By Anthony Barich
THE University of Notre Dame Australia’s Fremantle campus will launch a Midwifery post-graduate course by 2012 that will be the first of its kind in WA.
UNDA School of Nursing Dean Prof Selma Alliex told The Record that the university has given the School permission to start the course, and that natural family planning will be included.
Currently, all midwifery post-graduate courses are 12 months but as entire health professions, including doctors and nurses, in WA will sign onto a national programme by October, new guidelines recommend the course be 18 months under the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Board.
Courses run in WA are currently accredited under the Nurses and Midwifery Board of WA, which will have other functions minus the accreditation once the professions sign onto the national body.
The University has also opened a new School of Physiotherapy this month, with Prof Peter Hamer as Dean.
The standing and reputation of UNDA’s Physiotherapy programme has provided the impetus for the University to open a new School of Physiotherapy.
Physiotherapy has been offered at Notre Dame since 2003, and the success of the popular programme was acknowledged earlier this year when it achieved the highest ranking from its graduates across all Physiotherapy programmes in Australia in areas representing quality of teaching, the education process and overall satisfaction, according to Graduate Careers Australia Survey Results, 2009.
Previously, Physiotherapy was part of the School of Health and Sciences; now it is a School in its own right.
Prof Hamer said that for every student there are at least three to four times that number who apply to undertake the programme.
“Physiotherapy is one of those health professions that has wide appeal and application across the community from attending to injuries in the elite sportsperson to helping people restore function after work-related injuries, trauma, surgery, stroke and cardiovascular disease, to name just a few areas,” Prof Hamer said in a statement.
“The formation of our physiotherapy programme into the new School of Physiotherapy recognises the strengths of our staff in providing a high level of education and training, and the commitment of our students and graduates in providing exemplary service and care to the community.” The opening of the School of Physiotherapy will be celebrated at the Physiotherapy Special Alumni Function on 27 August.
Past graduates will network with the current fourth year students as they are about to complete their studies and transition to the workforce.