Australian Private Midwives Association: Survey on prescribing courses for midwives

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Survey on prescribing courses for midwives

The following message has been forwarded by Liz Wilkes, a leader in APMA and Midwives Australia

Re: Prescribing courses for midwives

From 1 Nov 2010, Eligible Midwives are able to prescribe certain medicines under the PBS. One of the requirements to become an Eligible Midwife is the completion of a “program of study or equivalent — prescribing” meeting the requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA).

The Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA) has asked NPS: Better choices, Better health to undertake a project to look at the feasibility of prescribing courses for midwives to prepare them for this additional role. As part of this project, we have designed the following survey to help us better understand the perspective and expectations of potential students of prescribing courses. Below is some information about the survey.

What is the purpose of the survey?
The purpose of this anonymous survey is to consult prospective students who may be thinking of undertaking a prescribing course to fulfil one of the requirements in becoming an Eligible Midwife. We encourage you to complete the survey if you are currently practising as a midwife, or you have a midwifery degree and you are planning to practice as a midwife. This information will be invaluable to the Department of Health and Ageing and NPS in considering how best to support and assist midwives and/or potential course providers in the future. The idea of a survey came from the project reference group comprising representatives from the NMBA, the Australian Council of Nursing and Midwifery, and the Australian College of Midwives, as well as representatives from groups with expertise in prescribing education and drug therapy education.

Why has the survey come to me?
We are seeking to understand the perspective and expectations of potential future students of prescribing courses. This is an emerging area of practice and it is important to gain as much information as possible to assist midwives and/or potential course providers.
The Australian Private Midwives Association has kindly agreed to assist us by sending the survey to its members.

Who should complete the survey?
We invite all currently practising midwives, or those with a midwifery degree who are planning to practice as a midwife to complete the survey. Feel free to pass on the survey to relevant colleagues. We ask that each person only completes the survey once.

How do I access the survey?
Please click on this link
(http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/nps_midwives_survey_students) and you will be taken to the survey directly.

What is the timeframe for completion?
The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. The survey is open from now until 10 January 2011. We would appreciate it if the survey could be completed as soon as possible.

What will happen to the findings from the survey?
The data will be collated and analysed by NPS, and the findings will be reported to DoHA.

Who do I contact for further information?
If you would like further information, please contact Dr Michelle Koo, Manager, Educational Design and Support, NPS on 02 8217 8742 or via email at mkoo@nps.org.au.

Who is NPS: Better choices, Better health?
NPS is a not-for-profit organisation funded by the Australian Government of Department of Health and Ageing to enable better decisions about medicines and medical tests. For more information, visit www.nps.org.au

Thank you and kind regards,
Dr Michelle Koo
Manager
Educational Design and Support team
Innovation and Learning

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WHO ARE WE?

The Australian Private Midwives Association represents midwives in private practice. The association is focused on the safety of women, the ability of women to access quality midwifery care across Australia and the partnerships between women and midwives. APMA supports women’s choice in maternity options within a framework of quality and safety and believes in women being able to access midwives in all settings. APMA unites all midwives seeking to provide continuity of care for women.

APMA strives to provide midwives in private practice with information relevant to their practice and advocacy in the political process.

Enquiries:
Joy Johnston joy@aitex.com.au
Marie Heath NSW and National 0407 266004
Clare Lane (Vic) 0416 130219

APMA POSITION STATEMENT on PLANNED HOME BIRTHS WITH A MIDWIFE

1. We support home birth with a midwife in attendance for women who have uncomplicated labours. 2. We support and adopt the International Confederation of Midwives’ (ICM) Definition of the Midwife (2011), which is foundational to all midwifery practice, including homebirth. 3. We support the right of every woman to access a midwife as the primary maternity caregiver who works in partnership with the woman throughout the episode of care, who is able to be the responsible professional in attendance at the birth either at home or hospital, and who is able to make appropriate referral and transfer of care when required. 4. We support the right of a midwife to practise privately in a fee-for-service or funded relationship with the client, or to take up employment. 5. We support only those regulatory restrictions that are able to pass the ‘public interest’ test: “How does this promote health and wellbeing in the mother and baby?” 6. We support an expectation of equity, including equal pay for equal work throughout a midwife’s scope of practice. Midwives who provide primary maternity care are entitled to the same public funding, the same opportunity to charge a fee-for-service, the same access to hospital referral, and publicly supported indemnity insurance, as medical practitioners providing the same maternity services. 7. We support processes by which midwives are able to gain experience and mentoring in order to commence and demonstrate competence in homebirth practice. 8. We support seamless and reliable processes by which midwives are able to make hospital bookings for women planning homebirth, and arrange transfer to the hospital in a timely way when needed.