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Unit Synopsis
In this capstone unit, you will consolidate and apply advanced theoretical knowledge of pharmacology and the quality use of medicines in preparation for autonomous graduate midwifery practice. With a focus on maternal, fetal, and neonatal physiology, you will critically examine the use and impact of prescribed and over-the-counter medications, as well as illicit substances, across the childbearing continuum. This unit builds your capacity to provide safe, evidence-informed care and supports your transition into the professional midwifery workforce.
Details
| Level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 3 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 1 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
Pre-requisites: Pharmacology Across the Childbearing Continuum 1 Complex Childbearing 2 Co-requisites: Transition to Midwifery Practice Professional Midwifery Practice 6 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. Online Quiz(zes) | 40% |
| 2. Case Study | 60% |
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:
- Investigate how the altered maternal and fetoplacental physiology of pregnancy affects advanced pharmacological processes, including pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, in relation to over-the-counter medications, prescribed drugs, and substances of misuse
- Verify and assess medication orders and calculate accurate dosages to ensure the safe and appropriate administration of medications for women and their infants in midwifery practice
- Critically review the physiological and psychological impacts of medication administration on maternal, fetal, and neonatal wellbeing to determine therapeutic effectiveness and guide safe, evidence-informed midwifery care
- Critically appraise the midwife’s role and responsibilities in the safe, evidence-informed use of pharmacological therapies across the childbearing continuum, with attention to advocacy, education, and clinical decision-making to optimise maternal, fetal, and neonatal outcomes.
The ANMAC Midwife Accreditation Standards (2021)
Standard 1: Safety of the public
Standard 3: Program of study
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 6: Research in health
Principle 7: Health and wellbeing
The NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice (2018)
Standard 1: Promotes health and wellbeing through evidence based midwifery practice
Standard 2: Engages in professional relationships and respectful partnerships
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 safety and quality in midwifery practice
Standard 7: Evaluates outcomes to improve midwifery practice
International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) International Code of Ethics for Midwives (2014)
1. Midwifery relationships
2. Practice of midwifery
3. Professional responsibilities of midwives
4. Advancement of midwifery knowledge and practice
National Prescribing Service Prescribing Competencies Framework: Embedding quality use of medicines into practice (2021): All competency areas apply
The National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (2021): All standards apply
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) | • | • | • | • |
| 2 - Case Study | • | • | • | |
| 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 | • | |||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | • | • | ||
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | |