Registration Competence Programmes for overseas midwives
Midwives who register in New Zealand from overseas are likely to have conditions placed on their Scope of Practice. In most cases these will mean that the midwife is required to complete an approved registration competence programme within 18 months. The Midwifery Council has stated that these registration competence programmes will include modules on the following:
- New Zealand maternity system
- New Zealand health system
- Legislation
- Midwifery Partnership
- Cultural Safety
- Treaty of Waitangi
- Pharmacology and Prescribing
If you have any queries about the requirements please contact the secretariat.
Treaty of Waitangi Workshops
These are generally two-day workshops and they are offered by a variety of providers in most centres in New Zealand. Most District Health Boards make these courses available to their staff. Midwives are also advised to enquire about these courses through local universities and polytechnics, in particular through Schools of Midwifery. Midwives may also obtain informaiton about courses through Network Waitangi, PO Box 5098, Whangarei.
Midwives will need to obtain a certificate of attendance from the provider of the workshop, as evidence that they have completed this requirement. Attendance at a workshop is a separate requirement and is not satisfied by completion of the other modules.
Pharmacology and Prescribing
Midwives in New Zealand have prescribing rights within the Midwifery Scope of Practice. There is no defined list of drugs that a midwife may prescribe. Rather, midwives are entitled to prescribe any drugs which may be necessary for a woman and/or baby for whom the midwife is providing care on her own responsibility. This means that midwives may prescribe drugs in pregnancy, labour and birth and up to six weeks after the birth where the woman is having an uneventful experience and where there is no reason for consultation or referral to a specialist. Midwives may not prescribe drugs for women or babies for complications requiring specialist referral. Midwives from overseas who cannot satisfy the Midwifery Council as to their knowledge and competence in relation to prescribing, will be required to complete a pharmacology and prescribing course.
The following courses have been approved by the Midwifery Council for this purpose:
- Pharmacology and Prescribing for Registered Midwives (Otago Polytechnic) (distance delivery)
- Pharmacology and Prescribing Short Course for Registered Midwives (Massey University)
- Pharmacology and Prescribing Course (Auckland University of Technology)
Please note that there are other courses relating to pharmacology and prescribing offered by some education providers. From time to time these may be approved by the Council for OTHER purposes. To avoid any confusion the Council would like to make it clear that the three courses above are the only courses approved for the competence programme overseas trained midwives are required to complete as condition of their registration in New Zealand.
New Zealand Context for Midwifery Practice
Midwives from overseas require orientation to New Zealand, in particular its health system and maternity system. The Midwifery Council has asked education providers to develop courses that contain the remaining modules listed above. The following courses have been approved by the Midwifery Council for this purpose:
- New Zealand Midwifery for Registered Midwives - Otago Polytechnic (online delivery). Contact info@tekotago.ac.nz or Tel (03) 477 3014.
- The Legal, Professional and Cultural Environment for New Zealand Midwives - Massey University (on-line delivery). Contact Jane Stojanovic J.E.Stojanovic@massey.ac.nz or Caroline Lowe Tel (04) 801 5799 or C.E.Lowe@massey.ac.nz
Further information about some of these courses may be downloaded below.
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