| Effective Term: | 2024/20 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Health and Wellbeing |
| Unit Title: | Pharmacology and Diagnostics for Midwives |
| Unit ID: | MIDBM3211 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | (MIDBM3106) |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 060303 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This midwifery unit will provide the fundamental knowledge required of midwives, detailed by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) Standard for Endorsement for Scheduled Medicines for Midwives within the Australian health system. The focus of this unit will be on the Australian regulatory, legal and competency frameworks which govern midwifery prescribing and diagnostic practice. Further, students will focus on assessment and clinical history taking required to inform a medication and care plan, clinical investigations, and interpretation. This unit of study will include essential elements related to pharmacology to inform rationale for midwifery prescribing choices as they apply to the continuum of pregnancy, birth, postpartum and the neonatal period. Woman centered communication skills, interdisciplinary consultation and referral pathways will be advanced, with a focus on the principles of informed consent and legal requirements for written prescription |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: No |
| 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. | Prioritise appropriately relevant clinical history, and physical/emotional concerns associated with maternal or neonatal wellbeing |
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| K2. | Synthesise theoretical physiological understanding of pregnancy, birth and postnatal complexity when determining a likely source of pueperal infection |
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| K3. | Evaluate theoretical understandings of pharmacology, potential benefits or harms, and appropriate prescription(s) associated with a clinical presentation in the context of midwifery scope of practice |
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| K4. | Explain relevant midwifery regulatory, legal and competency frameworks which govern midwifery prescribing and diagnostic practice |
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| K5. | Interpret legal requirements for the written prescription, management and record keeping of scheduled medicines |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Demonstrate safe midwifery prescribing practice based on theoretical knowledge and reasoning |
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| S2. | Demonstrate sound clinical assessment skills associated with the midwifery context and scope of practice |
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| S3. | Demonstrate professional communication skills specific to informed consent and collaborative decision making with women regarding care options |
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| S4. | Demonstrate an ability to prescribe medication or diagnostic testing compliant with relevant legislation, regulatory frameworks, standards of practice associated with midwifery scope of practice |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Critically assess maternal and neonatal wellbeing, and apply current research findings to inform a plan of care |
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| A2. | Apply legal and ethical principles of practice to demonstrate competent midwifery assessment and prescribing skills according to midwifery scope of practice |
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| A3. | Demonstrate midwifery competency based on the NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice and the NMBA Standard for Endorsement for Scheduled Medicines for Midwives |
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| Unit Content: |
The ANMAC National Accreditation Standards for the Midwife (2014); ANMAC Programs Leading to Endorsement for Scheduled Medicines for Midwives (2015); NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice (2018); NMBA Code of Conduct for the Midwife (2018); NMBA Code of Ethics for the Midwife (2014); and the NMBA Registration standard: Endorsement for scheduled medicines for Midwives (2017), have substantially informed the syllabus/content of this unit - Australian regulatory, legal and competency frameworks which govern midwifery prescribing and diagnostic practice
- National Health Act (1953)
- Health Legislation Amendment (Midwives and Nurse Practitioners) 2010
- National Prescribing Service (NPS) Prescribing Competencies Framework (2021)
- NMBA Registration standard: Endorsement for scheduled medicines for Midwives (2017)
- State and territory drug regulations: Formularies and gazette governance
- Medicare Benefits Scheme (MBS)
- Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
- Medication management and record keeping
- Pharmacology for midwives
- Principles of gram negative/gram positive bacteria
- Antimicrobial resistance
- Allergy and adverse drug reaction
- Woman-centred communication, womens needs and informed consent
- Assessment of wellbeing and care planning for the antenatal, birth, postpartum and neonatal period
- Common puerperal infection
- Investigations, screening and diagnostic interpretation
- Critical thinking regarding management options and therapeutic goals
- Critical thinking regarding choice of medication when prescribing and response to treatment
- Legal prescribing requirements for written prescription
- Contemporaneous documentation
- Collaborative practice, consultation and referral pathways
- Midwifery Private Practice Insurance arrangements
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| Graduate Attributes: |
| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K2, K3, S1, A3 | Online Test: Theoretical concepts of pharmacology, maternal and neonatal physiology, diagnostic and prescribing practice | Online assessment: Test | 20-30% | | 2. | K1, K4, K5, S2, S4, A1, A2 | Clinical case study: Theoretical concepts of clinical assessment, regulatory governance, safe midwifery prescribing practice | Written assessment: Clinical case study | 40-50% | | 3. | K1, K4, K5, S1, S3, A1, A3 | Plan of care: Theoretical concepts of clinical assessment, pharmacology, professional communication and collaborative practice, regulatory governance | Written assessment: Care plan | 20-30% |
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