| Effective Term: | 2026/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
| Unit Title: | Holistic Assessment for Midwifery Practice |
| Unit ID: | MIDBM1004 |
| 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 provides students with foundational knowledge and skills necessary to deliver high-quality, woman-centred midwifery care from a strengths-based and feminist perspective. Emphasis is placed on working in partnership with women, respecting their autonomy, and supporting shared decision-making throughout the childbearing journey. Through clinical laboratory sessions and supervised clinical placement, students will develop clinical reasoning skills, apply principles of quality and safety in medication management, engage in effective communication and teamwork strategies, and undertake health assessments. The unit also includes the history of midwifery, influence of feminist approaches on contemporary midwifery practice and the ethical, legal, and professional standards that shape the discipline. Reflective practice and self-care strategies will be further explored to promote ongoing personal and professional development. |
| 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 - 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. | Describe the role of clinical reasoning in woman-centred assessment and midwifery care planning. |
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| K2. | Explain how the history of midwifery and feminist approaches have shaped contemporary practice. |
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| K3. | Discuss the principles and practice of working in partnership with women in midwifery care. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Safely perform comprehensive health assessments and midwifery interventions, with appropriate documentation in line with professional standards and national safety frameworks. |
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| S2. | Use therapeutic communication skills to collaborate effectively within intra- and interprofessional teams to support woman-centred care through verbal, written, and digital means. |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Demonstrate professional, ethical, and culturally appropriate practice in simulated and clinical settings, in accordance with the NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice, Code of Ethics for Midwives, and relevant legal and safety principles. |
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| A2. | Apply reflective practice and self-care strategies to sustain safe, ethical, and professional midwifery 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. Topics may include: · Working in partnership with women · Feminist approaches in midwifery · History of midwifery · Professional expectations and preparation for clinical placement · Foundational midwifery practice skills · Comprehensive health assessment in midwifery · Care planning and documentation · Critical thinking and clinical reasoning · Reflective practice in clinical midwifery · Legal and ethical midwifery practice |
| 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 the ability to effectively communicate, inter-act and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display skills in-person and/or online in: • Using effective verbal and non-verbal communication • Listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Showing empathy for others • Negotiating and demonstrating conflict resolution skills • Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | Level 1 - Students require directions and boundaries from mentor | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students will demonstrate the ability to apply professional skills and behaviours in leading others. Students will be required to display skills in: • Creating a collegial environment • Showing self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect • Inspiring and convincing others • Making informed decisions • Displaying initiative | Level 1 - Students require directions and boundaries from mentor | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically • Evaluating ideas, concepts and information • Considering alternative perspectives to refine ideas • Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving. | Level 1 - Students require directions and boundaries from mentor | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students will demonstrate the ability to work fluently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Finding, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information • Collating, managing, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media • Contributing actively to digital teams and working groups • Participating in and benefiting from digital learning opportunities. | Level 1 - Students require directions and boundaries from mentor | FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students will demonstrate the ability to consider and assess the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in global economic environmental and societal contexts • Committing to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen • Evaluating ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Embracing lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others • Implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life. | Level 1 - Students require directions and boundaries from mentor |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K2, K3, S2, A1 | Oral Viva Voce | Synchronous Oral Presentation | 30-50% | | 2. | K1, K3, S1, S2, A1 | Practical Assessment: Maternal and/or Neonatal | Clinical skills | 20-30% | | 3. | K1, K3, S1, S2, A1, A2 | Satisfactory achievement of identified NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice in midwifery practice experiences. | 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. | 20-30% Hurdle | | 4. | K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, A1, A2 | Attendance at Clinical Laboratories | 100% Attendance at Clinical Laboratories | S/U Hurdle | | 5. | K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, A1 | Attendance at Active Learning Sessions | 80% Attendance at Active Learning Sessions | S/U Hurdle |
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