New Postgraduate Programs in Maternity Care at Griffith University

Griffith University will launch a new suite of postgraduate programs aimed at reflecting the changing face of maternity care.

The Graduate Certificate in Primary Maternity Care, the Graduate Diploma of Primary Maternity Care and the Master of Primary Maternity Care are designed to enable participants to work within changing maternity services, says Dr Mary Sidebotham from the Griffith Health Institute.

“In line with the vision of the Queensland Health Minister, the new programs have been created in response to the ongoing maternity reform agenda which sees an increasing focus on providing woman-centred care, within a continuity of care model in primary care. The programs will also reflect the increasing focus of enabling midwives to work in private practice.

The programs will enable graduates to lead the way in reforming maternity care services, including the introduction of caseload midwifery care models, implementing Indigenous birthing, re-establishing rural birthing services, providing services for socially disadvantaged and vulnerable women and improving perinatal mental health in Australia and internationally.

While primarily aimed at midwives, the program is also targeted to professionals from a range of health disciplines including GPs, child health nurses and social workers.

“The programs will not only allow them to work within changing maternity service settings, but also to be actively involved in designing and reorienting these services,” says Dr Sidebotham.

“They will include developing leadership potential, enhancing clinical skills, developing research potential and will offer a wide range of elective courses which will enable practitioners to choose a program pathway which best suits them, according to their discipline.”

Griffith’s new Primary Maternity Care programs will be delivered online however Dr Sidebotham says they all have a significant element of ‘synchronous interaction’ whereby students are able to communicate in real time with their peers and lecturers.

“We know that students can often feel alone when studying online, but we have gone to great length to make these programs appealing with the addition of various social features,” she says.

Commonwealth supported places have been allocated which will be available on a first-come-first-served basis