Transition to Professional Practice Program for Registered Midwives 2024
The SA Health Transition to Professional Practice Program (TPPP RM) at the WCHN provides new Registered Midwives with an opportunity to gain experience, knowledge and clinical skills as they start their professional career.
Start your fulfilling, professional Midwifery career by taking your first steps with us!
The Women’s and Children’s Health Network is South Australia’s leading provider of health services to babies, children, young people and women. The Women’s and Children’s Hospital provides the state’s largest neonatal and maternity services for women and their families during the continuum of childbirth who require standard and specialised care. The hospital also provides specialist health care services to children and young people with acute and chronic conditions.
The Transition to Professional Practice Program (TPPP RM) at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital provides the newly registered Midwife with an opportunity to gain Midwifery experience, knowledge, and clinical skills as they start their professional career.
Our TPPP RM curriculum aims to facilitate a learning environment which empowers transitioning staff to
- Navigate the workplace and professional culture
- Practice as confident and competent professionals within their specialised field
- Work as part of an effective inter professional team
- Identify and celebrate the unique skills, knowledge and experiences each individual brings.
- Recognises and acknowledges the Stages of Transition© (Boychuk Duchscher 2007).
- Recognises and acknowledges the reality of Transition Shock© (BD 2007).
- Recognises and utilises the unique learning styles, personality types and character strengths of each individual.
- Formulates learning activities which incorporate critical thinking, evidence informed practice, reflection and simulation targeted at individual and group learning needs.
- Ensures constructive and timely feedback is provided to support transitioning staff.
- Equips teams with the skills and knowledge to support transitioning staff and individuals within these teams undertake support roles.
- Empowers the individual to develop self-care strategies to achieve an effective work/life blend during their TPPP and beyond.
Feedback from previous participants
I have worked with some great midwives who have patiently given me their time, answered my questions, talked about their way of doing things and giving me feedback and encouragement.
The TPPP-RM is challenging but great!
The ward educators were amazing, they always made me feel so supported
The TPPP RM has been very supportive and I am grateful for this as it has made the transition so much easier.
Transition support and program details
All Registered Midwives participating in the TPPP RM are provided with comprehensive support from a variety of skilled staff and clinicians including:
- Ward-based clinical educators
- Preceptors and Post Graduate Buddies Working with Wisdom (WwW) mentors
- Midwifery/Nursing/ Unit Managers/Advanced Midwifery/Nursing Managers
- Midwifery and Neonatal Educators
- Educators – TPPP Co-ordinators: Nursing and Midwifery
Each TPPP RM position at the Women's and Children's Hospital provides transitioning Midwives with:
- Transition support from the Transition Team, including 1:1 coaching when required
- Corporate and Nursing and Midwifery Orientation to the organisation and local induction orientations to clinical areas
- Extended support during orientation as part of the SMaRTE2 Start Program
- Clinical placement experiences including ward based education and support from clinical educators
- Clinical feedback throughout each placement from senior staff
- Participation in the Transition to Midwifery Practice education modules (Professional Development Days) and workshops
- Weekly Chat Learn and Grow debriefs with the Transition Support Educator and Transition Support News emails
- Access to additional learning resources and educational opportunities throughout the year.
Clinical Placement Opportunities
All clinical placements in the WCH Dedicated Program will be within the Women’s and Babies Division of the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. During your WCH Dedicated TPPP you will undertake clinical rotations in Delivery Suite and the Postnatal Service. In addition, you will work in at least 2 other clinical areas. You will be asked to nominate and submit preferences of your desired clinical settings. This will enable you to identify the areas you wish to build and further develop your knowledge and skills and explore new opportunities.
A collaborative TPPP will provide the opportunity for TPPP RM’s complete placements with various opportunities in maternal and neonatal services across the Women’s and Babies Division. This will include a 3 month placement in the Neonatal Special Care Unit (SCBU) as well as maternal wards.
The WCH is South Australia’s specialist maternity hospital and provides state-of-the-art obstetric care. Please find below information regarding the areas of the Women’s and Babies Division involved in the TPPP RM Program, including Delivery Suite, Postnatal Service, Antenatal/Gynaecology Ward, Women’s Assessment Service, Women’s Outpatient clinics and SCBU.
