MDWF12003 - Midwifery Practice 1

General Information

Unit Synopsis

This clinical placement unit is the first of four that provides you with midwifery clinical experience. The focus of this unit is on the role of the midwife in promoting and facilitating normal processes of the childbearing continuum. You will be involved in the provision of care of the woman and her family throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period. The practical application of different models of care will be explored with an emphasis on best practice. The clinical practicum component of this unit will require you to complete a minimum of 224 hours in addition to Continuity of Care Experiences (COCE).

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 2
Credit Points 12
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 1
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.25
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Co-requisite:

MDWF12002 Foundations of Midwifery 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).

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Residential School Compulsory Residential School
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Unit Availabilities from Term 2 - 2023

Term 1 - 2024 Profile
Mixed Mode

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).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 12-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 25 hours of study per week, making a total of 300 hours for the unit.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Poster Sessions 40%
2. Portfolio 60%
3. Professional Practice Placement 0%

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%).

Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2022 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 100.00% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 42.42% response rate.

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.

Source: SUTE
Feedback
The course is well structured and the unit coordinator has done a really great job to always be available if I have any questions. I have felt really well supported during this course. Placements are the best way to affirm what we are learning in theory.
Recommendation
The unit coordinator remains in close frequent communication with the midwifery students across the state. Weekly zoom discussions are provided for debriefing and students are encouraged to email or call if they would like to privately and confidentially raise concerns. the unit coordinator responds to concerns quickly to resolve matters for both the students and the industry partners satisfaction.
Action Taken
Weekly zoom sessions have continued in 2022 and some students have regularly attended. Emails and phone calls between the unit coordinator and students have been timely and appropriate where issues and support were required.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
The learning material is helpful but a lot of this current information on placement is conflicting with what some midwives are teaching us. Some midwives correct what we have learnt and even belittle our knowledge causing issues with confidence in practising.
Recommendation
Unit content is in alignment with the current Queensland Health State-wide Clinical Guidelines and CQUniversity placement policies and guides. The midwifery team take a zero-tolerance approach to bullying or non-evidenced-based midwifery practice. Students are encouraged to raise concerns with the midwifery academics and are provided with the details of CQU Student Counselling services.
Action Taken
Similar concerns have not been voiced by students in the 2022 offering. Staff continue to encourage students to raise concerns with the midwifery academics and and provide them with the details of CQU Student Counselling services.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
I would also like to provide feedback specifically about clinical placement. I feel it would be more conducive to our learning and consolidation to be able to spend more than 1 day in an area before changing. We are moved to different areas without consecutive shifts (within a fortnight for example), and this makes it very difficult to consolidate our learning, potential to work with familiar staff and women as well as gaining confidence and competence.
Recommendation
Students have recently been given an opportunity to provide CQU with placement feedback via SONIA. The midwifery academics keep close communications with clinical placement providers to discuss any issues arising and provide timely responses to concerns. The midwifery team will continue to work closely with industry providers to support the students learning experience whilst on clinical placement.
Action Taken
The midwifery team continue to communicate with industry and students to resolve any issues or concerns around clinical placement.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
The placements need to be sorted within the system to maybe have the students shared with midwives they are working with that are passionate about teaching. This will be a win for both midwife and student. Maybe it is only at certain placements though. At the facility, I am working it is a major issue, even jokes of if you don't speak up you will be eaten alive. This is not professional behaviour as we are also registered professionals in our own right. Archaic issues I guess that will only change within the system where the placements are happening.
Recommendation
The midwifery team work closely with industry partners to ensure that the clinical placement experience offers quality learning for students to achieve the clinical requirements of the course. CQU midwifery students are also advised that they must be available to attend all rostered student shifts across the 24 hr period, seven days per week and in whichever area of maternity services they can be accommodated. The midwifery academics understand that the industry partner tries their best to provide clinical placement opportunities to a large number of students and flexibility in placement timing and places are limited. Students are asked to be considerate of this and engage in all placement opportunities that are offered.
