Distance no barrier to midwifery

Otago Polytechnic first-year distance learning midwifery students participate in their first group session in Dunedin. At front, Angela Williamson, of Dunedin, checks fellow Dunedin student Emma Littlejohn's blood pressure, while looking on are (from left) Janelle Carse, of Gore, Ann Mackay, of Queenstown, Anne Dymond, of Invercargill, and Keri Mapperson, of Queenstown. Photo by Gregor Richardson.

The students - all women - will do most of their lessons via an audio conferencing "virtual classroom" on the Internet.

The lessons are recorded and can be accessed by students on CD and MP3 players.

They receive class updates and messages by text messaging and have established a Facebook group so they can swap information with each other informally.

The students also have weekly group tutorials in various locations close to their homes, and will travel to Dunedin four times a year for group sessions.

Many of the 29 students the course has attracted said yesterday they would not have attempted it if they were not able to work from home.

Ann Mackay, of Queenstown, said she had two young children and it would have been "impossible" to move her family to Dunedin.

"I thought about becoming a midwife a couple of years ago, but it wasn't practical."

The flexible learning option was also a drawcard for Jennifer Dakers, of Dunedin, a solo parent looking after a young child.

The course, believed to be a world first for midwifery, is also being offered through Christchurch Polytechnic, in a joint venture with Otago Polytechnic.

One of the reasons behind the change in teaching methods was to try to increase the number of qualified midwives in the South Island, especially in rural and more remote area, Otago Polytechnic midwifery school head Dr Sally Pairman said.

"It's about keeping women in their own communities and educating women to work in their own communities, because when they qualify, they are likely to want to stay where they already live."

The strategy appeared to be working, she said.

About 58 first-year students had enrolled this year, about 16 to 20 more than had previously enrolled in traditional courses run by the institutions.

In time, it was hoped the course would be offered in other parts of New Zealand with no traditional midwifery courses, such as North Otago, Kaikoura, the West Coast and the East Coast.

More students meant more pregnant women willing to allow students to follow their pregnancies were also needed, Dr Pairman said.

The students were required to assist with at least 40 births over three years, but with almost 3700 births in Otago and Southland annually, finding those women was not expected to be a difficulty.