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).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School Compulsory Residential School
View Unit Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2025

Term 1 - 2025 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

To view Past Exams,
please login
Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2023 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 100.00% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 6.45% 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
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
Changes in the last year within Hospital and Health Services providing clinical placement opportunities have meant that most units now provide a clinical facilitator onsite for students. The midwifery team has held meetings with these staff members to provide information on the requirements of the course. Regular communication with the education team at the clinical placement sites takes place by email, through visits each term to the clinical placement sites and Teams meetings.
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
Students have been made aware that this is a double-weighted unit through residential school and Moodle content and therefore that the assessment is appropriate. Teaching sessions and Moodle content has focussed on managing clinical practice requirements such as identifying the expected workloads to ensure that students are only completing what is required.
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
The logbook and the number of additional skills to be recorded has been reduced in 2023. The logbook is reviewed annually and feedback from students and industry partners at residential school and on clinical placement visits is incorporated.
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
The facilitators and educators completing the forms have been provided with reminders and guidance prior to all submission dates. Communication on any individual issues has been prompt and have been rectified in a timely manner. The AMSAT tool accessed via the SONIA online platform has been altered to make it easier to use and follows the format of the standardised assessment tool. Students are supported in their use of the tool and any queries or issues raised are answered promptly. Feedback has been positive through the Course Reference Committee.
Source: Verbal feedback during term.
Feedback
The area to record Continuity of Care Experiences in the log book is too small to write all the information easily.
Recommendation
The Record of Continuity of Care Experiences will be altered to ensure that it is accessible and easy to use for all students. This will be incorporated into the log book for 2024.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: Meeting with midwifery team and industry partners via Zoom.
Feedback
Industry partners would welcome a method of communication that incorporates a collaborative approach where students, university unit coordinators and clinical facilitators/ educators can communicate, answer questions and share files and information.
Recommendation
A Teams page for midwifery clinical placements is to be piloted in 3 clinical units. This aims to facilitate communication between students, unit coordinators and clinical placement partners. Feedback will be sought to assess whether this is a beneficial tool.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: Verbal feedback at end of term.
Feedback
There is some information that is confusing/ misleading on the Record of Hours document on the online SONIA platform for clinical assessments.
Recommendation
The Record of Hours document on SONIA will be edited to ensure that the information provided to students is easy to understand to enable them to provide accurate data using student feedback at residential school and clinical placement site visits.
Action Taken
In Progress
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 • • • • • • • • •