What will I learn on this module?
This module enables you to demonstrate that you have met the clinical proficiencies required by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, (NMC). Standards for pre-registration midwifery education and can safely and effectively make the transition from student midwife to newly qualified midwifery registrant.
The expectations of professional practice and the NMC Code will be consolidated, for example, in relation to the concept of advocacy, protection of vulnerable children and adults, including in end-of-life care. Safe practice is embedded within the module as you revisit skills such as infection control, life support, suturing, Newborn Infant Physical Examination (NIPE) the management of medicines, including meeting prescriber ready status.
The emphasis of your learning will be your role in leading and managing universal care and contributing to additional midwifery care needs tailored to women and families’ individual circumstances, as you demonstrate increasing autonomy in your practice. Continuity opportunities are pivotal to your practice; these provide you with the opportunity to develop your practice and confidence and demonstrate that you have achieved the proficiencies required to become a midwife. Therefore, caseload midwifery is a key focus in your practice learning, providing the opportunity to manage a small caseload of women through their pregnancy journey. You will also engage critically with research relating to models of midwifery care within the UK and globally. You will revisit the values required for professional life, debating the contemporary context of professional registration as a midwife.
This module also offers an opportunity to critically explore and reflect on the values and skills needed for facilitating the learning, teaching and assessment of professional values, behaviours and proficiencies. A Simulated ‘unfolding’ case study role play with peer group discussion provides an anchoring thread throughout the module; a realistic scenario based around practice learning unfolds to add new information, requiring students to make a series of decisions in response to a dynamic situation, mirroring real world practice learning in midwifery practice. This is a safe space to practice dealing with complex or challenging situations for the first time, which builds confidence for real-world practice supervision, so that you can act as a Practice Supervisor following registration as a midwife.
You will explore the concept of continuing professional development and consider the skills required by, and the potential routes after qualifying as a registered midwife, to becoming a Practice Assessor, an educator within practice, an academic, an independent practitioner, or a Professional Midwifery Advocate.
How will I learn on this module?
You will learn through practice learning, independent learning, peer-assisted learning, interprofessional learning, simulation, e-learning and lectures. You will undertake self-assessment of your own needs for the achievement of competence as a midwife. We are mindful that you will have a range of preferences for student-led and group work, but we do expect you all to thoroughly prepare for and participate in these sessions.
Practice learning will be provided by clinical colleagues; those assessing your learning have undertaken appropriate post-registration preparation to make robust assessment of practice outcomes. You will be required to undertake 24/7 care to support women who you agree to support on a ‘caseload basis’. This practice-based experience will provide replica opportunities for you to develop personal and professional resilience and resources to support service transformation and change, that the role of the midwife requires.
Attendance in placement is required to be 100%. Your placement hours in Year Three: 967.5
How will I be supported academically on this module?
Your learning will be supported by the provision of formative feedback from academic staff and peers as you participate in learning activities. Fifty percent of programme time is in clinical practice, where you will be supported by experienced midwives, Midwifery Link Tutors (MLT), a Practice Learning Tutor (PLT) and Practice Placement Facilitators (PPF) who work jointly between the NHS Trust hospitals and the programme team to develop and monitor the standard of practice placements, and are available to support students in the clinical learning environment. You can read more about supervision in practice on the NMC website: https://www.nmc.org.uk/standards-for-education-and-training/standards-for-student-supervision-and-assessment/
Extensive support is available online, as part of the University’s commitment to technology enhanced learning. This includes the use of BlackBoard Ultra as the electronic platform for all module content and eMORA – the electronic practice document.
The University Libraries at both Coach Lane Campus and City Campus offer an extensive collection of material, both hard copy and electronic, access to international databases and training in information retrieval. The module will be supported by University library staff and resources, including study skills support packages. You can access the interactive training via the library webpages or the following link: http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/learning-skills
Ask4Help Online provides a comprehensive range of answers to frequently asked questions and is of benefit to students as a central point of reference for information about many different topics. Ask4Help face to face service points include those located in both university libraries.
What will I be expected to read on this module?
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)
What will I be expected to achieve?
Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Evaluate knowledge and understanding of the evidence base for midwifery practice to demonstrate application of theory to practice and achievement of the NMC (2019) Standards of Proficiency. Critically analyse and formulate appropriate evidence-based interventions that support professional development of learners', including consistent demonstration of woman-centred care.
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
2. You will demonstrate achievement of the minimum requirements, skills and attributes required for final progression to registration.
3. You will critically reflect on your skills and abilities to develop healthy, respectful relationships with women, fathers/partners which promote positive physical, psychological, social, spiritual and emotional outcomes as you provide universal and additional care.
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
4. You will display the requirements of the NMC Code and adhere to the legal and ethical frameworks related to the registered midwife as you consider the challenges arising in contemporary maternity care in the UK and globally.
How will I be assessed?
This module will assess that you are confident, competent and compassionate midwifery practitioners, who can critically apply expert knowledge, critically reflect on their own work and that of others. You will be expected to demonstrate the capacity to problem solve, promote knowledge transfer and lead in the transformational change of care, to be capable clinical midwives.
Formative: feedback on your performance in clinical practice will be available to you via feedback from practice supervisors, practice and academic assessors via your eMORA.
Verbal formative feedback will be available form academic staff and peers during practical sessions, where you will rehearse skills such as: NIPE, suturing and life support.
Summative assessment:
1) Objective Structured Clinical Examination – NIPE (45mins)
MLO’s 1,3,4,5; 70%
AND
2) eMORA
MLO’s 1-5; Pass/Fail
AND
3) Numeracy Exam – 1 hour; 100%
4) Learning and evaluation plan
Option A: Poster of the annotated 2000-word plan
OR
Option B: Presentation of the plan - 20 mins
MLO’s 2; 30%
Marking rubric and qualitative feedback in BBU.
Module abstract
This module will equip you with the clinical experiences and knowledge necessary to meet the NMC Standards of proficiency for midwives. By providing care for a caseload of women; you will enhance your communication and relationship-building skills with women and their families, ensuring the care you provide promotes positive physical, social, emotional and psychological outcomes for women, babies and partners. The module will comprehensively address core skills for providing care to women and babies throughout the childbearing period. This will include topics such as safeguarding, infection control, basic life support, neonatal life support, medicines management, and NIPE, all in accordance with ethical, legal, and professional practice principles. Upon successful completion of the module, you will be appropriately prepared for the transition to your role as a newly qualified midwife, including the practice learning supervision of health care professions learners.
