Southern Adelaide Local Health Network - Transition to Professional Practice Program for Midwives
About the Flinders Medical Centre
The Southern Adelaide Local Health Network (SALHN) comprises Flinders Medical Centre (FMC), Noarlunga Hospital (NH), the Repat Health Precinct, GP Plus Health Care Centres and Super Clinics and sub-acute and mental health services – providing health care from birth to end of life. SALHN provides care for around 350,000 people living in the southern metropolitan area of Adelaide as well as providing several state-wide services, and services to those in regional areas.
FMC is located 12 km south of Adelaide and is a major public teaching hospital, a tertiary referral, retrieval, and trauma centre situated in Bedford Park, South Australia. It is only a few kilometres from our beautiful south coast beaches and close to famous wineries in the southern Adelaide region.
It is one of two major trauma centres in the state with around-the-clock emergency retrieval service bringing patients to the hospital by road or helicopter.
The Women’s and Children’s Division services include Maternity and Gynaecology, Neonatal and Paediatrics and Child Health and has approximately 3,600 births per year which also includes:
- maternity and gynaecological care for women as inpatients, outpatients and through outreach programs for women with complicated and uncomplicated pregnancies
- a neonatal unit for special care and neonatal intensive care.
Other services include the Southern Midwifery Group Practice (SMGP) available for women assessed as low risk to receive maternity care from a team of midwives. A Postnatal Day support service is provided for mothers and babies with early postnatal challenges. Midwives also provide a Midwifery Outreach Service for postnatal follow up at home.
Doctors and midwives provide antenatal clinics in the FMC Ambulatory Women's Health Service (AWHS) and outreach service at the Noarlunga Health Service. Childbirth Education classes are also available.
SALHN is committed to building a health promoting health service, both for the health of our staff and the broader community with a reliable and respectful approach and is internationally recognised as a Baby Friendly Health Service.
We enjoy a professional working relationship with Flinders University of South Australia collaborating in research, clinical links in teaching and professional development opportunities.
We are proud to offer staff on-site childcare facilities, extensive health and wellbeing programs and have strong community and volunteer service relationships which are acknowledged and respected worldwide.
Find out more about the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network.
Program information
In 2025, SALHN will offer a TPPP midwife program. The program will include:
- a dedicated nurse midwife educator and program coordinator
- clinical midwifery program support
- four clinical placements on a rotational structure
- sunrise (Electronic Medical Records [EMR]) training
- structured professional development and experiential learning face to face classroom days
- network and debriefing opportunities
- online learning
- employment on a 12-month temporary part-time contract at 0.84 full time equivalent (FTE) and paid in accordance with the Nurses (SA Public Sector) Award 2002 and Nurses/Midwives (SA Public Sector) Enterprise Agreement 2022
- annual leave accrued according to actual hours worked and will be pre-programmed
- rostered hours of duty that follow a 4-week roster cycle and include early, late and night shifts over 7 days.
You will have an opportunity to experience and practice as a midwife in four clinical areas:
- Birthing and Assessment Suite
- Ward 4SMG Antenatal/Gynaecology/Postnatal
- Ward 4C Postnatal
- Neonatal unit
Key benefits
SALHN TPPP midwifes will have a supported learning environment and strategies to facilitate the transition to professional midwifery practice. The SALHN midwife TPPP actively fosters an environment that promotes clinical safety, supports growth, and encourages learning.
Other benefits include:
- development in clinical competence and confidence, with a strong clinical practice transition focus
- a PEER support framework with a team of highly dedicated senior midwives who are extremely experienced and passionate about supporting our midwifery future
- skills to provide safe midwifery care in a nurturing and supportive environment with flexible online education and dedicated in-services
- progressive clinical assessment skills appropriate to an advanced beginner midwife
- development of time management strategies and decision-making skills
- reflective practice skills, debrief, feedback, and problem-solving approaches
- application of the principles of evidence-based care.
Intake dates
- March 2025
Further information
For any further information about undertaking a TPPP at SALHN please contact the TPPP Midwifery Coordinator by emailing health.salhntppp@sa.gov.au.