Midwifery Science Info

Course Overview

The Bachelor of Midwifery Science course is an internationally recognised four-year degree programme during which students learn the art and science of midwifery.

The University of Galway provides this programme in partnership with the Health Service Executive (HSE) West. The programme consists of theoretical and clinical modules. The theoretical content aims to provide students with the knowledge necessary to underpin their professional practice. The teaching and learning strategies include lectures, seminars, workshops, experiential learning, clinical skills education and simulation in our state-of-the-art clinical skills and simulation suite.

Clinical modules are undertaken in the practice setting where students get a broad range of clinical experience in four different clinical placement sites across the Saolta University Health Care Group: University Hospital Galway, Mayo University Hospital, Portiuncula University Hospital and Sligo University Hospital. Additionally, students will attend placements in various community settings.

Following completion of the programme, students are eligible to apply to register as a midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI), the regulatory body.

Student Support within the School and the University

The School of Nursing & Midwifery is committed to supporting students in relation to both their academic and personal development; the structures that are in place to support students within the school and university are presented below.

Academic supports https://www.universityofgalway.ie/student-services/academic-support/

• Academic Advisor  

Each student is allocated an academic advisor for the duration of the programme. This advisor will monitor the students’ academic progress and is available to advise and support the student if they encounter difficulties either personal, academic, or relating to clinical practice whilst undertaking the programme.

• Academic Writing Centre- Providing one-on-one tutorials and email consultations on assignment writing. 
• Library- The library provides a wide range of services to all students. Learn about these services, opening times and lots more on their webpage. 

About - University of Galway

• Academic Skills Hub- This online resource hub aims to support all students to develop the key skills required for academic success. Learn about IT and digital skills, workshops, assignments, and exam techniques. 
• Student Academic Advisors-  Available to meet with students who wish to discuss personal, academic, financial or any other issues that may arise while in University.

Health and wellbeing Supports  https://www.universityofgalway.ie/health-wellbeing/

• The Disability Support Service(DSS) is available to University of Galway students who need supports or reasonable accommodations due to the impact of a disability, ongoing physical or mental health condition, or a specific learning difficulty. https://www.universityofgalway.ie/disability/
• Student Counsellingprovides a free hybrid service of in-person, one-to-one counselling, and online counselling. They provide group counselling and workshops. The counselling service support about 10% of the student population each year.
• Student Health UnitProvides a wide variety of medical support services including GP services, sexual health support service and vaccination clinics.

Support for students during Practice Placements

While on clinical placements, students are supervised by a Preceptor. This is a midwife who has been specially prepared to guide and direct student learning.  Students are also supported by the Clinical Placement Co-ordinator, who, ensures that learning outcomes are identified and achieved.  Each ward / geographical area has an identified Link Lecturer from the School who is available to link with the student when they are on clinical placement to support them and manage any issues that arise.  This helps ensure that there is a close liaison between the university and clinical practice in the support of students.

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

Minimum Grade H5 in two subjects and passes in four other subjects at O6/H7 level in the Leaving Certificate, including Irish, English, Mathematics, a laboratory science subject (i.e. Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Physics with Chemistry (joint) or Agricultural Science), and any two other subjects recognised for entry purposes.

Additional Requirements

Health requirements: Nursing and midwifery are demanding professions, both physically and emotionally. This requires good mental and physical health and the ability to achieve the required competencies of a midwife. Students will be required to complete a Preplacement Health Assessment Form and as necessary undergo a medical assessment/screening. This aligns with the Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland framework as detailed in "Nursing/Midwifery A Career for You (2023)"

Vaccination and Screening: Registered students must engage with the School of Nursing and Midwifery Vaccination and Screening programme in collaboration with the clinical partners and in line with the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) Immunisation and Health Information for Health Care Workers and others in At-Risk Occupations. Vaccinations are not mandatory, however, a student who declines to be immunised against these illnesses or who has a confirmed medical contraindication to a vaccine, and as a result will not be in a position to acquire the necessary skills or core competencies and in agreement with clinical partners will be denied placement and unable to continue on this programme.

Statutory and Mandatory Training: Statutory and Mandatory training are defined as training and skills that must be successfully completed and updated to participate and remain skilled in safe clinical practice.

Statutory Training: Training which is explicitly required by law; or required on the instruction of a statutory body on the basis of specific legislation. Statutory training is mandatory for all students attending placements.

Mandatory training is compulsory training that is deemed essential by an organisation for the safe and efficient delivery of services.

The Statutory and Mandatory training and Skills for ALL students are stipulated by the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive and include the following:

• Manual Handling & People Handling training is completed in year 1 and updated in year 3
• AHA Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider Course (complete in year 1 and updated in year 3)
• Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections to include:
  • Hand hygiene (update at least once in each academic year)
  • Exposure to blood and body fluids (Updated in year 3)
  • Waste management (Updated in year 3)
  • Personal Protective Equipment (Updated in year 3)
  • Children First (Updated in year 3)
  • Midwifery: Irish Maternity Early Warning System (IMEWS)

Students must satisfactorily participate and obtain certification of completion/achieve competency in training and other health requirements to commence/continue with the programme.

