Australian College of Midwives - NSW Branch Incorporated

 role of ACM NSW Branch

The Role of the Australian College of Midwives NSW Branch

The ACM NSW Branch is the peak professional body for midwives in NSW. Our vision is to maximise the quality of midwifery and maternity care for NSW women and their families by shaping NSW maternity care through:

  • Providing a unified voice for the midwifery profession;
  • the professional, regulation, educational and political interests of midwives and midwifery at all levels within the state;
  • Contributing to national and international debate on midwifery and maternity care;
  • Upholding the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) definition of the midwife’s role and sphere of practice;
  • Maintaining communication and collaboration with consumers and consumer organisations;
  • Encouraging compliance with the Australian College of Midwives (ACMI) codes of ethics, practice and competency standards for midwives;
  • Supporting midwives to reach their full potential;
  • Maintaining harmonious and collegial relationships with nursing, medical and allied health organisations in fields related to midwifery;
  • Facilitating the ongoing education of midwives in NSW by provision of a wide variety of educational opportunities; and
  • Managing the Association and its affairs in accordance with the constitution and the governance policies.

Relationship to the Australian College of Midwives (ACM)

The ACM NSW Branch is an independent organisation. It is also a state branch of ACM and as such it is represented on the National Executive and all national committees. The ACM NSW Branch works closely with the ACM, and through it, the ICM.

Values

The work of ACM NSW is guided by the following values:

  • Woman centred care
  • Principles of Primary Health Care (Ottawa Charter)
  • Ethical practice
  • Evidence based decision-making
  • Collaboration
  • Trusting relationships
  • Innovation
  • Best business practice

Key Strategic Goals

  1. To be an accessible, efficient and transparent organisation providing valued services to NSW midwives.
  2. To provide consistent and timely advice and representation to influence policy development and decision-making at state, local and national levels.
  3. To work in partnership with women to ensure equity of access to midwifery led models of care.
  4. To promote national standards for midwifery education, regulation and practice that are internationally compatible and endorsed by regulators, educators, employers and the midwifery profession.
  5. To support NSW midwives to maximise their potential to provide woman centred, evidence based care.
  6. To pursue the highest standards of business performance and corporate governance.

 
 achievements

Achievements of the ACM NSW

The ACM NSW was directly involved in amendments to the NSW Nurses Act 1991 resulting in the name change to the Nurses and Midwives Act and midwives being recognised as professionals in our own right.

With the ACM NSW's committment to midwifery-led care we were instrumental in the introduction of midwifery models of care into the public health system in NSW. This has resulted in team midwifery becoming an increasing method of choice for women in the public health system.

We are continuing to lobby NSW Health to introduce independent midwives into the Public Hospital system and to utilize them as a valuable resource to women and the health care system.

The ACM NSW Branch pushed for the introduction of a direct entry Bachelor of Midwifery program to NSW.  Addressing NSW Health and the State political obstacles. The first intake of students commenced in 2005 at the University of Technology, Sydney.

We regularly meet on advisory boards for state government health initiatives, such as ’Families First’ and we are the first advisors in midwifery education and midwifery registration requirements for NSW.