MW0632 - Appraising Universal Midwifery Care for Women and Families

You will learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, and independent study. Seminars will use a range of methods including analysis and debate of clinical scenario’s, reports and public health policies. You will engage in small group discussions to develop your skills in debating the evidence underpinning midwifery care provision. Reflection on values and philosophies of midwifery practice will enable you to challenge and support midwifery practice that promotes equity of outcomes for all women and their babies. This will help you to focus on your personal development as a future midwife in line with professional requirements outlined in the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code , Standards of proficiency for midwives and characteristics of a Northumbria University graduate. Online activities will support your independent learning and preparation for scheduled sessions.

Visiting lecturers with specific expertise in areas of practice may contribute to some of the workshops to support your development of knowledge and skills to underpin your achievement of practice outcomes.

Academic staff delivering the module will guide and support your learning in small groups during identified seminars, workshops, and tutorials. Formative feedback will be given by tutors regarding your contribution to specific seminars and peer and self - assessment will be encouraged in a supportive environment. Seminars and small group tutorials will support your academic, personal, and professional development and help you to prepare for the summative assessment.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

You will be expected to:

Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Synthesis of theories, models and approaches in midwifery practice with a critique of factors which influence the optimisation of normal physiological, social and psychological processes across the childbirth continuum.

2. Analysis the context of midwifery practice and critically assess the role of the midwife in relation to other members of the healthcare team, drawing on both theory and research to engender new and challenging insights into personal and professional practice.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
3. Appraise and interpret current policy and data relating to public health, health promotion and health protection issues for women and their babies.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
4. Critically reflect on the influence of practitioner bias in the development of healthy and respectful relationships with women, fathers/partners which promote positive physical, psychological, social, spiritual and emotional outcomes

Formative assessment

Peer and lecturer feedback in seminars and workshops, specifically relating to depth of critique and analysis of key issues in preparation for the summative assessment.


Summative assessment: Essay

You will undertake a 2000-word essay which addresses the module outcomes.
MLO1, 2, 3, 4 (100%)

Feedback is via the marking rubric with qualitative feedforward comments.

N/A

N/A

This module will support you to consolidate and advance your theory and skills in supporting women to achieve a safe and satisfying experience throughout the childbirth continuum. Through engaging in a range of learning activities such debates, scenario-based seminars and practice-focussed workshops, you will explore the importance of your role as a future midwife in promoting normal processes in pregnancy, labour, birth, and the early postnatal period. Using the five elements of the Framework for Quality Maternal and Newborn Care you will examine the factors that influence women’s experiences and midwifery care provision through the review and critical discussion of a range of evidence including contemporary research and public health policies which impact on midwifery care. This will involve considering subjects such as concept analysis of normality, competing ideologies of childbirth such as technocratic and humanistic approaches, as well as principles of care that facilitate normal processes. You will assess your own learning needs and devise strategies to enable you to confidently integrate the knowledge and theory you have gained in your current and future midwifery practice.