Garda Vetting

In line with the requirements of the programme nursing and midwifery students in the University of Galway will undertake placements with external agencies, bringing them into contact with the public during which they will assume positions of trust. To ensure the protection of the public, and justify public trust and confidence, the University is committed to ensuring that only suitable candidates undertake these programmes. University of Galway uses the Garda National Vetting Bureau (GNVB) and where applicable, may liaise with other vetting services* to assess the suitability of applicants for admission to such programmes. The University of Galway requires that students on nursing and midwifery programmes be Garda Vetted before they fully complete their registration as a student of the University.  Students who have not completed their Garda Vetting will be registered provisionally until Garda Clearance is obtained. In the event where applicants do not meet the Garda Vetting requirements of the University, registration on such programmes is subject to cancellation.

*Overseas Police Clearance – Students with addresses outside of Ireland

Please note that Garda clearance will only cover addresses in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. If you have resided in countries outside of the Republic of Ireland / Northern Ireland for a period of 6 months or more from the date of your 16th birthday, it is mandatory for you to furnish the Admissions Office with a Police Clearance Certificate from those countries stating that you have/have not convictions recorded against you while residing there.  Please ensure you apply for this as soon as possible as it can take up to 3 months to obtain.

Course Outline

The students on the programme must successfully complete the following theory and practice modules to be eligible for registration as a midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland.

Practice Placement:

As mentioned previously, practice placements are undertaken in the Saolta University Health Care Group: University Hospital Galway, Mayo University Hospital, Portiuncula University Hospital and Sligo University Hospital. Placements also take place in community and mental healthcare settings in the Saolta University Health Care Group.

Students are afforded the opportunity to choose self-selected placements in different jurisdictions (nationally or internationally). Students will have the opportunity to experience continuity of care initiatives, which allows them to follow a woman throughout the pregnancy continuum.

The placements per year are outlined in the table below.

Students who are required to travel to external placements may apply to the Saolta University Health Care Group for support in meeting travel and accommodation costs.

Learning and Teaching

At the School of Nursing and Midwifery, we aim to deliver a high quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable students to achieve their full academic potential. We provide a range of learning experiences which enable our students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life to work and make use of innovative technologies. A world class library that enhances their development as independent, lifelong learners. Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this programme are:

·         E-Learning technologies

Information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated  via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Canvas. A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree through, for example: interactive group workshops in a flexible learning space, podcasts and interactive web-based learning activities.

·         Lectures

Introduce information about new topics as a starting point for further self- directed private study/reading. Lectures also provide opportunities to ask questions, gain some feedback and advice on assessments (normally delivered in large groups to all year group peers)

·         Practical and Simulation Based Education

We provide opportunities to develop technical skills and apply theoretical principles to real-life or practical contexts in our clinical skills labs and simulation suite.

Self-directed study

Self-directed study is an essential part of life as a University of Galway student.  This time affords the student with opportunities to undertake important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and research work for assignments.

·         Seminars/tutorials/workshops

Significant amounts of teaching are carried out in small groups (typically 10-20 students). These provide an opportunity for students to engage with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic. This affords the student opportunities to ask questions, to assess progress and understanding with the support of peers. Students are also expected to make presentations and other contributions to peer groups.

·         Interprofessional Education (IPE)

Students have opportunities to engage in interprofessional learning.

Attendance

Students are expected to achieve 100% attendance in all the components of the programme (theory and practice).

Assessment

Assessments are carried out in a variety of formats, including written assignments, exams, poster and oral presentations, dissertations, project work, case studies and clinical skills assessment.

• The way in which students are assessed will vary according to the learning outcomes of each module. Details of how each module is assessed is provided to all students at the start of each module.

Why Choose This Course?

University of Galway is ranked in the top 100 of universities worldwide according to the major World University Rankings.

Our internationally recognised Bachelor of Midwifery Science course at University of Galway is in high demand, as demonstrated by the consistently high points required for entry to the course. Students on this programme experience a broad range of clinical placements across a number of university hospitals and community facilities, as well as opportunities to complete self-selected placements in other jurisdictions.

Career opportunities:

There are many career opportunities for midwives e.g. staff midwife, unit manager, Assistant Director of Midwifery, Director of Midwifery, educator, researcher, Advanced Midwife Practitioner, Lactation consultant, Perinatal Mental Health, management, and leadership roles. Midwives may also advance their careers in a hospital setting, midwifery-led units, the community, lecturing or research roles. All these diverse roles contribute to enhancing midwifery care offered to people. 

Further Education Opportunities:

There are a variety of continuing professional development opportunities available to graduates of this programme, in particular postgraduate programmes within the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the University of Galway.

Midwifery graduates can pursue further study at Masters (MSc Advanced Practice Midwifery) and  PhD level.

Who Teaches this Course

Academic staff teach the course from School of Nursing and Midwifery in collaboration with specialist midwives from clinical practice. The Midwifery Lecturers include:

Dr Linda Biesty  

Dr Miriam Brennan

Ms Caroline Keegan (MSc, BSc, RM, RNT, RGN)

Dr Patricia Healy

Ms Heather Helen (MSc (Midwifery), BSc, RM, RGN)

Dr Magdalena Ohaja