knowledge that must be sourced, understood and applied appropriately
4Adjustments must ensure that a clear demonstration of knowledge and cognitive skills is not compromised or impeded. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

  • Ability to conceptualise and use appropriate knowledge in response to academic assessment items
  • Applying knowledge of policy and procedures in the practice setting
Literacy (language)
  Inherent requirements statements
1Competent literacy skills are essential to provide safe and effective delivery of midwifery care.
2

Student demonstrates:

  • Ability to accurately acquire information and convey appropriate, effective messages
  • Ability to read and comprehend a range of literature and information
  • Capacity to understand and implement academic conventions to construct written text in a scholarly manner
3

Justification of inherent requirement:

  • 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 safe and effective delivery of midwifery care
4Adjustments must demonstrate a capacity to effectively acquire, comprehend, apply and communicate accurate information. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

  • Conveying spoken instructions accurately and clearly
  • Paraphrasing, summarising and referencing in accordance with appropriate academic conventions
  • Producing accurate, concise and clear midwifery case notes which meet legal requirements
Numeracy
  Inherent requirements statements
1Competent and accurate numeracy skills are essential for safe and effective midwifery care.
2Student demonstrates the ability to interpret and correctly apply data, measurements and numerical criteria.
3

Justification of inherent requirement:

  • Competent application of numeracy skills is essential in midwifery to facilitate the safe and effective delivery of midwifery care
4Adjustments must demonstrate a capacity to interpret and apply concepts and processes appropriately in a timely, accurate and effective manner. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

  • Performing accurate drug calculations
  • Demonstrating accurate recording a fluid balance chart

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Sensory ability

This area of study requires adequate visual, auditory and tactile abilities.

Visual
  Inherent requirements statements
1Adequate visual acuity is required to provide safe and effective midwifery care.
2Student demonstrates sufficient visual acuity to perform the required range of skills.
3

Justification of inherent requirement:

  • 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
4Adjustments 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. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

  • Accurately drawing up medication to administer
  • Observing and detecting subtle changes in a newborn's colour
Auditory
  Inherent requirements statements
1Auditory ability is required to provide safe and effective midwifery care.
2Student demonstrates sufficient aural function to undertake the required range of skills.
3

Justification of inherent requirement:

  • Sufficient auditory ability is necessary to monitor, assess and manage a woman and newborn's health needs consistently and accurately
  • Auditory assessments and observations are fundamental to safe and effective midwifery practice
4Adjustments 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. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

  • Accurately undertaking a blood pressure measurement by auscultation
  • Detecting the non-verbal sounds made by a woman in labour which may indicate birthing was in progress
Tactile
  Inherent requirements statements
1Sufficient tactile ability is required to perform competent and safe midwifery care.
2Student demonstrates adequate tactile function sufficient to undertake the required range of skills and assessments.
3

Justification of inherent requirement:

  • Sufficient tactile ability is necessary to monitor, assess and detect a woman's physical and pregnancy related characteristics and act on any deviation detected to provide thorough midwifery care
  • Tactile assessments and observations are fundamental to safe and effective midwifery practice
4Adjustments must have the capacity to make effective assessments of physical characteristics and abnormalities within safe time frames. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

  • Detecting any changes in circulation observations e.g. temperature and pulse palpation
  • Conducting an abdominal palpation during labour and detecting deviations from normal e.g. breech presentation

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Strength & mobility

This area of study requires gross motor and fine motor skills.

Gross motor
  Inherent requirements statements
1Midwifery is a profession that involves physical demands and requires gross motor function.
2Student demonstrates the ability to perform gross motor skills to function within scope of practice.
3

Justification of inherent requirement:

  • Sufficient gross motor skills are necessary to perform the required level of care. Tasks that involve gross motor skills include lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, standing, twisting and bending. Students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to self and others
4Adjustments should facilitate functional effectiveness, safety of self and others and a capacity to provide appropriate care. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

  • Maintaining balance while safely mobilising and transferring newborns
  • Able to safely retrieve and utilise stock and equipment
  • Provide women with support in any birth position they may choose
Fine motor
  Inherent requirements statements
1Midwifery is a profession that requires manual dexterity and fine motor skills.
2Student demonstrates the ability to use fine motor skills to function within scope of practice.
3

Justification of inherent requirement:

  • Sufficient fine motor skills are necessary to perform the required level of care. Tasks that involve fine motor skills include being able to grasp, press, push, turn, squeeze and manipulate various objects and individuals. Midwifery students must be able to demonstrate and perform these tasks consistently and safely to reduce the risk of harm to self and others
4Adjustments should facilitate functional effectiveness, safety to self and others and a capacity to provide appropriate care. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

  • Performing the insertion of a urinary catheter
  • Able to prime, accurately insert and set prescribed rate on an infusion device

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Sustainable performance

  Inherent requirements statements
1Midwifery practice requires both physical and mental performance at a consistent and sustained level.
2

Student demonstrates:

  • Consistent and sustained level of physical energy to complete a specific task in a timely manner and over time
  • The ability to perform repetitive activities with a level of concentration that ensures a capacity to focus on the activity until it is completed appropriately
  • The capacity to maintain consistency and quality of performance throughout the designated period of time
3

Justification of inherent requirement:

  • Sufficient physical and mental endurance is an essential requirement needed to perform multiple tasks in an assigned period to provide safe and effective care
4Adjustments must ensure that performance is consistent and sustained over a given period. Adjustments specific to the individual can be discussed with the campus Disability Advisor.
5

Exemplars:

  • Maintain safe practice when physical requirements are demanding
  • Undertake repetitive assessments on women in labour and accurately interpret and adjust care according to assessment findings

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*Developed from: Johnson, A., Allan,T., Phillips,K., Azzopardi,T., Dickson,C., Goldsmith,M & Hengstberger-Sims, C. (2011). Inherent Requirements of Nursing Education (IRONE), Western Sydney University School of Nursing & Midwifery and Student Equity & Disability Services

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