- Inherent requirements key terms
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- Inherent requirements for Master of Art Therapy
- Inherent requirements for Graduate Diploma in Cardiac Sonography
- Inherent requirements for Building Design and Construction Management
- Inherent requirements for Bachelor of Construction Technology
- Inherent requirements for Graduate Certificate in Child and Family Health (Karitane)
- Inherent requirements for Bachelor of Community Welfare
- Inherent requirements for Psychotherapy and Counselling
- Inherent requirements for Bachelor of Criminal and Community Justice
- Inherent requirements for Bachelor of Design (Visual Communication)
- Inherent requirements for Master of Digital Humanities
- Inherent requirements for Education and Teaching
- Inherent requirements for Engineering courses
- Inherent requirements for Epidemiology
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- Inherent requirements for Interpreting and Translation
- Inherent requirements for Languages
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- Inherent requirements for Mathematics
- Inherent requirements for Medicine
- Inherent requirements for Midwifery
- Inherent requirements for Nursing (preregistration) courses
- Inherent requirements for Nursing and Midwifery (postgraduate)
- Inherent requirements for Occupational Therapy
- Inherent requirements for Physiotherapy
- Inherent requirements for Podiatric Medicine
- Inherent requirements for Master of Professional Psychology
- Inherent requirements for Master of Clinical Psychology
- Inherent requirements for Bachelor of Social Work
- Inherent requirements for TESOL
- Inherent requirements for Chinese Medicine Health Care Disciplines
- Inherent requirements for Master of Public Health and Master of Health Science
- Inherent requirements for Speech Pathology
Graduate Diploma of Midwifery
These inherent requirements apply to the Graduate Diploma in Midwifery - course code 4697.
- Ethical behaviour
- Behavioural stability
- Legal
- Communication
- Cognition
- Sensory ability
- Strength and mobility
- Sustainable performance
Ethical behaviour
Inherent requirements statements | |
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1 | Midwifery is a profession governed by competency standards (opens in a new window), codes of ethics (opens in a new window), professional conduct (opens in a new window) and professional boundaries (opens in a new window) where midwives are both accountable and responsible for ensuring professional behaviour in all contexts. |
2 | Student demonstrates knowledge of, and engages in ethical behaviour in practice. |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement: » Compliance with the codes, guidelines and policies facilitates safe, competent interactions and relationships for students and/or the people they engage with. This ensures the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual wellbeing of the individual is not placed at risk |
4 | Adjustments must not compromise codes of conduct or result in unethical behaviour. |
5 | Exemplars: » Complying with academic and non-academic misconduct policies |
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Behavioural stability
Inherent requirements statements | |
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1 | Behavioural stability is required to function and adapt effectively and sensitively in a demanding role. |
2 | Student demonstrates behavioural stability to work constructively in a diverse and changing academic and practice environments. |
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 |
4 | Adjustments must support stable, effective and professional behaviour in both academic and practice settings. |
5 | Exemplars: » Being receptive and responding appropriately to constructive feedback |
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Legal
Inherent requirements statements | |
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1 | Midwifery practice is mandated by specific legislation to enable the safe delivery of care. |
2 | Student demonstrates knowledge and compliance with Australian Law, professional regulations and scope of practice. |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement: » Knowledge, understanding, and compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements are necessary pre-requisites to practice placements in order to reduce the risk of harm to self and others |
4 | Adjustments must be consistent with legislative and regulatory requirements. |
5 | Exemplars: » Complying with relevant child protection and safety legislation |
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Communication
This course requires effective, verbal, non- verbal and written communication skills.
Verbal
Inherent requirements statements | |
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1 | Effective and efficient verbal communication, in English, is an essential requirement to provide safe delivery of care. |
2 | Student demonstrates: » The ability to understand and respond to verbal communication accurately, appropriately and in a timely manner » The ability to provide clear instructions in the context of the situation » Timely clear feedback and reporting |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement: » Communication may be restricted to verbal because of physical limitations of the individual (e.g. injury, disease or congenital conditions) |
4 | Adjustments for impaired verbal communication must address effectiveness, timeliness, clarity and accuracy issues to ensure safety. |
5 | Exemplars: » Participating in tutorial, simulation and clinical discussions |
Non-verbal
Inherent requirements statements | |
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1 | Effective non-verbal communication is fundamental to midwifery and needs to be respectful, clear, attentive, empathetic, honest and non-judgmental. |
2 | Student demonstrates: » The capacity to recognise, interpret and respond appropriately to behavioural cues » Consistent and appropriate awareness of own behaviours » Sensitivity to individual 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 |
4 | Adjustments must enable the recognition, initiation of or appropriate response to effective non-verbal communication in a timely and appropriate manner. |
5 | Exemplars: » Recognising and responding appropriately in classroom situations |
Written
Inherent requirements statements | |
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1 | Effective written communication 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 |
4 | Adjustments must meet necessary standards of clarity, accuracy and accessibility to ensure effective recording and transmission of information in both academic and practical settings. |
5 | Exemplars: » Constructing an essay to academic standards |
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Cognition
This course requires knowledge of theory and the skills of cognition, literacy and numeracy.