Action Taken
The midwifery team continue to communicate with industry and students to resolve any issues or concerns around clinical placement.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Feedback is difficult to achieve based on our expected stage of learning. Feedback seems inconsistent without validity. I would like to see my portfolio with feedback in relation to the rubric to demonstrate where I could improve.
Recommendation
Timely and comprehensive feedback is provided to students with the aim of assisting them to identify knowledge deficits and formulate future learning goals for the oncoming term. Portfolio feedback is provided to students in their rubrics. This is because the portfolio is a living document and the student will re-enter the portfolio across the entire program to update. Feedback is therefore captured, per term, in each term's rubric. This student requested feedback be placed in their portfolio and the request was complied with.
Action Taken
Portfolio feedback has been given to students in the rubric - both quantitative and qualitative. Efforts have been made to provide both specific and constructive qualitative feedback to students so that they might demonstrate improvement in subsequent submissions.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Having a facilitator on site that understands how to do our roster, how our book works, how was are graded etc. would be hugely beneficial and perhaps is solely for CQU instead of shared between all unis.
Recommendation
Whilst there have been some changes in clinical facilitation at one facility, the unit coordinator should maintain open lines of communication via phone call and email with both students and the clinical facilitation team.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Not be so assignment heavy or just do fortnightly quizzes and assignment work is too full on with what already needs to be done for the practical side of this course.
Recommendation
This is a double-weighted unit which consists of a group assessment, an individual reflective portfolio, and clinical placement. In future offerings, the unit coordinator should clearly communicate to students that the assessments and clinical placements are appropriate for a double-weighted unit.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Streamlining the log book and reducing the number of skills and emphasis on the mandatory skills.
Recommendation
The logbook has been reduced in volume this year and the midiwfery team will continue to evaluate its format on a yearly basis.
Action Taken
Nil.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
The placement feedback tool was very long and a little repetitive to use. It hasn't sounded that easy to use when i was speaking with my clinical facilitator. It has been great learning from a clearly well informed teachers!
Recommendation
This is the first term where the AMSAT has been utilised electronically on Sonia. The AMSAT remains online but has been changed to make providing comments/feedback simpler. The AMSAT will remain in this format and the midwifery team will review on a term-by-term basis in collaboration with students and industry partners.
Action Taken
Nil.
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Apply the concepts and principles underpinning the frameworks of midwifery to beginning midwifery practice
  2. Demonstrate beginning midwifery practice skills, including the use of digital health and emerging technologies related to the care of women and the neonate across the normal childbearing continuum.
  3. Critically reflect on clinical learning related to your continuity of care experiences (COCE) to enhance practice
  4. Demonstrate introductory level midwifery competence based upon the Nursing and Midwifery Board Australia (NMBA) Midwife Standards of Practice (2018) requirements.

The proposed changes to learning outcomes and the unit will meet the following:

The draft ANMAC Midwifery Education Standards (2020).

Standard 1: Safety of the public.

Standard 3: Program of study.

Standard 4: Student experience.

Standard 5: Student assessment.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (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 4: Undertakes comprehensive assessments

Standard 5. Develops a plan for midwifery practice.

Standard 6: Provides safe and quality midwifery practice.

Standard 7. Evaluates outcomes to improve midwifery practice.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (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 International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) International Code of Ethics for Midwives (2014).

1. Midwifery Relationships

2. Practice of Midwifery

3. The Professional Responsibilities of Midwives

4. Advancement of Midwifery Knowledge and Practice

National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (2017)

Clinical Governance Standard

Partnering with Consumers Standard

Preventing and Controlling Healthcare-Associated Infection Standard

Medication Safety Standard

Comprehensive Care Standard

Communicating for Safety Standard

The Nursing and Midwifery Digital Health Framework

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Poster Sessions • •
2 - Portfolio • •
3 - Professional Practice Placement • • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
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 • • • •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 - Poster Sessions • • • • • • • •
2 - Portfolio • • • • • • • • •
3 - Professional Practice Placement • • • • • • • • •