| Effective Term: | 2027/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
| Unit Title: | Introduction to Public Health |
| Unit ID: | HEAPH6001 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | Nil |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 060303 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit will help students apply public health principles and practices from local and global perspectives to contemporary midwifery practice. Students will explore population health, the social determinants of health, health inequalities, health and human rights, and the core roles and functions of public health systems, policies, and programs. Through case studies related to maternal, newborn and family health, students will examine public health successes as well as ongoing challenges and limitations, including inequities in health outcomes within and across national boundaries and the factors that contribute to these disparities. Students will consider the role of midwives as primary healthcare practitioners, health promoters, and advocates for equitable health outcomes for women, infants, families and communities. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | |
| 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. | Critically examine key concepts, approaches and principles of public health, primary healthcare and health promotion and their application to contemporary midwifery practice. |
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| K2. | Analyse a range of public health interventions relevant to maternal and newborn health and evaluate their strengths, limitations and applicability across diverse populations. |
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| K3. | Critique the influence of behavioural, social, cultural, environmental and political determinants on maternal, newborn and family health outcomes. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Compare and critically appraise public health interventions and population health approaches used to improve outcomes for women, infants, families and communities. |
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| S2. | Synthesise and evaluate evidence, including digital health information and resources, to inform public health and health promotion initiatives relevant to maternal and child health. |
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| S3. | Critically analyse the causes and consequences of health inequities and their impact on maternal, newborn and family health outcomes. |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Apply critical thinking and evidence-informed decision-making to address complex public health challenges and support leadership in contemporary midwifery practice. |
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| A2. | Justify the contribution of interdisciplinary approaches to addressing complex public health issues affecting maternal and newborn health. |
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| A3. | Apply ethical principles, public health policy and health promotion principles to address health inequities and promote equitable maternal and newborn health outcomes. |
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| Other outcomes: |
| Unit Content: |
This unit includes the following content: - Public health theories, principles and approaches in contemporary midwifery practice. - Population health, the social determinants of health, health equity, and vulnerable populations. - Primary healthcare and public health strategies, with a focus on the role of the midwife as a leader, advocate, and health promotion practitioner in improving maternal, newborn and family health outcomes. - Public health policy, ethics, evidence-informed practice, digital health, and the evaluation of public health interventions. - Global health, human rights, politics, and economics. - Emerging public health challenges affecting maternal and newborn health, including climate change, conflict, and health and social inequities.
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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 at this level will demonstrate an advanced ability in a range of contexts to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display high level skills in-person and/or online in: • Using and demonstrating a high level of verbal and non-verbal communication • Demonstrating a mastery of listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Demonstrating and showing empathy for others • High order skills in negotiating and conflict resolution skills\\ • Demonstrating mastery of working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | Y - Present | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery in professional skills and behaviours in leading others. • Creating and sustaining a collegial environment • Demonstrating a high level of self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect and justify decisions • Inspiring and initiating opportunities to lead others • Making informed professional decisions • Demonstrating initiative in new professional situations. | Y - Present | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students at this level will demonstrate high level skills in working in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically to generate and consider complex ideas and concepts at an abstract level • Analysing complex and abstract ideas, concepts and information • Communicate alternative perspectives to justify complex ideas • Demonstrate a mastery of challenging conventional thinking to clarify complex concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving to new situations for further learning. | Y - Present | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students at this level will demonstrate the ability to work competently across a wide range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Mastering, exploring, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information professionally • Collating, managing complex data, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding professionally to messages in a range of professional digital media • Contributing competently and professionally to digital teams and working groups • Participating at a high level in digital learning opportunities. | Y - Present | FEDTASK 5
sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery of considering and assessing the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting professional ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Demonstrate informed judgment making that considers the impact of devising complex solutions in ambiguous global economic environmental and societal contexts • Professionally committing to the promulgation of social responsibility • Demonstrate the ability to evaluate ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Communicating lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to the diverse professional others • Generating, leading and implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life | Y - Present |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | Professional Standards |
| 1. |
K1, K3, S3 |
Explore key public health theories, frameworks and determinants of health relevant to women, infants, families and communities. |
Online activity |
10-20% |
1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.7, 2.1, 2.3, 3.1, 3.3, 4.1, 4.3, 4.4 |
| 2. |
K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, A3 |
Critically compare and evaluate health promotion strategies designed to improve maternal health outcomes for a vulnerable population group in Australia. |
Written assessment |
30% - 50% |
1.1, 1.2, 1.5, 1.7, 2.1, 2.3, 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 4.3, 4.4 |
| 3. |
S1, S2, A1, A2, A3 |
Drawing on the findings of Learning Task 2, develop and justify an evidence-informed health promotion activity that translates a maternal health promotion strategy into practice within a current or future midwifery practice context. |
Written assessment |
30% - 50% |
1.1, 1.2, 1.5, 1.7, 2.1, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.1, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 4.2, 4.4, 5.4, 6.1, 7.1 |
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