Prescribing for midwives

You must study both of these units to fulfil the requirements of the Graduate Certificate.

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MID5011 – Diagnostics and screening for midwives

Overview

MID5011 provides the essential foundation for understanding, interpreting, and applying diagnostic and screening processes in midwifery care across pregnancy, labour, birth, and the postnatal period. The unit aligns with national prescribing standards and professional frameworks to ensure graduates can make safe, evidence‑based, and woman‑centred clinical decisions.

What you will learn

• How to interpret diagnostic information including laboratory results, imaging, and pathology reports.
• How to evaluate the indications, benefits, and limitations of diagnostic and screening options used in pregnancy.
• How to apply evidence‑based reasoning to support safe midwifery decisions.
• How to integrate cultural safety and ethical considerations into diagnostic practice, with a focus on responsive, informed decision‑making for women and families.
• How to develop critical thinking skills through case‑based learning and structured clinical decision‑making activities.

What this unit enables you to do

• Contribute meaningfully to collaborative clinical decision‑making with enhanced diagnostic capability.
• Advocate for appropriate, timely investigations to support safe midwifery care.
• Build a strong foundation for working toward autonomous midwifery practice within endorsed midwife scope.

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NUR5208 – Therapeutic medication management

Overview

NUR5208 builds the pharmacological and therapeutic knowledge required for safe, effective prescribing within midwifery practice. The unit covers medication management across body systems, legal and ethical obligations, and the broader social and cultural factors influencing safe use of medicines.

What you will learn

• Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
• The complexities and intricacies of the prescribing process.
• Legal, regulatory, and ethical requirements for medication management.
• The influence of social determinants of health on medication use, with a particular focus on First Nations Australians.
• Medication management principles across body systems and common health presentations relevant to midwifery practice.

What this unit enables you to do

• Develop the knowledge base required for safe, compliant prescribing within endorsed midwife scope.
• Apply evidence‑based, culturally safe decision‑making to medication management.
• Understand the legal, documentation, and accountability responsibilities associated with prescribing.
• Progress toward the prescribing competencies required for endorsement as a midwife.

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