May 2026
Article from the April 2026 edition of INPractice.
'Continuity' is a term typically linked to improved outcomes for birthing people, but the same principle applies to midwives themselves; ongoing, continuous education strengthens their skills and supports better outcomes across the profession.
The Graduate Certificate in Midwifery Prescribing and Primary Care equips midwives with advanced knowledge and skills to provide safe, evidence-based prescribing and extend their scope of practice.
Clinical teaching specialist and endorsed midwife Antoinette Amor is the course coordinator for Flinders University’s new postgraduate pathway.
With over 20 years of high-level clinical midwifery experience across metropolitan and remote settings in Australia, Antoinette holds postgraduate qualifications in prescribing, diagnostics and healthcare management.
She noted that midwifery as a profession in South Australia has often led the way when it comes to leading the charge to distinguish and shape the very foundations of the profession.
"I would describe this course as both professionally empowering and deeply reaffirming of midwifery philosophy," Antoinette explained.
"It supports midwives to practise confidently to full scope particularly in prescribing, diagnostics and primary care while providing a postgraduate qualification that is formally recognised within existing career structures, with acknowledgement of the additional skills and responsibilities these midwives bring.
Antoinette also highlighted that the graduate certificate strongly supports midwives working in the public health system, where increasing service complexity and workforce pressures demand advanced clinical capability. By strengthening skills in prescribing, diagnostics, primary care and legal frameworks, the course enables midwives to work more autonomously while remaining embedded within multidisciplinary public services. This can enhance job satisfaction, reduce professional frustration associated with fragmented care, and support retention of experienced midwives within the public sector.
"Importantly, the course also opens meaningful pathways into privately practising midwifery," she said.
"South Australia is making progress in this space, but there is still a clear need to expand the number of endorsed and privately practising midwives to meet demand and improve access to continuity of care."
She added that midwives who feel burnt out or constrained by fragmented systems may benefit from reconnecting with core midwifery philosophy and exploring alternative models of care, including private practice and private practice–led continuity models. Equally, midwives working within existing services are well placed to critically examine their current systems and propose change that reflects best practice and innovation. Australia’s maternity system requires models of care that not only deliver high-quality, evidence-based care for women and babies, but also sustain the workforce by supporting staff wellbeing, satisfaction and retention.
"Rather than stepping away from the profession, it enables midwives to reimagine how they practise, in ways that are sustainable, family-centred, culturally safe and professionally fulfilling," she said.
"For ANMF (SA Branch) members, this represents an investment not only in individual career longevity, but in strengthening midwifery as a profession with diverse, viable and future-focused practice options."
Ms Amor stated that leadership in midwifery is not confined to formal management roles; it is exercised every day through clinical judgement, advocacy, collaboration and the ability to navigate complex systems while keeping women, people and babies at the centre of care.
"This course frames leadership as a professional capability grounded in scope, accountability and influence," she said.
"Midwives undertaking the graduate certificate critically engage with prescribing, primary care decision-making, legal and regulatory frameworks and models of care. In doing so, they develop the confidence to lead clinical conversations, advocate for [systemic] change and practise autonomously and safely.
"Importantly, this builds on Flinders University’s long-standing leadership in midwifery education, recognising that leadership is inseparable from education that supports midwives to practise to their full scope."
Antoinette explained that the graduate certificate course will also make students more vigilant in their professional endeavours.
"A strong understanding of legal and regulatory frameworks empowers midwives to practise safely and confidently, but education alone is not enough. Ongoing access to professional advice, advocacy, and industrial support plays an important role in sustaining safe practice,” she said.
"The course equips midwives with the knowledge to interpret legislation, prescribing authority and scope of practice."
She outlined the four topics in the one-year, part-time program and why it's incredibly beneficial for those looking to elevate their career prospects.
"One of the topics, Midwifery Models of Care, which is coordinated by a national expert on models of care, Dr Leonie Hewitt," she added.
"We [also] have Investigations and Diagnostics for Midwives, Pharmacology and Prescribing for Midwives, and then Perinatal Mental Health, all of which are taught by endorsed midwives with specialised skills."
She explained that the course was designed to provide midwives with a nationally recognised qualification, with assessments that allow participants to apply learning directly to their practice. For midwives working in public health settings, this may include developing projects aligned with service improvement, scope of practice and role development
"The course is relatively new in its current form, but it is built on a strong and historic foundation," Ms Amor detailed.
"Flinders University has long led the way nationally, having offered the first education program that enabled midwives to become endorsed, gain prescribing rights and access Medicare.
"That leadership positioned midwives as autonomous primary-care clinicians well before this was widely recognised across the sector.
"I was fortunate to be one of the first midwives in Australia to become endorsed and undertook that initial education pathway at Flinders.
"In many ways, it feels full circle to now be part of offering this program in its contemporary graduate certificate form.
"Flinders midwifery program has developed a graduate certificate award, recognising that contemporary midwifery careers require clear, recognised education pathways.
"Currently, postgraduate certificates are formally acknowledged within career structures, with loading applied in recognition of the additional skills and responsibilities these midwives bring.
"This course therefore aligns education, workforce recognition and industry need. As health care continues to shift toward community-based, preventative and continuity models of care, this qualification will become increasingly important in sustaining a capable, confident and valued midwifery workforce into the future.
"At Flinders University, we are fortunate to have a highly experienced teaching team that includes multiple endorsed midwives, alongside academics and clinicians with deep expertise in research, advanced clinical practice and privately practising midwifery."
The ANMFSA is pleased to see this new course being offered in South Australia and recognises its strategic importance in strengthening the midwifery workforce. Midwifery can and should be a lifelong career, and it is essential that development opportunities extend beyond traditional management pathways. Expanding the scope of practice through robust, evidence‑informed education not only supports midwives’ professional satisfaction but also contributes to improved recruitment and retention across the maternity sector. The ANMFSA strongly acknowledges midwives as pivotal to a safe and sustainable maternity care system and welcomes this course as a meaningful step in meeting the needs of families, communities, and the midwives who care for them.
The course has been accredited and approved by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC) — along with the Nursing and Midwifery Board (NMBA) and Australian Health Practioner Regulation Agency AHPRA.
Antoinette also noted that there are scholarships supported by the Australian College of Nurse Practitioners (ACNP) available for midwives undertaking the graduate certificate who are seeking endorsement. These scholarships aim to support workforce development by reducing financial barriers to postgraduate study and assisting midwives to build the advanced knowledge and skills required for endorsement in prescribing and primary care.
For more information, please visit the Flinders University website (SATAC code: 2GC206): flinders.edu.au/study