The Antenatal/Gynaecology ward admits and cares for women across the spectrum of antenatal conditions or those requiring gynaecological care with the occasional postnatal overflow woman and baby. Opportunities to consolidate and expand skills and knowledge to assist with caring for women with high-risk pregnancies, or women with gynaecological surgical interventions abound here.
The Delivery Suite / High Dependency Unit consists of 16 all stage rooms which can accommodate antenatal, intrapartum, post-natal and gynaecology clients depending on clinical need. There are approximately 4700 births per year at the WCH. Working in this area provides Midwives with experience in caring for a variety of women across all risk groups.
The Postnatal service has 35 funded beds supporting the postnatal mother and baby following birth. The average length of stay is 24 to 48 hours, dependent on mode of birth. The WCHN is proud to be BFHI-accredited, with 7-day ward support available from a Lactation Consultant. The Postnatal Service provides midwifery home visiting support to the mother/baby and provides outpatient neonatal follow up via the Postnatal Baby Clinic. Midwives working in this area provide education and support women and their families to make informed decisions and can expect to consolidate a wide range of maternal/neonatal clinical assessment and breastfeeding troubleshooting skills.
SCBU has 35 beds and cares for babies from approximately 32 weeks gestation onwards. SCBU provides short and long term observation and specialised care including respiratory and nutritional support to babies. SCBU provides a Neonatal Early Discharge (NED) program allowing some babies to be discharge home with the family supported in the home by experienced midwives/nurses. This unit works collaboratively with Neonatal Intensive Care. Registered Midwives will have the opportunity to build and consolidate neonatal assessment and specialised neonatal skills.
The Women's Assessment Service is open 24 hours/7days and is available for any woman who is pregnant or experiencing an urgent reproductive or gynaecological condition. This area also supports the Women’s Day Unit (WDU) where women attend for treatment such as Iron Infusions and Cardiotocography monitoring. On average the Women’s Assessment Service supports 55 women per day and takes approx. 60 phone calls from women escalating concerns.
The Women’s Outpatients Department offers a range of clinical services including Antenatal Clinics, Gynaecology Clinic and Colposcopy Clinic. Antenatal clinics provide care for women according to state guidelines on the ‘antenatal schedule for pregnant women’ and can be Obstetric or Midwifery-led depending on the individual needs of the pregnant women.
Further information
TPPP
RM participants are provided with a comprehensive orientation to the
organisation at the beginning of the program and to the clinical environments
at the commencement of each placement.
All TPPP RM’s will attend a variety of study days (including RANZCOG-FSEP and PROMPT) throughout the year which will be complimented by unit specific education opportunities and other learning resources/opportunities in clinical areas. Specific TPPP RM workshops are also held regularly throughout the year to provide participants with opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills in a safe learning environment.
Transition support “Chat Learn and Grow” sessions are held weekly. These opportunities allow participants to debrief with each other and develop reflection, and critical thinking skills combined with self-care strategies.
The WCH TPPP RM is the first step in your ongoing Midwifery career. During the year, you will be informed of the future career development opportunities available. Education regarding career pathways will also be provided.
During the TPPP RM, clinical feedback, Performance Review and Development Plan and reflection opportunities are provided to each participant. This constructive feedback is utilised by individuals to identify goals and achievements and to identify ongoing learning objectives.
Contracts at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital will be offered as 0.84FTE – 4 days per week. All ward placements require participants to work over a 7-day roster on all shifts, apart from Women’s Outpatients, which is rostered over Monday – Friday day shifts.
It is anticipated that positions will commence in mid-February and March 2024 (please note these are subject to final confirmation)
Please note the proposed start dates when considering your application - remember you MUST be registered with AHPRA before starting your TPPP contract.
A celebration is held each year for Registered Midwives who have completed the Transition to Professional Practice Program.
Applying for the program
Recruitment to 2024 SA Health Transition to Professional Practice Programs will be done via a centralised SA Health process. For more detailed information regarding the application process, please visit the SA Health Careers site (search "RM TPPP 2024"):
2024 Information session
Our 2024 WCHN TPPP information session was held on Thursday the 15th June, 11:00am – 12:00pm at the WCH, North Adelaide in the Queen Victoria Lecture Theatre, Level 1, Zone D and via MS Teams.
View the video recording below.
Contact
For further information about the Transition to Professional Practice Program for Registered Midwives at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, please contact: