Ahpra Midwifery OBA key terms

The range of roles, activities and responsibilities a midwife is educated, competent and authorised to perform, defined by legislation, registration standards and the individual's own competence.

A way of practising in which the woman's values, preferences, culture and decisions guide the planning and delivery of her care, with the midwife providing information and support rather than direction.

A person's voluntary agreement to a proposed investigation or treatment after receiving and understanding information about its purpose, benefits, risks, alternatives and the consequences of declining.

A collaborative process in which the midwife and the woman exchange information about options, evidence and preferences, and the woman's informed choice determines the agreed plan of care.

A person's ability at a particular time to understand information relevant to a decision, retain it, weigh it and communicate a choice; it is decision-specific and may fluctuate.

The legal and ethical basis on which a young person may consent to their own care, or a parent or guardian consents on their behalf, depending on the young person's maturity and the jurisdiction.

The duty to protect a woman's personal health information from disclosure to others except with her consent, when required by law, or when necessary to prevent serious harm.

A woman's right to control how her personal information is collected, used, stored and shared, governed in Australia by national and state privacy legislation and professional standards.

A legal obligation on midwives and other health professionals to report certain matters to a designated authority, such as a reasonable belief that a child is at risk of significant harm.

Conduct by a registered health practitioner that must be reported to the regulator, including practising while impaired, practising outside registration, sexual misconduct or placing the public at substantial risk of harm.

A practitioner's suitability to provide safe care, assessed by reference to health, competence, character and conduct rather than by clinical knowledge alone.

A situation in which a midwife's health, including substance misuse or a mental health condition, compromises their ability to practise safely, requiring assessment, treatment and possibly restrictions on practice.

The registration requirement that a midwife must have practised a minimum number of hours within a defined recent period, or otherwise demonstrate competence, to maintain registration.

Ongoing learning activities a midwife undertakes to maintain and improve competence, reflect on practice and meet registration requirements, with outcomes recorded and evaluated.

A requirement set by the national regulator that applicants and registered midwives must meet, covering matters such as professional indemnity, English language, recency and criminal history.

Insurance covering a midwife's legal liability for harm arising from practice, which registered midwives must hold or be covered by as a condition of registration.

The appropriate limits of the professional relationship that protect both woman and midwife, distinguishing therapeutic connection from personal, financial, sexual or other non-professional involvement.

The conduct, attitudes and values expected of a midwife, including integrity, accountability, respect, compassion and maintaining public trust in the profession.

A published set of expectations describing how registered midwives should behave, including putting the woman first, acting with integrity and working within their competence.

Acting to support and promote a woman's rights, preferences and access to appropriate care, including speaking up when her voice may not be heard or her safety is at risk.

Care in which people receive services that respect their culture, history and identity, and in which the midwife examines her own attitudes, power and privilege, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The developing capacity to understand and respond effectively to people from cultures different from one's own, through self-reflection, knowledge and adaptation of practice.

The absence of avoidable and unfair differences in health status and access to care between groups, addressed by tailoring services to need rather than treating everyone identically.

The conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, including income, housing, education and social support, which shape maternal and newborn outcomes.

A heightened risk of poor outcomes arising from factors such as young age, isolation, violence, mental illness, disability, language barriers or socioeconomic disadvantage, requiring additional support.

A systematic process of identifying risk or undetected conditions in an apparently well population, such as antenatal screening tests, so that further assessment or care can be offered.

The structured process of identifying, evaluating and documenting factors that may increase the likelihood of harm to a woman or baby, and planning care to reduce that risk.

The cognitive process by which a midwife gathers and interprets information, weighs possibilities and decides on actions, including when to seek help or escalate care.

The timely process of informing and transferring responsibility to a more senior or specialist clinician when a woman's or baby's condition exceeds the midwife's scope or the planned model of care.

Seeking advice from, or transferring part or all of a woman's care to, another health professional with the appropriate expertise, while keeping the woman informed and involved.

Working respectfully with the woman, her family and other health professionals, sharing information and coordinating care so that responsibility and decision-making are clear.

Assigning a task to another person while retaining accountability for the decision to delegate, ensuring the person is competent, supervised as needed, and the woman agrees.

Oversight of a less experienced or less qualified person's work by a midwife who is accountable for ensuring the care provided is safe and within accepted standards.

A supportive developmental relationship in which a more experienced midwife guides a less experienced colleague's learning, confidence and professional growth over time.

Deliberately examining one's own experiences, decisions and feelings to understand and improve practice, often recorded as part of continuing professional development.

Making care decisions by integrating the best available research evidence, the midwife's clinical expertise and the woman's values and preferences.

An open, honest discussion with a woman and her family after a harm event, covering what happened, its likely consequences, an apology and what will be done to prevent recurrence.

The contemporaneous, accurate and legible documentation of care, which is a legal record, supports continuity and communication, and may be accessed by the woman.

Professional conduct in online settings, requiring midwives to avoid disclosing identifying information, maintain professional boundaries and not bring the profession into disrepute.

The framework of law, policy and practice for identifying and responding to children at risk of harm, including unborn babies, through assessment, reporting and coordinated support.