This one-year Midwifery Programme is for the nurse who has completed basic nursing education and is a Registered Nurse.

The aim of the programme is to produce a nurse midwife to assume responsibility for the promotion and maintenance of health to families as well as provide competent care to the mother and child during the maternity cycle.

Current registration to practice as a general nurse in Barbados.

The programme spans one calendar year. Students spend two days in the classroom each week. The remaining three days each week during the Semester I and II are spent in the clinical facilities. All students rotate through: 

• Ante-natal and post-natal facilities in Polyclinics
• Ante, intra and post-natal wards as well as General nursery and premature sick baby nursery in the hospital.

There are short vacation breaks at Christmas and Easter.

The Modules

The theoretical content of the programme is divided into nine (9) modules. The ninth module comprises content   applicable to all other modules and therefore serves as the integrating thread. 

Module I - 20 Hours

• Consist of the evolution of midwifery, aspects of research, the nursing process, and the family as a unit within the community. The psychosocial factors which influence family health and the concept of adaptation are introduced in this course.

Module II - 34 Hours

• Emphasises Family Life Education and Family

Module III - 20 Hours

• Deals with the anatomy and physiology of reproduction, the process of fertilisation, implantation and growth and development of the foetus.

Module IV - 443 Hours

• Focuses on adaptation to pregnancy, the maintenance of health in pregnancy and conditions likely to place mother and foetus at risk.

Module V - 416 Hours

• The focus of this module is on maternal and foetal adaptation to labour and delivery and includes high risk conditions which may occur during the process of labour.

Module VI - 20 Hours

• Focuses on adaptation and management of the post-partum period. High risk factors occurring in the mother which may endanger her life and/or that of the neonate are included.

Module VII - 440 Hours

• Deals with neonatal adaptation to extra-uterine life, and high risk conditions which may affect the new born. 

Module VIII - 74 Hours

• Introduce the student midwife to aspects of management and manpower planning.

Clinical Practice

Students acquire clinical skills under the supervision of the staff of the clinical facilities and the nurse educator (576 + 920 hours).

Student evaluation is continuous with written papers.

• At the end of the module or groups of units
• At the end of Semester I and II
• At two weekly intervals during the final 24 weeks.

The final examination on which the award of the Barbados Community College Diploma is based is taken during the last two weeks of the second semester.

On completion of the programme, students are eligible to write the General Nursing Council’s Midwifery registration examination.

Location and Facilities

Clinical experience is gained in the: 

• Obstetrics Department
• Polyclinics throughout the island
• The clinics of the Barbados Family Planning Association
• The client’s home.