Knowledge and cognitive skills
Inherent requirements statements | |
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1 | Consistent and effective knowledge and cognitive skills must be demonstrated to provide safe and competent midwifery care. |
2 | Student demonstrates: » The capacity to locate appropriate and relevant information » The ability to process information relevant to practice » 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 |
4 | Adjustments must ensure that a clear demonstration of knowledge and cognitive skills is not compromised or impeded. |
5 | Exemplars: » Ability to conceptualise and use appropriate knowledge in response to academic assessment items |
Literacy (language)
Inherent requirements statements | |
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1 | Competent literacy skills are essential to provide safe and effective delivery of care. |
2 | Student demonstrates: » The ability to accurately acquire information and convey appropriate, effective messages » Ability to read and comprehend a range of literature and information » The 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 |
4 | Adjustments to address literacy issues must demonstrate a capacity to effectively acquire, comprehend, apply and communicate accurate information. |
5 | Exemplars: » Demonstrating the ability to convey a spoken message accurately |
Numeracy
Inherent requirements statements | |
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1 | Competent and accurate numeracy skills are essential for safe and effective care. |
2 | Student interprets and correctly applies 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 |
4 | Adjustments must demonstrate a capacity to interpret and apply concepts and processes appropriately in a timely, accurate and effective manner. |
5 | Exemplars: » Performing accurate drug calculations |
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Sensory ability
This course requires adequate visual, auditory and tactile abilities.
Visual
Inherent requirements statements | |
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1 | Adequate visual acuity is required to provide safe and effective midwifery care. |
2 | Student 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 |
4 | Adjustments must address the need to perform the full range of tasks involved in the practice setting. Any strategies to address the effects of the vision impairment must be effective, consistent and not compromise safety or treatment. |
5 | Exemplars: » Accurately drawing up medication to administer |
Auditory
Inherent requirements statements | |
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1 | Adequate auditory ability is required to provide safe and effective midwifery care. |
2 | Student 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 |
4 | Adjustments 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. |
5 | Exemplars: » Accurately undertaking a blood pressure measurement by auscultation |
Tactile
Inherent requirements statements | |
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1 | Sufficient tactile ability is required to perform competent and safe midwifery care. |
2 | Student demonstrates sufficient tactile function 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 |
4 | Adjustments must have the capacity to make effective assessments of physical characteristics and abnormalities within safe time frames. |
5 | Exemplars: » Detecting any changes in circulation observations e.g. temperature and pulse palpation |
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Strength and mobility
This course requires strength and mobility involving fine and gross motor skills.
Gross motor
Inherent requirements statements | |
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1 | Midwifery involves physical demands and requires gross motor function. |
2 | Student 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, coordinate and prioritise 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 |
4 | Adjustments should facilitate functional effectiveness, safety of self and others and a capacity to provide appropriate care. |
5 | Exemplars: » Maintaining balance while safely mobilising and transferring women, or newborns or resources |
Fine motor
Inherent requirements statements | |
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1 | Midwifery is a profession that requires manual dexterity and fine motor skills. |
2 | Student demonstrates the ability to use fine motor skills to provide safe effective care. |
3 | Justification of inherent requirement: » Sufficient fine motor skills are necessary to perform, coordinate and prioritise 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 |
4 | Adjustments should facilitate functional effectiveness, safety to self and others and a capacity to provide appropriate care. |
5 | Exemplars: » Performing the insertion of a urinary catheter |
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Sustainable performance
Inherent requirements statements | |
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1 | Midwifery practice requires both physical and mental performance at a consistent and sustained level to meet individual needs over time. |
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 duty |
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 |
4 | Adjustments must ensure that performance is consistent and sustained over a given period. |
5 | Exemplars: » Participating in tutorials, lectures, skills throughout the day |
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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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