Davies L, Deken A1
1Canterbury District Health NZ
Biography:
Angela Deken – As a midwife for 34 years I have been the coordinator of Canterbury District’s Newborn Hearing Screening Program since it began in Christchurch in 2009. With a background in midwifery education I currently am the New Zealand assessor for the national qualification for newborn hearing screeners. I am also a coordinator advisor to the National Antenatal and Newborn Screening Unit. I have worked in Australia as a midwife educator and as a senior area manager in the Victorian Infant hearing screening program.
It is a real privilege to work alongside babies, their families, midwives and screeners in this life changing screening programme. Our focus is ensuring those we work with having the best experience possible at such a special time that is the early postnatal period.
Lorna Davies is an experienced midwife with over 35 years of practice and more than 25 years in midwifery education. Her teaching experience spans both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Most recently, Lorna served as an Associate Professor in Midwifery at Otago Polytechnic. While she is now enjoying semi-retirement, she remains actively engaged in the field. She continues to accept contract employment with various institutions and organisations and holds a Visiting Professorship at Hangzhou Normal University in China. Lorna has published extensively in academic journals and textbooks and has edited several books in the field. Her primary research interests include sustainability in healthcare, inter-professional education, and workforce issues within midwifery.
Abstract:
Newborn hearing screeners across Australasia come from diverse professional backgrounds, from midwives to those with varied employment backgrounds. Ensuring consistency and quality in newborn hearing screening programs is essential, and education plays a pivotal role. While all Australian States and Territories and New Zealand have established training programs for screeners, questions remain about whether short training courses adequately prepare screeners for the complexities of modern healthcare environments.
In health-related degrees across Australasia, foundational topics such as ethical behaviour, informed consent, and cultural safety equip professionals to work effectively with diverse populations. Integrating these principles into screener training can help address systemic health inequities and biases. For instance, in Australia, knowledge about Indigenous practices such as Birthing on Country enhances culturally responsive care, while in New Zealand, frameworks like Te Tiriti o Waitangi and cultural safety standards guide equitable healthcare delivery.
New Zealand’s approach includes a two-week national training course followed by a year-long, 60-credit qualification designed to prepare screeners to support positive outcomes for all babies and families. Screener trainers themselves are required to complete adult education and assessment courses to improve their teaching capabilities.
This presentation will explore whether current education and training frameworks for newborn hearing screeners and trainers are sufficient to meet the growing demands of complex healthcare systems. It will propose the need for a re-evaluation of educational practices to ensure screeners are fully equipped to deliver equitable, high-quality care across diverse cultural and social contexts.