Course Title: Midwifery 3

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Midwifery 3

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

NURS1167

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

150H Health Sciences

Face-to-Face

Sem 2 2006,
Sem 2 2007,
Sem 2 2008,
Sem 2 2009,
Sem 2 2010,
Sem 2 2011,
Sem 2 2012,
Sem 2 2013,
Sem 2 2014

Course Coordinator: Dr Linda Jones

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 7417

Course Coordinator Email: linda.jones@rmit.edu.au


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

To be eligible to enrol in this course you need to have successfully completed

  • NURS1165 Midwifery 1
  • NURS1166 Midwifery 2

Contact your course coordinator if you think you may be eligible for recognition of prior learning. For further information go to:

www.rmit.edu.au/students/enrolment/credit/he


Course Description

This is the third course in the midwifery program designed to prepare beginning midwifery clinicians for the challenging and dynamic midwifery practice of the twenty-first century. It is predicated on the same philosophical and conceptual frameworks as the Midwifery 1 and 2 courses, and explores the woman’s journey through pregnancy, labour, and birth in more detail. A comprehensive holistic woman-centred approach to childbirth is maintained, which integrates both the uncomplicated and complicated aspects of antenatal, labour and birth knowledge, and practice within a variety of contemporary settings. You will undertake theoretical and practical components designed to provide opportunities to develop fundamental midwifery knowledge and skills. The practical component is structured to provide learning experiences, which complement the theoretical component, and assist you to develop competency, within the boundaries of evidenced-based midwifery practice.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Course Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of this course you should be able to:

  • apply the principles of midwifery primary care during pregnancy, labour and birth within a woman-centred approach
  • critically examine controversies in the field of the antenatal care of women
  • explore the factors that influence women’s responses to pain
  • apply the principles of care for a woman experiencing a complicated labour or birth
  • critically evaluate the implications of obstetric interventions for midwifery practice
  • demonstrate skills in the management of obstetrical emergencies, including cord prolapse, shoulder dystocia and amniotic fluid embolism
  • interpret the role of the midwife as primary carer and as a member of a collaborative health-care team
  • demonstrate competency in the antenatal assessment and care of the women, including recognition of stages of labour, progress of labour and the detection of potential or actual aberrations


Program Learning Outcomes
This course contributes to the development of the Program Learning Outcomes:

  • PLO1:  Functions in accordance with legislation and common law affecting midwifery practice
  • PLO2: Accepts accountability and responsibility for own actions within midwifery practice
  • PLO3:  Communicates information to facilitate decision making by the woman
  • PLO4: Promotes safe and effective midwifery care
  • PLO5: Assesses, plans, provides and evaluates safe and effective midwifery care
  • PLO6: Assesses, plans, provides and evaluates safe and effective midwifery care for the woman and/or baby with complex needs
  • PLO7: Advocates to protect the rights of women, families and communities in relation to maternity care
  • PLO8:  Develops effective strategies to implement and support collaborative midwifery practice
  • PLO9: Actively supports midwifery as a public health strategy
  • PLO10: Ensures midwifery practice is culturally safe
  • PLO11: Bases midwifery practice on ethical decision making
  • PLO12: Identifies personal beliefs and develops these in ways that enhance midwifery practice
  • PLO13: Acts to enhance the professional development of self  and others
  • PLO14: Uses research to inform midwifery practice


Overview of Learning Activities

Learning activities you will undertake in this course include a mixture of lectures, seminars and include a clinical practicum in the midwifery setting. You will participate in classroom activities to facilitate discussion of concepts introduced and build on the practical experience undertaken in the workplace setting.  The seminar format will be used in order to give an overview of the specified study area and to direct you to foundational, critical and evidence based readings. Facilitated open discussions in the seminar context will draw on your student midwife clinical practice and life experiences as well as prescribed readings for the course. This approach will enable you to share, explore and debate issues regarding midwifery practice.as well as providing a solid theoretical basis to help you to achieve professional practice.   

You are required to undertake 508 hours of clinical midwifery practice as part of this course. Your practical must include “follow through” and community placement and you will be required to undertake a clinical practice workbook as part of this practice experience.


Overview of Learning Resources

The learning resources associated with this course will include targeted readings taken from a range of both primary and secondary sources. Material chosen may be digitally available to you. Lecture material may be delivered using a variety of technologies including Lectopia, Discussion Board interaction and Blackboard Collaborate workshops. Practice learning activities will be provided in a variety of ways, including simulated learning activities. Textbooks, journal articles and the electronic media also provide learning resources for students undertaking this course as well as the midwifery practice domain. RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems.


Overview of Assessment

The assessment associated with this course will comprise a formative and summative assessment and incorporate a variety of assessment modes. The assessment tasks will be designed to assess your ability to understand and apply concepts in relation to midwifery practice.

Your formative assessment will take the form of written or on-line assessment where you are required to provide evidence of your knowledge and application to practice. This may include a journal article critique and clinical debriefing. Your summative assessment will be in an examination format.

Clinical practice will be assessed summatively by a clinical competency assessment demonstrating your ability to assess and care for the peri natal woman and her baby.

These assessments are designed to require students to demonstrate a critical analysis of the core principles presented in the course.

For information on grades used in RMIT courses see: www.rmit.edu.au/students/grading/highered

Assessment completed in the first half of the semester will provide feedback on your progress. Ongoing feedback on your skills will be provided from peers and staff.

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or the Disability Liaison Unit if you would like to find out more.

This course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies and procedures which are described and referenced, at: www.rmit.edu.au/students/assessment