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Course Outline

HLT310 Leadership and Governance in Maternity Care

Course Coordinator:Elaine Jefford (ejefford@usc.edu.au) School:School of Health - Midwifery

2025Semester 1

Online

 Online You can do this course without coming onto campus.

Please go to usc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

In this course you will consolidate and synthesise your midwifery knowledge and skills as you work toward competence to register and practice. You will be challenged to examine your role as a midwife to enable you to practice as a future oriented professional. Specifically, you will examine the role of the midwife in leadership and governance. You will examine professional and regulatory requirements as they provide the framework for leadership in the profession.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency

Course Topics

  • Promoting health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities
  • Promoting health in the global context
  • Leadership in practice
  • Governance in midwifery
  • Professional issues in midwifery
  • Economic, environmental, political and social influences on maternity policies, service planning and models of care
  • Regulatory and legislative frameworks

What level is this course?

300 Level (Graduate)

Demonstrating coherence and breadth or depth of knowledge and skills. Independent application of knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts. Meeting professional requirements and AQF descriptors for the degree. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory or developing knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally undertaken in the third or fourth full-time study year of an undergraduate program.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

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 Identify the maternity care needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities, women with culturally diverse backgrounds and other vulnerable groups. Ethical 
1, 2
2 Critically analyse how global policies and programs of reform’s impact safety and quality of maternity care provision. Sustainability-focussed 
7
3 Critically reflect on the role and scope of a midwife nationally and internationally through the lens of leadership and governance. Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker 
2.8, 5.2
4 Analyse leadership and governance within the maternity setting. Engaged 
3.7
5 Interpret and use evidence as a basis to inform practice, policy, guidelines and decision-making. Creative and critical thinker 
1
6 Apply principles and practices of academic writing and referencing Engaged 
1.2, 1.6

* Competencies by Professional Body

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
1.6 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
2.8 The midwife participates in and/or leads collaborative practice
3.7 The midwife recognises and responds appropriately where safe and quality practice may be compromised
5.2 The midwife collaboratively develops plans until options, priorities, goals, actions, anticipated outcomes and timeframes are agreed with the woman, and/or relevant others
7 Standard 7: Evaluates outcomes to improve midwifery practice

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

HLT203 and enrolled in Program SC393

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

Early feedback on progress will be provided through informal discussion during the week three tutorial. Students will be encouraged to bring a draft of task one – written piece – for review and feedback.

Assessment tasks

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 Written Piece Individual 15% 
750 words
 Week 3 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 2 Report Individual 50% 
2000 words
 Week 6 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 3 Written Piece Individual 35% 
1500 words
 Week 11 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All - Assessment Task 1:Written assignment
Goal: 
This assessment task gives you an opportunity to demonstrate principles of academic communication. The CEO of the local health district asks you to write a proposal (business case) for a new model of care to be located within appropriate community. This service is to include all points of the childbearing journey. The proposal must always be appropriate to the individual population and environmental context. The target population is ONE of the below:
•	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community, 
•	Women with culturally diverse backgrounds (you can choose ONE) or 
•	Refugee women. 
Points to consider: 
•	The need for the proposed new model of maternity care within your chosen group of women and families:
o	 political, social, and environmental. 

•	The model of midwifery care provision: 
potential risks and benefits of chosen model compared to others.
	mother and baby 
o	impact of midwifery care on birth outcomes.
•	Communication and key stakeholder engagement strategy
•	Resourcing of staff including education and professional development
o	the positive and negative impact of midwifery care including professional education and resources on birth outcomes.
Product: Written Piece
Format: 
An original word document assignment using evidence from a review of the academic and government literature to present a contemporary discussion of appropriate maternity services and midwifery care.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Critically consider the health needs for chosen group of women and families
 1
2 
Critically considers influencing factors that shape maternity services planning and models of care for chosen group of women and families such as:
•	political, 
•	social
•	environment
 2
3 
Critically consider the positive and negative impact of midwifery care including professional education and resources on birth outcomes based on evidence so they clearly align to current research with midwifery models of care and birth outcomes
 1
4 
Use of relevant scholarly literature and ethical use of intellectual property. No AI
Evidenced sourced information
 5
5 
Demonstrate appropriate written expression (academic writing, terminology, referencing etc.)
 6
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Information literacy
All - Assessment Task 2:Written piece
Goal: 
For this assignment, taking into consideration any feedback, you can draw on and expand upon any of the bullet points/sentences in assignment 1 as well as adding new content.  

This assessment task gives you an opportunity to demonstrate principles of academic communication. The CEO of the local health district asks you to write a proposal (business case) for a new model of care to be located within a remote or rural community. This service is to include all points of the childbearing journey. The proposal must always be appropriate to the individual population and environmental context. The target population is ONE of the below:
•	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community, 
•	Women with culturally diverse backgrounds (you can choose ONE) or 
•	Refugee women. 
Points to consider: 
•	The need for the proposed new model of maternity care within your chosen group of women and families:
o	 political, social, and environmental. 

