Course Coordinator:Holly Meyer (hmeyer@usc.edu.au) School:School of Health - Midwifery
UniSC Sunshine Coast |
Blended learning | Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online. |
Please go to usc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.
This course introduces you to the discipline of midwifery. You will explore the origins and foundations of the discipline and significant milestones that have shaped the way registered professionals practice in each discipline today. You will examine the theoretical, professional, legal and ethical frameworks that underpin practice. You will participate in experiential learning related to principles of practice and how you use these in beginning practice in communication, collaboration, clinical decision making and preliminary healthcare assessment.
Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
Blended learning | |||
Learning materials – Online asynchronous learning and teaching recording. | 1hr | Week 1 | 13 times |
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – On campus tutorial. | 2hrs | Week 1 | 8 times |
Laboratory 1 – On campus laboratory. | 2hrs | Week 9 | 5 times |
Professional Foundations
Historical influences locally and globally
Legislation, registration and regulation
Professional and ethical practice
Promoting and protecting women’s wellness and health outcomes
Communication – Personal and social
Communication – Interpersonal and interprofessional communication
Reflective Practice Connect Program
Safe Medication administration
Infection control Standard precautions
Maternal and Neonatal observations
Supporting the woman to feed her baby
100 Level (Introductory)
12 units
Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... | Graduate Qualities Mapping Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming... | Professional Standard Mapping * Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia | |
1 | Demonstrate a range of practices necessary for beginning clinical placement. | Empowered |
3, 3.5, 3.7, 3.8, 4, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5, 5.1, 5.4, 6.3 |
2 | Apply professional, ethical and legal codes and standards to practice. | Ethical |
2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 3, 3.2, 3.3 |
3 | Critically self-appraise practice through the use of a reflective model. | Creative and critical thinker |
1, 1.4, 1.6, 3.4, 7.2, 7.3 |
4 | Demonstrate appropriate preparation for clinical placement. | Empowered |
1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 3, 3.3, 4.4, 7.3 |
5 | Apply principles and practices of academic writing and referencing | Engaged |
CODE | COMPETENCY |
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia | |
1 | Standard 1: Promotes health and wellbeing through evidence-based midwifery practice |
1.2 | The midwife accesses, analyses, and uses the best available evidence, that includes research findings, for safe, quality midwifery practice |
1.4 | The midwife undertakes ongoing processes of reflection to ensure professional judgements acknowledge how personal culture impacts on practice |
1.6 | The midwife supports the development, implementation and evaluation of evidenced-based health initiatives and programs |
2 | Standard 2: Engages in professional relationships and respectful partnerships |
2.3 | The midwife practises ethically, with respect for dignity, privacy, confidentiality, equity and justice |
2.4 | The midwife practises without the discrimination that may be associated with race, age, disability, sexuality, gender identity, relationship status, power relations and/or social disadvantage |
2.5 | The midwife practises cultural safety that is holistic, free of bias and exposes racism |
2.6 | The midwife practises in a way that respects that family and community underpin the health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples |
2.7 | The midwife develops, maintains and concludes professional relationships in a way that differentiates the boundaries between professional and personal relationships |
3 | Standard 3: Demonstrates the capability and accountability for midwifery practice |
3.2 | The midwife practises within relevant legal parameters and professional standards, codes and guidelines |
3.3 | The midwife participates in own continuing professional development to maintain the required knowledge and skill base for safe and effective practice |
3.4 | The midwife contributes to a culture that supports learning, teaching, knowledge transfer and critical reflection |
3.5 | The midwife engages in timely consultation, referral and documentation |
3.7 | The midwife recognises and responds appropriately where safe and quality practice may be compromised |
3.8 | The midwife considers and responds in a timely manner to the health and wellbeing of self and others in relation to the capability for practice |
4 | Standard 4: Undertakes comprehensive assessments |
4.1 | The midwife works in partnership to determine factors that affect, or potentially affect, the health and wellbeing of women, communities and populations |
4.2 | The midwife uses assessment techniques to systematically collect relevant and accurate information |
4.3 | The midwife analyses information and data and communicates assessments and anticipated outcomes as the basis for midwifery practice |
4.4 | The midwife assesses the resources that are available to inform planning |
5 | Standard 5: Develops a plan for midwifery practice |
5.1 | The midwife interprets assessment data and best available evidence to develop a plan for practice |
5.4 | The midwife documents, evaluates and modifies plans to facilitate the anticipated outcomes |
6.3 | The midwife is responsible for consultation and referral and/ or escalation in situations that are outside the individual’s scope of practice |
7.2 | The midwife revises plan and actions based on evidence and what is learned from evaluation |
7.3 | The midwife uses evaluation and reflection to inform future practice and professional development |
Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.
