Mater Mothers' Strength with Immersion (SwIM) programs continue to successfully support Registered Midwives and Nurses in regional, rural, and remote Queensland.
In collaboration with Queensland Health and the Office of the Chief Midwife Officer, this immersive program helps Queensland Health Midwives and Nurses develop their skills and expertise in specialised areas, including exposure to our tertiary level neonatal unit.
Mater Mothers' has welcomed participants from many different Hospital and Health Service (HHS) across Queensland and we to host them through fortnightly rotations on our Midwifery and Neonatal SwIM programs
About Our SwIM Programs
- Two-week immersive experience at Mater Mothers’ Hospital in South Brisbane, tailored to individual goals and fully supported by experienced staff.
- Flights organised by your HHS and reimbursed by us and accommodation provided within walking distance from Mater.
- Orientation to all areas of Mater Mothers’ Hospital with introductions to the leadership team.
- Pre and post program evaluation surveys, including Community of Practice TEAMS site access to share experiences with others who have completed the program.
Submit your expression of interest for the Midwifery or Neonatal SwIM program using the link below.
Midwifery program overview
Areas of interest
- Birth suite, operating theatres and Pregnancy Assessment Centre
- Midwifery Group Practice
- Maternal Fetal Medicine
- Bereavement
- Maternity in-patients (complex care)
- Neonatal Intensive care and special care
- Antenatal Clinic and Homecare program
- Lactation support
Learning opportunities
Where possible, participants can attend education sessions and workshops that may be scheduled during their time at Mater Mothers. These may include:
- Maternity Emergency Management
- Visually Enhanced Mental Simulation
- Pop up simulations
- Perineal suturing
- CTG interpretation
- Waterbirth
Neonatal program overview
Areas of interest
- Preterm Medical Intensive Care Nursery
- Cardiac and Surgical Intensive Care Nursery
- Special Care Nursery —Transition to Home
Learning opportunities
Where possible, participants can attend education sessions and workshops that may be scheduled during their time at Mater Mothers. These may include:
- Admission and stabilisation to SCN (from birth suites, theatres and post-natal floors, other health services)
- Respiratory support (Hi-Flow, Low Flow Nasal Cannula)
- Feeding support (bottle, breast, NGT/OGT)
- Central line management (PICC lines, umbilical lines, arterial lines)
- Thermoregulation (isolettes, open cots, kanmed)
- Developmental care
Positive participant feedback
Louise Cotterill, a midwife from Longreach Midwifery Group Practice (MGP), recently completed the SwIM program. Upon learning about it from her Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) and Clinical Midwifery Consultant (CMC) Educator, Louise eagerly applied to enhance her skills.
“The program gave me the opportunity to develop, reinforce and strengthen my current clinical practice. It really allowed me to experience different clinical areas and situations that I wouldn’t be exposed to at my home hospital.”
Louise highly recommends the program to all eligible midwives, advising them to approach it with an open mind and a willingness to learn. She also highlighted the valuable opportunity to network and collaborate with colleagues from their own hospitals who have previously participated.
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For more information
For more information about the Mater Mothers' SwIM Program, please contact the SwIM Program Coordinator at 07 3163 1348 or swimprogram@mater.org.au.
