School of Nursing and Midwifery
The School of Nursing and Midwifery (SNM) first graduated students in 1992 from its Rockhampton campus. Since then the School has expanded to be located on another five campuses of CQUniversity: Mackay, Bundaberg, Noosa, Cairns and Townsville. Since becoming a School in its own right the governance of the SNM now includes a strong professoriate with portfolios in learning and teaching, research and community engagement. Alongside these structures are the positions of heads of programs (undergraduate nursing, postgraduate and midwifery) and a strong work integrated learning (WIL) team under the direction of a lead academic.
The School also houses the Queensland Centre for Family and Domestic Violence Research (CFDVR). Since 2002 the primary purpose of CDFVR has been to create and distribute knowledge to influence policy and practice in the field of domestic and family violence prevention. The CDFVR now undertakes research, training, professional development and conducts post graduate programs.
The School provides on-campus and distance learning in its undergraduate program in nursing. The Graduate Diploma in Midwifery offers opportunities for students of midwifery to learn in a supernumerary or supported paid clinical environment. The Graduate Diploma of Mental Health is a new initiative that has been well received by industry. New offerings are heralded through the Centre for Professional Development including healthy ageing, dementia studies, mental health, first aid and more. The School boasts numbers of well over 2500 students.
Work integrated learning opportunities are a strong feature of our programs. Each campus has a clinical academic who fosters relationships with our clinical partners to provide excellence in work integrated learning in many diverse clinical settings. Being a regional university affords the School with opportunities for students to gain experience in rural and remote places as well as regional and metropolitan spaces.
As of 2016, the Vocational Education and Training (VET) health programs have transitioned into the School of Nursing & Midwifery. This is an exciting development which allows students the ability to enrol from Certificate III to PhD in a streamlined pathway.
Our students have the added benefit of cultural experiences in countries such as Nepal, India and Singapore. These outward bound trips provide a transforming experience for the students of other cultures and health systems.
Our staff members have a strong and growing focus on research and many are actively engaged in research projects that inform their teaching and practice. Their contribution to the profession has resulted in many publications in the form of journal articles, books and conference papers, all disseminating new knowledge in the professions of nursing and midwifery. PhD students are attracted to the School and are engaged in a variety of research studies. Our strengths in this area are presently focused on mental health, nursing practice simulation, nursing workforce, education and health service delivery as well as family and domestic violence. With other areas of research growing year by year.
The School of Nursing and Midwifery has a growing academy; many staff members already hold higher degree qualifications (masters, PhD and Doctorates) with others working towards these qualifications. Some staff members have lived and worked overseas or in other academic settings in Australasia and bring a diverse range of skills and experience to share.
The School of Nursing and Midwifery boasts an energetic and creative group whose use of simulation is integral to their teaching. Mask-Ed was born at the School of Nursing and Midwifery at CQUniversity and the characters integral to this program are continually developing.
I encourage you to further explore this website. Read about our VET, undergraduate and postgraduate courses, the vibrant portfolios, our research and scholarship and visit individual staff members' pages.
Associate Professor Moira Williamson
Dean, School of Nursing and Midwifery