| Effective Term: | 2026/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
| Unit Title: | Foundations in Child and Family Health |
| Unit ID: | HEALM5001 |
| Credit Points: | 30.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 060303 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
Upon completion of this unit, students will demonstrate foundational theoretical and practical knowledge and skills required for supervised clinical practice in Maternal and Child Health (MCH) community settings. Building on their existing knowledge and experience in Nursing and Midwifery, the unit focuses on developing collaborative partnerships with families to promote child health and overall family wellbeing. Students will apply the MCH Key Ages and Stages framework to assess and respond to child health and developmental concerns. This includes evaluating maternal and family wellbeing, providing anticipatory guidance, offering parenting support, and making appropriate referrals for parenting-related issues. Throughout the unit, students will engage with relevant legislation, guidelines, and ethical considerations in MCH practice. Clinical learning will be supported through 150 hours of supervised, supernumerary placement within Local Council MCH services and affiliated specialty services. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| Student is undertaking work experience in industry where learning and performance is not directed by the provider, but support is received from the provider. Fees (provider may charge a student contribution amount or tuition fee). |
| Placement Component: | Yes - 20 days |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | |  | | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Analyse and synthesise knowledge of contemporary maternal and child health frameworks, with a focus on the structure, methods, and rationale underpinning child health assessments and interventions. |
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| K2. | Critically evaluate contemporary research and integrate evidence to deliver comprehensive, safe, and effective health care for children, families, and communities. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Conduct physical and developmental assessments that are appropriate to a child’s developmental stage, cognitive level, cultural background, and the purpose of the assessment; interpret findings and contribute to planning ongoing care. |
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| S2. | Demonstrate effective communication skills to engage and collaborate with individual children, families, groups, other health professionals, and community organisations. |
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| S3. | Demonstrate emerging competence in supervised maternal and child health clinical practice across diverse community settings. |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Apply reflective thinking and critical analysis to professional practice in maternal and child health nursing, demonstrating a sound understanding of relevant legislation, ethical codes, and professional guidelines, while integrating feedback and supervision to support ongoing learning and development. |
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| A2. | Synthesise assessment findings to identify concerns, engage families in interim management discussions, and consult or refer to medical or allied health practitioners for review and development of ongoing care plans. |
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| Unit Content: |
ANMAC Midwife Accreditation Standards (2021); NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice (2018); NMBA Code of Conduct for the Midwife (2018), Code of Ethics for the Midwife (2014), NMBA Registered Nurse Standards for Practice (2016); NMBA Code of Conduct for nurses (2018), Code of Ethics for nurses (2012) and Maternal and Child Health Service Standards (2019); VAMCHN Professional Standards for Practice (2024) have substantially informed the syllabus/content of this unit. - Introduction to Maternal and Child Health (MCH) and the Key Ages and Stages (KAS) framework.
- Introduction to the legislation, ethical codes and professional guidelines that govern MCH professional practice
- Child development and developmental assessments of the infant and child 0-6 years.
- Physical assessment of the infant and child 0-6 years.
- Communication and counseling.
- The Key Ages and Stages visits.
- The MCH nurse scope of practice.
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| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students will demonstrate high-level skills to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups Students will be required to display (in person and/or online) high-level skills in-person and/or online in: • Effective verbal and non-verbal communication via a range of synchronous and asynchronous methods • Active listening for meaning and influencing • High-level empathy for others • Negotiating and demonstrating extended conflict resolution skills • Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students will demonstrate the ability to apply leadership skills and behaviours Students will be required to display skills in: • Creating, contributing to, and enabling collegial environments • Showing self-awareness and the ability to self-reflect for personal growth • Inspiring and enabling others • Making informed and evidence-based decisions through consultation with others • Displaying initiative and ability to solve problems | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complex and ambiguous environments, using their imagination to create new ideas Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically on complex problems • Synthesising, evaluating ideas, concepts and information • Proposing alternative perspectives to refine ideas • Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts through deep inquiry • Proposing creative solutions in problem solving | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students will demonstrate the ability to work proficiently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks Students will be required to display high-level skills in: • Finding, accessing, collating, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and appropriately and securely sharing complex digital information at a high-level • Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media • Using digital tools appropriately to conduct research • Contributing proficiently to digital teams and working groups • Participating in and utilising digital learning opportunities | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students will demonstrate the ability to think ethically and sustainably. Students will be required to display skills in: • The responsible conduct of research • Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in multiple global economic environmental and societal contexts • Demonstrating commitment to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen • Generating research solutions which are sustainable,ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable • Extending lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others • Demonstrate extended actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life. | 1 - Yes |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K2, S1, S2, A1, A2 | Physical assessment of an infant or toddler demonstrating application of theoretical concepts and skills. | Practical Assessment (hurdle) | 20-40% | | 2. | K1, S1, S2, A1 | Completion of short clinical scenarios or case studies, interview with a caregiver related to one of the clinical scenarios or case studies and an associated reflection. | Written Task | 60-80% | | 3. | K1, K2, S1, S2, S3, A1, A2 | Completion of 150 hours of supervised, supernumerary clinical placement. Minimum 120 hours in the Universal MCH service, and 30 hours in affiliated specialty services. | Clinical Placement (hurdle) | S/US | | 4. | K1, S1, S2, S3, A1, A2 | Completion of mandatory training modules. | Training Modules (hurdle) | S/US |
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