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Position overview

The Graduate Midwife in Centenary Midwifery Program (CMP) is a 12‑month continuity of care placement that provides newly qualified Registered Midwives with the opportunity to develop skills and confidence within a supported, structured midwifery group practice. This fixed‑term placement enables the graduate midwife to deliver evidence‑based, woman‑centred care across the pregnancy, labour, birth, and postnatal continuum while working as part of the CMP team. Graduate midwives are well supported to build clinical skills and confidence. Upon successful completion of the 12‑month program, the midwife will transfer back to their nominal position within the Maternity Department.

CMP provides care across both low- and all‑risk models of midwifery, offering eligible women choices to birth in the Birth Centre, Birth Suite or at home. Midwives provide holistic care to a capped caseload of women each year and participate in an on‑call model requiring 24‑hour availability on rostered, on‑call days. These positions attract a 40% on‑call loading within an annualised salary agreement and seven weeks of annual leave per year. Positions are available full‑time or part‑time (minimum 0.84 FTE). There are multiple positions available.

Centenary Hospital for Women and Children (CHWC), a Level 6 tertiary centre, provides specialised maternity, neonatology, and paediatric services to approximately 3,800 women annually. CHWC is part of Canberra Health Services, which also includes Canberra Hospital and the University of Canberra Hospital. The maternity department at CHWC is dynamic and innovative, offering a range of care models including midwifery-led continuity programs, team care, and collaborative multidisciplinary approaches. Maternity services are supported by tertiary neonatal care including NICU, SCN, and the ACT NETS regional retrieval service.

Please note that appointment to this position may be based on written application and referee reports only.

Key responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following.

Under the direction of the Clinical Midwifery Manager

  • Work as a primary midwife within a caseload model, providing evidence‑based continuity of care from pregnancy to 10 days postnatal across hospital and community settings.
  • Work in partnership with women and their families, supporting informed decision‑making in line with Canberra Health Services Policies and Procedures, National Midwifery Guidelines for Consultation and Referral and relevant legislation
  • Practice in a way that acknowledges the dignity, culture, values, beliefs, and rights of individuals and/or groups.
  • Promote midwives within the multidisciplinary team as valuable experts contributing to positive outcomes for women and their families.
  • Understand and practice within own scope of clinical practice.
  • Promote an environment that encourages both individual and team development.
  • Maintain competence, including mandatory education and assessment; participate in the development of policy, procedures, quality activities and clinical meetings.
  • Participate and encourage an environment of active lifelong learning.
  • Undertake other duties appropriate to this level of classification which contribute to the operation of the organisation.

Competencies

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following.

  • Demonstrated sound level interpersonal, communication and customer service skills
  • Sound organisational skills, including simultaneously managing and prioritising multiple issues, with a high degree of drive
  • Adaptability and flexibility to accommodate change and provide responsive services to meet clients’ needs
  • An ability to work respectfully in partnership with a range of stakeholders while simultaneously demonstrating safe and effective midwifery care.
  • Working knowledge of the Australian College of Midwives (ACM) National Midwifery Guidelines for Consultation and Referral.
  • Understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards align with this role.
  • Developing or demonstrated competence in skills such as suturing, IV cannulation, obstetric emergencies, and balloon catheter insertion (training and support provided).

Qualifications

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following.

Essential

  • A tertiary qualification in midwifery
  • Registration as a Midwife with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
  • Must have a current Australian driver licence.

Experience

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following.

Essential

  • Currently enrolled in the transition to practice program.
  • Ability to work safely within scope of practice in a busy clinical environment, seeking guidance and support appropriately.

Desirable

  • Exposure to, or interest in, continuity of midwifery care models during undergraduate training or early practice.
  • Experience working within a multidisciplinary healthcare team, including collaboration with obstetric and neonatal services.
  • Experience or knowledge of the CHS Exceptional Care Framework, and all other related frameworks.

