Click Here to view current information
Unit Synopsis
In this unit, you will examine the role and scope of the midwife and the legal and ethical frameworks that guide professional midwifery practice. You will explore the philosophical and historical foundations of the midwifery profession, including key social and cultural discourses that influence women's choices and decision-making about their maternity care. A critical focus will be placed on legal and ethical standards, including the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) Midwife Standards for Practice and Code of Conduct for Midwives, the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) International Code of Ethics for Midwives, and relevant Australian legislation. In addition, the unit will introduce you to the structure of Australian maternity services, various models of midwifery care, and the principles of inclusive and culturally safe practice.
Details
| Level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 1 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 1 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
Co-requisite: Professional Midwifery Practice 1 Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework). |
| Class Timetable | View Unit Timetable |
| Residential School | No Residential School |
Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Assessment Tasks
| Assessment Task | Weighting |
|---|---|
| 1. Group Discussion | 30% |
| 2. Critical Review | 30% |
| 3. Portfolio | 40% |
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web site.
No previous feedback available
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Demonstrate understanding of the legal, and ethical foundations of the midwifery profession, and explain how these concepts inform the professional responsibilities and scope of practice of a registered midwife
- Analyse the concept of professional accountability and its application to the role, responsibilities, and obligations of the midwife within contemporary practice
- Investigate the different models of maternity care and the professional discourses and frameworks that influence women’s choices and decision-making in relation to their care
- Integrate effective, culturally safe, and inclusive ethical decision-making within the context of midwifery practice
- Demonstrate an understanding of how the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards guide midwifery practice and the provision of safe, effective maternity care.
Content in this unit addresses a number of professional requirements, including the following:
The ANMAC Midwife Accreditation Standards (2021)
Standard 1: Safety of the public
Standard 3: Program of study
Standard 5: Student assessment
The National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (2021)
Clinical governance
Partnering with consumers
Preventing and controlling healthcare-associated infection
Medication safety
Comprehensive care
Communicating for safety
The NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice (2018)
Standard 1: Promotes evidence-based maternal health and wellbeing
Standard 2: Engages in respectful partnerships and professional relationships
Standard 3: Demonstrates the capability and accountability for midwifery practice
Standard 5: Develops plans for midwifery practice
Standard 6: Provides safe and quality midwifery practice
The NMBA Code of Conduct for Midwives (2018)
Principle 1: Legal compliance
Principle 2: Woman-centred practice
Principle 3: Cultural practice and respectful relationships
Principle 4: Professional behaviour
Principle 7: Health and wellbeing
The ICM International Code of Ethics for Midwives (2014)
Midwifery relationships
Practice of midwifery
Professional responsibilities of midwives
Advancement of midwifery knowledge and practice
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Group Discussion | • | • | • | ||
| 2 - Critical Review | • | • | |||
| 3 - Portfolio | • | • | • | • | • |
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | • | • | • | • | • |
| 2 - Problem Solving | • | • | • | • | • |
| 3 - Critical Thinking | • | • | • | • | • |
| 4 - Information Literacy | • | • | • | • | • |
| 5 - Team Work | • | • | |||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | • | • | |||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | • | • | • | ||
| 8 - Ethical practice | • | • | • | • | • |
| 9 - Social Innovation | • | • | |||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | • | • | • | ||
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | |