In a bid to bolster their ranks and ensure continued quality care for expectant mothers in rural communities, the Western NSW Local Health District has welcomed 11 new midwifery students in the Central West through the MidStart and Rural Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme.
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The latest cohort of budding midwives has embarked on their journey across various locations including Cowra.
Other students have joined hospitals in Orange, Bathurst, Dubbo, Mudgee, and Forbes.
Over the next 12 months, they will undergo rigorous training to hone their skills and become proficient midwives.
The program kicks off with a residential school at CSU, followed by hands-on training in their respective home sites.
Throughout this period, the students will gain invaluable experience across all facets of midwifery, supported by local educators and mentors eager to nurture the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Melissa Ousby, the maternity unit manager at Cowra Maternity, expressed her enthusiasm for the program, highlighting its significance in bolstering the local healthcare workforce.
She noted that Cowra Maternity currently hosts two students, one who began in July 2023 and another who recently started in January this year.
Both of the Cowra students enrolled for a 12-month course duration.
"Our Midwifery students are a huge asset to our unit," Ms Ousby said.
"They're underscoring their role as fully supernumerary personnel with backgrounds as Registered Nurses, providing a strong foundation of skills crucial in the maternity field.
"They work alongside a Registered Midwife at all times, in all aspects of Midwifery care.
"It's a fantastic way for them to learn, hands on."
Describing the intensive nature of the training, Ms Ousby elaborated on the students' schedules, comprising four clinical working days per week alongside a Registered Midwife.
The fifth day of their working week is dedicated to university assignments and coursework.
"The training is very intensive for the 12 months," she said.
"It comprises of four clinical working days a week with the fifth day committed to University assignments and course work.
"They are also on call for all births during the 12 months."
Additionally, the students are on call for all births during the 12-month period, ensuring exposure to various scenarios and experiences.
"Being a low risk maternity unit here in Cowra, they do also spend some time away at a bigger tertiary centre, gaining experience in more higher risk and complex pregnancies and births," Ms Ousby said.
Reflecting on the importance of the program, Ms Ousby emphasised its contribution to retaining midwives within the local community.
"We have been training midwives for the last 15 years or so, through the NaMO rural midwifery scholarship program," she said.
"It has been essential in keeping our midwives local and the unit running.
"Many of our student midwives have stayed within our community," she said.
She noted that 80% of their midwives have been locally trained, a testament to the success of initiatives like the NaMO rural midwifery scholarship program in sustaining healthcare services in rural areas.
"The continuity of care that our students provide is invaluable," Ms Ousby remarked, highlighting the personalised approach that resonates with both midwives and expectant mothers.
She stressed the significance of offering pregnancy care and birthing services within rural communities, particularly emphasising the importance of Birthing on Country for Aboriginal women, ensuring culturally sensitive care close to home.
"It is so important that all rural women are offered the opportunity to receive pregnancy care and be able to birth in their local community and close to their families.
"This is especially so with our Aboriginal women, where Birthing on Country is a vital part of their journey into parenthood and their own community," Ms Ousby said.