Prior to commencement

Appointment to this position is conditional on the successful applicant being granted and maintaining appropriate clearances.

  • Pre‑employment National Police Check.
  • Comply with Canberra Health Services Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination Policy.

Ongoing employment is subject to the maintenance of the above requirements.

Important information

All employees are required to:

  • adhere to the Canberra Health Services Values and the ACT Public Service Code of Conduct
  • act in accordance and comply with all relevant Safety and Quality policies and procedures.
  • Comply with all relevant clinical and/or competency standards.
  • Be available for weekend, after-hours work, including on call

CHS is leading the drive to digitally transform health service delivery in Australia through the implementation of a territory wide Digital Health Record. Computer literacy skills are required which are relevant to this role as you will be responsible for completing required documentation and becoming a proficient user of the Digital Health Record and/or other Information Technology systems; once proficient, you will need to remain current with changes, updates, and contingencies.

Key selection criteria

These are the key selection criteria for how you will be assessed in conjunction with your resumé and experience.

  1. Demonstrated interest and ability to work across the full scope of midwifery practice
  2. Evidence of emerging clinical knowledge and sound problem‑solving skills
  3. Demonstrated commitment to ongoing professional development
  4. Effective interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with women, families, and multidisciplinary teams.
  5. Demonstrated understanding of, and adherence to, safety and quality standards, Work Health and Safety, and the delivery of a positive patient experience, with behaviours consistent with CHS values of kind, reliable, respectful, and progressive.

Work environment description

The following work environment description outlines the inherent requirements of the role and indicates how frequently each of these requirements would need to be performed. Please note that the ACT Public Service is committed to providing reasonable adjustments and ensuring all individuals have equal opportunities in the workplace.

Administrative

Frequency

Telephone use

Frequently

General computer use

Frequently

Extensive keying/data entry

Occasionally

Graphical/analytical based

Occasionally

Sitting at a desk

Occasionally

Standing for long periods

Frequently

Travel

Frequency

Frequent travel – multiple work sites

Frequently

Frequent travel – driving

Frequently

Physical demands

Frequency

Distance walking (large buildings or inter-building transit)

Frequently

Working outdoors

Never

Psychosocial demands

Frequency

Distressed People e.g. Emergency or grief situations

Occasionally

Aggressive & Uncooperative People e.g. drug / alcohol, dementia, mental illness

Occasionally

Unpredictable People e.g. Dementia, mental illness, head injuries

Never

Restraining e.g. involvement in physical containment of clients/consumers

Never

Exposure to Distressing Situations e.g. Child abuse, viewing dead / mutilated bodies; verbal abuse; domestic violence; suicide

Occasionally

Specific hazards

Frequency

Working at heights

Never

Exposure to extreme temperatures

Never

Operation of heavy machinery e.g. forklift

Never

Confined spaces

Occasionally

Excessive noise

Occasionally

Low lighting

Occasionally

Handling of dangerous goods/equipment e.g. gases; liquids; biological.

Occasionally

Slippery or uneven surfaces

Occasionally

Manual handling

Frequency

Lifting 0 – 9kg

Occasionally

Lifting 10 – 15kg

Never

Lifting 16kg+

Never

Climbing

Never

Running

Never

Reaching

Occasionally

Kneeling

Occasionally

Foot and leg movement

Occasionally

Hand, arm and grasping movements

Occasionally

Bending/squatting

Occasionally

Bend/Lean Forward from Waist/Trunk twisting

Occasionally

Push/pull

Occasionally

Sequential repetitive movements in a short amount of time

Occasionally

Directorate: CHS

Division: Women’s Youth and Children

Business Unit: Continuity Midwifery Program

Position number: P16928

Position title: Continuity Graduate Midwife

Classification: Registered Midwife Level 1

Location: Canberra Health Services

Reporting relationships: Direct Manager: CMM Continuity Manager +1: ADOM Maternity & Gynaecology

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