•	The model of midwifery care provision: 
o	 potential risks and benefits of chosen model compared to others.
	mother and baby 
o	impact of midwifery care on birth outcomes.
•	Communication and key stakeholder engagement strategy
•	Resourcing of staff including education and professional development
o	the positive and negative impact of midwifery care including professional education and resources on birth outcomes
Product: Report
Format: 
Written
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Critically demonstrate knowledge of the health needs for chosen group of women and families
 2
2 
Critically evaluate influencing factors that shape maternity services planning and models of care for chosen group of women and families such as:
•	political, 
•	social
•	environment
 5
3 
Critically discuss the positive and negative impact of midwifery care including professional education and resources on birth outcomes based on evidence so they clearly align to current research with midwifery models of care and birth outcomes
 5
4 
Use of relevant scholarly literature and ethical use of intellectual property. No AI
Evidenced sourced information
 6
Generic Skills: 
Problem solving, Information literacy
All - Assessment Task 3:Written piece and commentary
Goal: 
The aim of this assignment is to build on the work you undertook in weeks 9-10. Now you are to critically reflect and analyse on the role and scope of you as a current third year student midwife and then as a new graduate midwife (1-3 years) nationally and internationally through the lens of leadership and governance. Using this lens, and that of regulatory and professional standards you are to:

•	identify, 
•	prioritise, and
•	 and set actions (learning needs). 

for your professional development moving from third year student midwife to the first three years of being a new graduate to provide safe, high-quality care to women and their families within the full scope of midwifery practice as defined by the ICM Definition of a Midwife 2017.
Product: Written Piece
Format: 
Concept Map (5%): Concept maps form a visual representation of your thought processes. Information about concept maps will be provided on the course Canvas site. 
Written Commentary (30%): 1500 word written response elaborating on your concept map, explaining your anticipated approach to your future practice as a midwife, and how this aligns with the Midwife Standards for Practice and Code of Conduct for Midwives.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Concept map must link to professional standards when discussing: 
- Current practice 
- First three years post registration
 3
2 
Articulation of an approach to future practice
 4
3 
Addresses professional, regulatory and legislative standards for ongoing practice in Australia
 2
4 
Key concepts are linked visually in the concept map
 5
5 
Application of professional, regulatory and legislative frameworks (Codes) to future midwifery practice once registered
 4
6 
Demonstrated understanding of the NMBA standards and codes as well as the ICM definition of a midwife
 2
7 
Video summary of information presented clearly and links to concept map and actions for professional development and includes:
-Importance – personally
-Enhance scope of practice national/international
-Inform decision-making
-Benefit to women
 5
8 
Use of relevant scholarly literature and ethical use of intellectual property. No AI
Evidenced sourced information
 6
Generic Skills: 
Communication, Information literacy

Directed study hours

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.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

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.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

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 Editors: Sally Pairman, Sally Tracy, Hannah Dahlen, Lesley Dixon 2022 MIDWIFERY PREPARATION FOR PRACTICE. 5th Elsevier

Specific requirements

Not applicable

How are risks managed in this course?

Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

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.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
(a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%; and
(b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submissions may be penalised up to and including the following maximum percentage of the assessment task’s identified value, with weekdays and weekends included in the calculation of days late:
(a) One day: deduct 5%;
(b) Two days: deduct 10%;
(c) Three days: deduct 20%;
(d) Four days: deduct 40%;
(e) Five days: deduct 60%;
(f) Six days: deduct 80%;
(g) Seven days: A result of zero is awarded for the assessment task.
The following penalties will apply for a late submission for an online examination:
Less than 15 minutes: No penalty
From 15 minutes to 30 minutes: 20% penalty
More than 30 minutes: 100% penalty

SafeUniSC

UniSC is committed to a culture of respect and providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community. For immediate assistance on campus contact SafeUniSC by phone: 07 5430 1168 or using the SafeZone app. For general enquires contact the SafeUniSC team by phone 07 5456 3864 or email safe@usc.edu.au.

The SafeUniSC Specialist Service is a Student Wellbeing service that provides free and confidential support to students who may have experienced or observed behaviour that could cause fear, offence or trauma. To contact the service call 07 5430 1226 or email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au.

Study help

For help with course-specific advice, for example what information to include in your assessment, you should first contact your tutor, then your course coordinator, if needed.

If you require additional assistance, the Learning Advisers are trained professionals who are ready to help you develop a wide range of academic skills. Visit the Learning Advisers web page for more information, or contact Student Central for further assistance: +61 7 5430 2890 or studentcentral@usc.edu.au.

Wellbeing Services

Student Wellbeing provide free and confidential counselling on a wide range of personal, academic, social and psychological matters, to foster positive mental health and wellbeing for your academic success.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 1226.

AccessAbility Services

Ability Advisers ensure equal access to all aspects of university life. If your studies are affected by a disability, learning disorder mental health issue, injury or illness, or you are a primary carer for someone with a disability or who is considered frail and aged, AccessAbility Services can provide access to appropriate reasonable adjustments and practical advice about the support and facilities available to you throughout the University.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email AccessAbility@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 2890.

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

  • In person:
    • UniSC Sunshine Coast - Student Central, Ground Floor, Building C, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs
    • UniSC Moreton Bay - Service Centre, Ground Floor, Foundation Building, Gympie Road, Petrie
    • UniSC SouthBank - Student Central, Building A4 (SW1), 52 Merivale Street, South Brisbane
    • UniSC Gympie - Student Central, 71 Cartwright Road, Gympie
    • UniSC Fraser Coast - Student Central, Student Central, Building A, 161 Old Maryborough Rd, Hervey Bay
    • UniSC Caboolture - Student Central, Level 1 Building J, Cnr Manley and Tallon Street, Caboolture
  • Tel:+61 7 5430 2890
  • Email:studentcentral@usc.edu.au
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