Midwifery Care for Women with Complex Needs

Unit Outline (Higher Education)

   
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Effective Term: 2027/05
Institute / School :Institute of Health and Wellbeing
Unit Title: Midwifery Care for Women with Complex Needs
Unit ID: MIDGD6203
Credit Points: 15.00
Prerequisite(s): (MIDGD6001 or MIDGD6201)
Co-requisite(s): (MIDGD6204)
Exclusion(s): Nil
ASCED: 060303
Other Change:  
Brief description of the Unit

This unit explores the midwife’s role in providing care for women experiencing complexity during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period, including the management of obstetric emergencies.

Students will build on their existing knowledge and skills through the application of theory to simulated and clinical practice, and through working collaboratively with women and multidisciplinary teams. 

The unit emphasises the collaborative role of the midwife, including consultation and referral processes, the use of medical technologies and interventions, and the implications of these for women, families, and midwifery practice.

Grade Scheme: Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF)
Work Experience Indicator:
No work experience
Placement Component:Yes - 15 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 CourseAQF Level(s) of Course
5678910
Introductory                                                
Intermediate                                                
Advanced                                                
Learning Outcomes:
Knowledge:
K1.

Examine medical and obstetric conditions that contribute to complexity in pregnancy, labour and birth, including their pathophysiology, risk factors, clinical presentations, and implications for midwifery practice.

K2.

Explain the midwife’s role in managing complex care and obstetric emergencies across the childbirth continuum, including principles of safe and quality use of medicines.

K3.

Demonstrate an appreciation of the family's need for privacy, dignity and respect, as well as their right to be informed and to make decisions regarding their care.

Skills:
S1.

Demonstrate midwifery skills in the management of complex care and emergencies in childbearing.

S2.

Apply critical thinking and clinical reasoning to provide safe, woman-centred care in complex midwifery contexts, including the application of pharmacotherapeutic principles and the quality use of medicines.

S3.

Collaborate and communicate effectively within multidisciplinary teams to support women experiencing complexity, applying appropriate consultation and referral pathways in the management of complex clinical scenarios.

Application of knowledge and skills:
A1.

Integrate pathophysiological and pharmacotherapeutic knowledge with clinical decision-making to plan and provide midwifery care for women experiencing complexity across the childbirth continuum.

A2.

Critically evaluate the implications of maternal complexities and obstetric interventions for the woman, baby and family, and for midwifery practice.

A3.

Apply clinical decision making to plan and facilitate access to appropriate community and health resources to support women, babies, and families, including those choosing alternative care pathways.

A4.

Demonstrate the NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice in providing ethical, woman-centred care in complex clinical contexts, upholding privacy, dignity, respect, choice and informed decision-making.

Other outcomes:
Unit Content:

This unit focuses on caring for childbearing women experiencing variations of normal and complexities, including:

  • Pathophysiology of reproduction and childbearing
  • Principles of midwifery care 
  • Clinical decision-making, consultation and referral, and collaborative care
  • Ethical, legal, and professional responsibilities
  • Effective intra and inter-professional communication in complex care (e.g. ISBAR)
  • Variations in normal (multiple pregnancy & breech presentation)
  • Challenges in pregnancy
  • Disturbances in the rhythm of labour
  • Interventions in pregnancy, labour and birth
  • Life-threatening emergencies
  • Perineal care and repair
  • Complications in the postnatal period for the mother
  • Breastfeeding challenges and lactation support 
  • Community supports access and availability for safe, woman-centred care in complex midwifery contexts
  • Pharmacotherapeutic principles and the quality use of medicines in midwifery practice, with a focus on managing complex care needs.
  • NSQHS standards (Comprehensive Care, Blood Management, Infection Control)
  • Evidence-based application of medical and digital technologies and interventions, while upholding the midwife’s advocacy role in supporting women’s decisions and promoting non-intervention when not clinically indicated (e.g., telemetry, blood gas analysis, ultrasound).
  • Critically appraise evidence for safety to differentiate clinically justified practices from defensive interventions.


The ANMAC National Accreditation Standards for the Midwife (2021), Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) Midwife Standards for Practice (2018), the NMBA Code of Conduct for the Midwife (2018) and the Code of Ethics for the Midwife (2014) have substantially informed the syllabus/content of this unit.

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.

FED TASK and descriptorDevelopment 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
 Learning Outcomes AssessedAssessment TasksAssessment TypeWeightingProfessional Standards
1. K1, K2, K3, A1, A2, A3

Theoretical concepts of evidence-based care for the woman with complex needs

Online Activities

20-40%
2. K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, A1, A2, A3

Application of theoretical concepts and demonstration of skills of evidence-based care for the woman with complex needs.

Part A Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE)

Part B Written test

10-30% (Part A). Hurdle requirement

30-50% (Part B)
3. K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, A1, A2, A3, A4

Satisfactory achievement of identified NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice in midwifery practice experiences. (Compulsory PASS required)

Midwifery practice portfolio

  1. Completion of five (5) Midwifery Clinical Assessment Tools (MCAT) to ‘assisted-proficient’ level.
  2. Completion of 120 midwifery practice hours. Submit completed AMSAT assessed to minimum of 'Satisfactory' overall performance or above.

10% Hurdle requirement
4. K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, A1, A2, A3

Attendance at all on-campus intensive sessions

100% Attendance

S/U Hurdle
Adopted Reference Style:
APA  ()

Professional Standards / Competencies:
 Standard / Competency