Bachelor of Science (Nursing)/Bachelor of Science (Midwifery)

Course notes

Important course notes

• Non standard timetable requirements

  Prospective applicants are advised that there is an 'on call' component to this course. It is a requirement in Australia that midwifery students provide Continuity of Care to ten women throughout the course of their studies; this includes being on call to attend them when they give birth.

• Clinical or professional work placement requirement

  Students are required to complete both nursing and midwifery clinical practicums. Students are required to successfully complete 840 hours of nursing clinical practice hours and a further 640 hours midwifery clinical practice hours. Students are also required to follow ten women throughout their pregnancy journey, accumulating a further 200 hours of midwifery clinical placement hours. Placements are undertaken with a range of clinical partners as full-time clinical placements.

  Attendance requirements

  Students will undertake clinical practicum during the hours laid down by their host clinical agency. These full-time clinical blocks may occur at times outside the identified semester weeks. Additionally, pre-identified clinical practicum periods may change with minimal notice to students due to circumstances outside the control of the School. There is an 'on call' component to this course. It is a requirement in Australia that midwifery students provide Continuity of Care to ten women throughout the course of their studies; this includes being on call to attend them when they give birth.

  Clearances and/or Risk Management Protocols Required

  To be eligible to undertake clinical practice and fulfill their duty of care, students are required to complete risk management protocols on commencement of the course, and carry out amendments in subsequent semesters as appropriate. Risk management protocols include, but are not restricted to:
  
  International students on temporary visas are required to provide a Certificate of International Police Clearance where possible
  Certificate of National Police Clearance
  Department of Health (WA) Criminal Screening
  Current Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), initial certification required plus annual renewal of certification courses available via ECU provider
  Current Manual Handling Certification, initial certification required plus annual renewal of certification, courses available via ECU provider
  Current Neonatal Resuscitation (NNR), initial certification required plus annual renewal of certification courses available via ECU provider
  Evidence of immunisation status as per the Australian Immunisation Handbook, more information at www.mmunisationhandbook.health.gov.au including immunity to Hepatitis B
  Tuberculosis screening (Evidence of QuantiFERON or Mantoux Test)
  MRSA clearance if worked in, or been admitted to, a health facility outside of Western Australia in the 12 months prior to enrolment
  Working with Children Check, more information at www.workingwithchildren.wa.gov.au
  
  Due to the practical nature of the nursing and midwifery professions, there are inherent performance requirements applicable to this course that may impact upon the success of some potential students. Applicants and students with a disability or other issues likely to impact on their ability to perform in practice are encouraged to contact the Director, Midwifery Studies to discuss the support and inherent requirements of this course.

• Registration

  Students will need to graduate to be eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia. Registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia is required to practice in the profession.

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Access, evaluate and synthesise relevant information from multiple sources using digital technologies to inform nursing and midwifery practice.
2. Anticipate and identify potential challenges and develop appropriate nursing and midwifery strategies and solutions.
3. Apply broad health knowledge to a range of theoretical and practical nursing and midwifery situations.
4. Critically analyse, interpret and conceptualise complex nursing and midwifery practice.
5. Demonstrate a global outlook with respect for cultural diversity, including Indigenous cultural competence.
6. Demonstrate autonomy, accountability and judgement for own learning and professional nursing and midwifery practice in accordance with the NMBA Codes of Practice.
7. Demonstrate the Registered Nurse and Registered Midwife Standards for Practice required by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia for registration.
8. Independently communicate nursing and midwifery knowledge, concepts and values clearly and coherently.
9. Work collaboratively within nursing and midwifery teams and with other health care professionals to ethically and effectively respond to diverse health care challenges.

Quick guide to uni-speak

• • ATAR

    ATAR is the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, the primary criterion for entry into most undergraduate university courses in Australia. The ATAR is a percentile score which denotes a student's ranking relative to their state-wide peers upon completion of their secondary education.

  • CRICOS code

    CRICOS is the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. A CRICOS code is allocated to education institutions (like ECU) who are approved to recruit, enrol and deliver education to overseas students. Courses with a CRICOS code are available to international students who meet the entry requirements.

  • Majors

    A major, or unit set, is your chosen area of in-depth study in an undergraduate course. It usually involves 8 units of study, or one-third of the units in a 3-year degree. Talk to your Student Information Office if you need help choosing a major subject.

  • Minors

    Minors include between 4 and 6 study units in a specific discipline. Not all courses require you to complete a minor. Your minor subject doesn't appear on your printed degree (parchment), but is part of your academic transcript.

  • Full-time

    If you're enrolled in 3 or more units in a semester this is considered full-time study. To complete most 3-year degrees studying full-time you'll need to complete 4 units per semester, i.e. 24 units over 3 years.

  • Part-time

    If a course is available to study part-time you can generally expect it to take twice as long to complete as it would in full-time mode. Part-time students are enrolled in 1 or 2 units maximum per semester.

    Note: International students who hold a student visa can only choose the full-time study option for our courses. This is to ensure the course is completed within the duration of the student visa.

• • Semester 1

    Most courses start in Semester 1 each year, usually in the last week of February. Some courses can be started in Semester 2 (we call this mid-year). There's a week of Orientation before each semester to help you get used to uni life.

  • Semester 2

    A lot of our courses start in Semester 2 each year, usually in the last week of July. We call this mid-year. There's a week of Orientation beforehand to help you get used to uni life.

  • Credit Points

    We use a points system to make it easier for you to understand your study progress. Most Bachelors degree study units are allocated 15 credit points. If you're studying a 3-year full-time degree you'll need to successfully complete 360 credit points – that's 24 units x 15 points per unit.

  • Core Units

    These are compulsory units you have to successfully complete as part of your course.

  • Recommended Electives

    An elective is a unit you choose to study that counts towards your course requirements, but isn't compulsory. For some courses we recommend elective units. In some situations, a course coordinator may approve an elective unit as a replacement for a compulsory one.