For an Organisation wishing to join the Trans-Tasman Midwifery Education Consortium (Consortium), please submit an expression of interest to the Consortium outlining  commitment to the Consortium’s purpose, principles and commitments. Please complete the following details:

  • To join the Consortium you are asked to advise how you/ your organisation aligns to the Consortium Purpose and Principles and agree to meet the Consortium Commitment requirements.

  • Purpose

    The Trans-Tasman Midwifery Consortium (Consortium) provides leadership and strategic direction to drive progressive, high quality, evidence informed midwifery education, recognising education’s important role in shaping maternity services in Australia and New Zealand. Foundation to the Consortium’s efforts is the implicit understanding that continuity of midwifery led care provides the best maternity outcomes for childbearing women and their babies and that the goal of midwifery education is to prepare midwives for this role.

  • Principles

    • Midwifery is a distinct profession from nursing;
    • The education of midwives must be led by the midwifery profession;
    • Midwives are autonomous health professionals with a defined scope of practice who collaborate when/if required to achieve the best outcomes for women and their babies;
    • Midwives should be well-prepared/educated to work to their full scope of practice and meet the ICM definition of a midwife and a Bachelor of Midwifery degree is key to this principle;
    • The needs of most childbearing women are best met by maternity care provided within midwifery led continuity of carer models of service delivery and so midwifery led continuity of care models should form the foundation of our maternity services and pre-registration midwifery education programs; and
    • Education opportunities for midwives beyond those that lead to registration, should support the underpinning principles described here and facilitate the development of midwifery knowledge/maternity services that hold childbearing women at the centre.

  • Commitments

    The Consortium members commit to;

    • contributing ideas and suggestions;
    • attending at least 50% of scheduled Consortium meetings;
    • actively contributing to the work of the Consortium where appropriate;
    • championing the work of the Consortium; and
    • fostering Consortium collaboration by open, honest and respectful discussions and sharing relevant communications and information as appropriate with the Consortium members.
  • Your privacy is important to us. Information you supply will be handled strictly in accordance with our Privacy Plan.

Membership applications will be reviewed at the next available Consortium meeting and a decision made by the voting members. Upon receipt of application you will be advised of the next Consortium Meeting date and be asked to provide a high resolution logo for your organisation.

A copy of the Terms of Reference is located here. For further information please contact the Chair, Associate Professor Lois McKellar by email at lois.mckellar@unisa.edu.au

For more information on the Consortium