Enrolled in Program SC393
Not applicable
Not applicable
Not applicable
Standard Grading (GRD)
High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL). |
In week 4 students will complete Task 1 which will provide early feedback on their progress within the course.
Delivery mode | Task No. | Assessment Product | Individual or Group | Weighting % | What is the duration / length? | When should I submit? | Where should I submit it? |
All | 1 | Quiz/zes | Individual | 15% | 1 hour |
Week 4 | Online Test (Quiz) |
All | 2 | Case Study | Individual | 40% | 1,000 words |
Week 7 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
All | 3a | Practical / Laboratory Skills | Individual | 10% | You will complete your chosen clinical skills in collaboration with your peer assessor within the laboratory class in week 12. 25min time limit. |
Week 12 | In Class |
All | 3b | Written Piece | Individual | 35% | 750 words |
Week 13 | Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check |
All - Assessment Task 1:Quizzes | |
Goal: | Revise key concepts introduced in the first 4 weeks |
Product: | Quiz/zes |
Format: | You will complete a timed online quiz via Canvas. The quiz will be open for 24 hours on Week 4. You will enter the quiz area for a maximum of 1 hour and answer multiple choice and short answer questions. The questions will be based on key concepts introduced in weeks 1-4 of the course. |
Criteria: |
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All - Assessment Task 2:Case study | |
Goal: | Apply foundational midwifery knowledge to a case study |
Product: | Case Study |
Format: | You will choose one case study from several options provided to you on Canvas. You will write an assignment using a critical thinking conceptual model to explore your case study. Further information will be provided via Canvas and by your tutor. |
Criteria: |
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All - Assessment Task 3a:Practical / Laboratory Skills | |
Goal: | Implement clinical practices, peer appraisal and reflection |
Product: | Practical / Laboratory Skills |
Format: | In Week 12 laboratory session you will be required to complete a peer reviewed assessment activity. This task will introduce you to the beginning practices of giving and receiving peer-based feedback on your developing clinical and assessment skills, applying documentation and assessment practices and reflecting on your developing practice. This assessment will be submitted in your Week 12 laboratory class. |
Criteria: |
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All - Assessment Task 3b:Written piece | |
Goal: | The purpose of this task is to demonstrate your development of clinical skills and ability to become a reflective practitioner. |
Product: | Written Piece |
Format: | In week 12 during your laboratory session you will be provided with peer feedback on your clinical assessment skills. You will write a 750 word reflection, according to the structure of a Reflective Cycle, which will incorporate self-reflection and the use of relevant literature. This task builds on formative work throughout the semester. The word count does not include your in-text referencing or reference list. Further details will be available on the HLT131 Canvas site. |
Criteria: |
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A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.
Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.
Please note that you need to have regular access to the resource(s) listed below. Resources may be required or recommended.
Required? | Author | Year | Title | Edition | Publisher |
Required | Ruth Johnson, Wendy Taylor, Sally de-Vitry Smith, Sara Bayes | 2022 | Skills for Midwifery Practice Australia and New Zealand 2nd edition. | n/a | Elsevier |
Required | Sally Pairman,Sally K. Tracy,Hannah G. Dahlen,Lesley Dixon, PHD, RM | 2023 | Midwifery Preparation for Practice | 5th | Elsevier |
Required | Nicky Leap, Billie Hunter | 2022 | Supporting Women for Labour and Birth | 2nd | Routledge |
Students are advised that if the laboratory session has any formal assessment item(s) associated with it, these must be completed even if you have an acceptable reason for non-attendance of that class. It is the student’s responsibility to seek out the course coordinator, at their earliest convenience, to ascertain how they will meet the learning objectives. Failure to satisfactorily complete the tutorial/laboratory work and any associated assessment items may severely impede your chances of meeting the learning outcomes of this course. You will need to wear closed shoes that comply with the UniSC Health and Safety Policies to any clinical practice laboratory sessions. Your clinical placement may have specific requirements, and information will be provided during your placement orientation. UniSC uniform as outlined on Canvas is to be worn on placement
Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation. It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline. This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.
Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person. You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.
In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.
Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying: The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4% The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct
Late submission of assessment tasks may be penalised at the following maximum rate: - 5% (of the assessment task's identified value) per day for the first two days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. - 10% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the third day - 20% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the fourth day and subsequent days up to and including seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. - A result of zero is awarded for an assessment task submitted after seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. Weekdays and weekends are included in the calculation of days late. To request an extension you must contact your course coordinator to negotiate an outcome.
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