| Effective Term: | 2025/20 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
| Unit Title: | Midwifery Practice Foundations |
| Unit ID: | MIDBM1002 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | (MIDBM1001) |
| Co-requisite(s): | (NURBN1017) |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 060303 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This first midwifery practice unit will provide the foundation knowledge required by midwifery students to effectively care for women during preconception through to early parenting. The focus will be on the role of the midwife as a primary carer in relation to: the preparation of women for pregnancy; physiological and psychological adaptation of women during pregnancy and birth, the first weeks after birth; and care of women and their babies during this continuum. Essential elements of effective woman-centred partnership, including evidence-based assessment frameworks, communication, strategies for decision making, problem solving and critical thinking for practice, as well as basic psychomotor skills essential for health and pregnancy assessment will be explored. This unit will explore pregnancy, childbirth, care of the mother and baby from the perspective of wellness. Women-centred continuity of care and midwifery partnerships will be explored in the context of the midwife’s professional responsibilities, scope of practice and role as a member of the maternity multidisciplinary team. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | Yes - 10 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. | Explain the theoretical understandings of the physiology of childbearing when working with women and newborns |
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| K2. | Recognise the importance of women's social context in the provision of midwifery services |
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| K3. | Outline the relative merits of different choices in infant nutrition |
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| K4. | Describe the development of the midwifery profession and maternity care, from historical and current perspectives |
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| K5. | Understand the professional and legislative bodies that govern midwifery including codes and guidelines |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Demonstrate safe midwifery practice based on theoretical knowledge and reasoning |
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| S2. | Perform detailed physical health assessment of childbearing women and newborns |
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| S3. | Develop professional communication skills to address midwifery practice |
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| S4. | Practice incorporating current research findings into clinical practice |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Demonstrate developing clinical and communication skills necessary to provide woman-centred care |
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| A2. | Apply theoretical knowledge of midwifery to a woman-centred approach to midwifery practice |
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| A3. | Support women to initiate and establish breastfeeding |
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| A4. | Document the ongoing relationship with the women they have engaged in continuity of care in a way that reflects their own involvement and actions and the rationale for these |
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| A5. | Demonstrate midwifery competency based upon the NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice |
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| Unit Content: |
The ANMAC National Accreditation Standards for the Midwife (2021); NMBA National Competency Standards for the Midwife (2018); NMBA Code of Professional Conduct for the Midwife (2018) and International Code of Ethics for the Midwife (2014) have substantially informed the syllabus/content of this unit. Communication with women Social context, cultural safety Profession and governance, history, regulation, legal & ethical, scope of practice, codes, standards, guidelines, documentation, including NMBA Standards of practice, Code of conduct, Code of ethics, Professional practice framework Introduction to midwifery practice portfolios Reflective practice Pregnancy care; history taking, booking-in, antenatal clinic, birth plan Admission to birth suite, process, assessments, progress Abdominal palpation, fetal heart rate assessment Mechanism of birth, first stage of labour, second stage of labour and third stage of labour Reception of the newborn Care in the first hour post birth, mother and baby Postnatal care following vaginal birth, caesarean section Overview of neonatal resuscitation Newborn care; screening, infant feeding, hygiene, nappy changing, settling techniques, daily check |
| Graduate Attributes: |
| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K2, K3, K4, K5, S3, S4, A1, A2, A5 | Theoretical concepts and skills required for normal pregnancy, labour, birth, postnatal and care of the neonate. | Written assignment | 25-45% | | 2. | K1, K2, K3, K4, S3, S4, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5 | Theoretical concepts and skills required for normal pregnancy, labour, birth, postnatal and care of the neonate. | Test Part A – Objective Structured Clinical Test (OSCE) Part B – Written Test | Part A 5-15%, Part B 45-55% | | 3. | K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, S1, S2, S3, S4, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5 | Satisfactory achievement of identified NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice in midwifery practice experiences. Assessment of Midwifery Practice (Compulsory PASS required). Continuity of Care experience. | Midwifery Practice Portfolio 1. Completion of one (1) Clinical Assessment Tool (CAT) to an ‘assisted’ level. 2. Completion of 80 midwifery practice hours. Submit completed AMSAT. 3. Recruit one (1) woman for continuity of care experiences. | 5-15% | | 4. | K1, K2, K3, K4, S3, S4, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5 | Successful competion of Objective Structured Clinical Test (OSCE) | Objective Structured Clinical Test (OSCE) | S/U Hurdle | | 5. | K1, K2, K3, K4, K5, S1, S2, S3, S4, A1, A2, A3, A4, A5 | Successful completion of one (1) Clinical Assessment Tool (CAT) to an ‘assisted’ level, 40 midwifery practice hours and AMSAT. | Midwifery Practice Portfolio | S/U Hurdle |
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