NURS 2025 Midwifery Professional Practice 3

This is an archived copy of the 2022-2023 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit https://hbook.westernsydney.edu.au.

Credit Points 10

Legacy Code 401221

Coordinator Kye Porritt Opens in new window

Description In this subject students will learn the necessary midwifery skills for the provision of woman centred post birth care. In a simulated practice environment students will gain practical skills to provide midwifery care to both the woman and her baby up until six weeks postpartum. The importance of effective communication and documentation will also be reinforced. This subject will also include blocks of practical experience in designated clinical areas and the provision of continuity of care.

School Nursing & Midwifery

Discipline Midwifery

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 1 10cp

Check your HECS Band contribution amount via the Fees page.

Level Undergraduate Level 2 subject

Pre-requisite(s) NURS 1013 AND
NURS 1004

Co-requisite(s) NURS 2022

Equivalent Subjects NURS 2023 Midwifery Practice Experience 3

Restrictions

Students must be enrolled in 4684 Bachelor of Midwifery.

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. Provide evidence based woman centred care during the postnatal period including routine postnatal screening tests and correct documentation, under guidance.
2. Undertake safe comprehensive postnatal assessments of women and newborn including planning and performing a discharge, under guidance.
3. Apply effective interprofessional and intraprofessional communication skills related to collaborative practice
4. Discuss a variety of options for optimal breastfeeding positioning and attachment, and for supporting women experiencing difficulties with breastfeeding.
5. Apply principles of safe medication administration with a focus on non-parenteral and parenteral medication.
6. Critique midwifery practice requirements in accordance with legislation, regulations, policies, guidelines and midwifery standards for practice.

Appropriate communication
• Woman led
• Attentive listening
• Open ended questioning
• Suggestions and options
• Strengths based feedback
• Communications skills for completing the professional midwifery relationship
• Interprofessional and intraprofessional communication

Professional practice requirements
• Documentation in accordance with professional and legislative requirements.
• Policy and procedure guidelines
• Informed consent
• Privacy issues
• Confidentiality
• Infection Control
• Medication Calculations

Midwifery Practice (Postbirth)
• Day 0-6 Maternal postnatal assessment
― Using open and respectful communication
― Provide an opportunity for the woman to discuss her birth experience
― Assess
• the woman’s emotional needs
• comfort
• involution
• blood loss
• wound integrity (if applicable)
• nutritional intake and hydration
• elimination
• breasts and breastfeeding
• infant feeding support needs, including safe preparation of formula when necessary
― Care of the woman pre and post operatively
― Pressure bandages/ removal of sutures/staples
― Urinary catheterisation
― Promote and support hygiene needs
― Administer intramuscular and subcutaneous injections
― Blood glucose testing
― commencement and maintenance of IV Therapy
― fluid balance
― Include and involve the woman’s significant others
• Day 0-6 newborn postnatal assessment
― Using open respectful communication with the family assess newborn:
• Colour- Jaundice
• Temperature, respirations, heart rate and heart sounds, saturations
• Hydration
• Elimination
• Sleep/wake cycle
• Collection of Newborn screening test
― Blood glucose monitoring in the neonate
― IMI and SC injections for newborns, including calculation of dose
• Week 1-6 Postnatal assessment mother and infant
― All of the above plus
• maternal adjustment
• infant growth and weight gain
• infant developmental milestones
• parental concerns

Education, discharge and referral
• Safe infant care- bathing, nappy changing, SIDs information
• Breastfeeding challenges- eg. Nipple pain, the use of nipple shields and/ or breastmilk expression (as appropriate)
• Concerns about infant growth
• Infant settling and sleeping
• Information regarding formal and informal support options (community, peer and health professional options)
• Discharge Assessment
― Woman
• comprehensive physical assessment
• assessment of ongoing support needs
• evidence based information regarding contraceptive options
• consideration of domestic violence screening tool
• perinatal mental health issues
• referrals
― Newborn
• full head to toe assessment
• assessment of reflexes
• assessment of heart sounds
• assessment of growth and development
• assessment of risk of harm - Child and Family Health policies around supporting families early.

Legislative pre-requisites

Special Requirements - NSW Health Legislative Prerequisites Pre-requisites

Student Compliance Information for all Health-Related Placements

Prior to enrolling in this subject, students must have submitted a Student Undertaking Form and undertake to apply for a National Police Check, which is required to be submitted before placement, and a Working with Children Check Student Declaration. Use the link to the Special Requirements webpage below for more information.

To be eligible to enrol in this subject and complete any required health-related placements or experiences, students must meet Western Sydney University program requirements as well as any special, legislated, or policy-mandated requirements.

Western Program Requirements

Visit the Special Requirements webpage for details about your program.

Special Requirements

Mandatory NSW Health student placement policy requirements

To be able to undertake placement in any NSW Health facility you must be assessed as compliant with NSW Health student placement policy in the first year of your program, regardless of when you expect to go on your first placement. Access and read the NSW Student Compliance Information Booklet.

NSW Student Compliance Information Booklet

Please ensure that you

Find your existing National Police Check or apply for one
Gather documentary evidence of your vaccination history
Print and compete all relevant NSW Health forms relevant to the campus you are enrolled at or online enrolment requirements
Follow booklet instructions on how to have your compliance documents assessed by NSW health staff.

International students have additional requirements; the link to the booklet will inform you of these requirements.

School Requirements

Contact your School for further details regarding your School’s requirements, if any, such as

If you live outside of NSW or Australia and need to meet your state, territory or country’s compliance requirements
If you need to meet different state, territory or country compliance requirements.
NSW Working with Children Check (WWCC) or other state equivalent, valid for your entire program.
Current approved first aid certificate valid for your entire program - approved program providers can be found at the Government Training website
http://training.gov.au
Other non-health related requirements.

Student Compliance Resources are also available on the Placements Hub web page (NSW students only)

https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/learning_futures/home/placements_hub/placements_hub/student_compliance

Essential equipment

Students will require a calculator for maths in tutorials and CPU; Western Sydney University uniform for clinical placement and final skill assessment, watch with a second hand. Access to an internet enabled device is essential in order to be able to: access course materials; to participate in discussion groups; and to access additional resources provided by the lecturer during the session.

See http://www.westernsydney.edu.au/currentstudents/current_students/services_and_facilities/uwsonline_student_support for further information.

Assessment

The following table summarises the standard assessment tasks for this subject. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated, where there is a difference your Learning Guide takes precedence.

Type	Length	Percent	Threshold	Individual/Group Task
Professional Placement Performance	45 minutes	S/U	Y	Individual
Quiz	Part A - All teaching weeks and Part B - 30 minutes	S/U	Y	Individual
Practical	All teaching weeks	S/U	Y	Individual
Practical Exam	25 mins	S/U	Y	Individual
Portfolio	not specified	S/U	Y	Individual
Professional Placement Performance	Duration: 100% Attendance, 224 Practicum Hours and 15 Continuity of Care hours.	S/U	Y	Individual

Teaching Periods

Academic Handbook

2022-2023 Edition

NURS 2025 Midwifery Professional Practice 3

Special Requirements - NSW Health Legislative Prerequisites Pre-requisites

Student Compliance Information for all Health-Related Placements

Western Program Requirements

Mandatory NSW Health student placement policy requirements

School Requirements

Assessment

Day

On-site

Print Options

Academic Handbook

2022-2023 Edition

NURS 2025 Midwifery Professional Practice 3

Learning Outcomes

Subject Content

Special Requirements

Assessment

1st Half (2022)

1st Half (2023)