Credit Points 10

Legacy Code 401220

Coordinator Fiona Arundell Opens in new window

Description In this subject students will develop skills for the provision of midwifery care across the birthing continuum. The primary focus of this subject will be the acquisition of skills for supporting women during normal pregnancy and birth. Students will apply knowledge gained from Midwifery Knowledge 1 and 2 in simulated practice environments and will gain a comprehensive understanding of the practical aspects of midwifery care for women experiencing normal labour and birth. Students will gain practical experience in designated clinical areas and will follow women through pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period in a continuity of care experience.

School Nursing & Midwifery

Discipline Midwifery

Student Contribution Band HECS Band 1 10cp

Check your fees via the Fees page.

Level Undergraduate Level 1 subject

Pre-requisite(s) NURS 1012 and NURS 1009 for program 4684

Co-requisite(s) NURS 1010 for program 4684

Equivalent Subjects NURS 1011

Restrictions

Students must be enrolled in 4684 Bachelor of Midwifery.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Communicate with women and their families, and colleagues, in an open and respectful way
2. Assess, monitor and provide safe midwifery care to the woman during normal labour and birth, under guidance
3. Provide safe post-birth care and management of the woman including breastfeeding support
4. Perform an examination of the newborn including initial assessment of newborn adjustment to extra uterine life, under guidance
5. Explain professional midwifery practice requirements including continuity of care, in accordance with legislation, regulations, policies, guidelines and standards or requirements in midwifery.
6.  Demonstrate principles of safe medication administration

Subject Content

1. Communication:
- Attentive listening
- Open communication
- Working in partnership
- Woman-centred approach

2. Midwifery Practice Requirements:
- Documentation
- Adherence to policy and procedure guidelines
- Principles of informed consent
- Confidentiality
- Privacy
- Medication Calculations

3. Professional Midwifery Practice:
A) Assessment and monitoring of early labour:
- Collecting a pregnancy and labour onset history
- Reviewing antenatal history and screening to assess maternal and fetal wellbeing
- Performing an abdominal examination in labour
- Assessing uterine contraction and pattern
- Assessing fetal wellbeing in labour
- Collecting maternal observations
- Assessing maternal needs and plans
- Assessing hydration/ elimination
- Applying  the principles of infection control

B) Assessment and Monitoring of Labour Progress:
- Maternal cues
- Fetal position and descent
- Contraction pattern
- Vaginal loss
- Hydration and nutrition
- Assessing maternal comfort
- Assessing the need for vaginal examination
- Documentation - partogram, and progress notes
- Escalation procedure for deviations from normal

C) Skills for Promoting Physiological Labour and Birth:
- Rationale for upright positions and movement
- Use of massage and complementary therapies
- The use of heat
- The use of water/water birth

D) Skills for Supporting Birth:
- Preparation for birth
- Sterile/clean technique
- Midwives role in supporting the birthing woman (including waterbirth)
- Mechanism of birth in a variety of positions
- Physiological and active third stage
- Assessing perineal trauma
- Examination of the placenta
- Collection of cord blood

E) Skills for Supporting Newborns:
- Immediate care of the newborn
- Apgar scoring
- Initiating skin to skin
- Supporting the first breast feed

4. Introduction to Post-Birth Care:
A) Maternal Post Birth Assessment Including:
- Emotional wellbeing
- Comfort measures
- Vital signs
- Assessment of vaginal loss and uterine involution
- Assessment of pain and discomfort
- Elimination
- Nutrition
- Procedure for dispensing of oral medication

B) Initial Newborn Assessment Including:
- Identification
- Initial measurements
- Head to toe examination
- Routine Vit K supplementation
- Nutrition
- Hep B immunisation

5. Medication Administration:
- Medication calculation
- Safe administration procedures
- Using MIMS
- Legal requirements for medication administration- consent/documentation
- Five rights of medication administration
- Accepted medication abbreviations
- The use of Nitrous Oxide

Special Requirements

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

To be eligible to enrol in a subject and attend a health-related placement in your course, students must meet Western Sydney University course requirements AND Special Legislative Requirements to be assessed in their first year of study against the following

1. National Criminal History Check: Students must have a current (expiring 3 years from date of issue) check valid for their entire course. A valid National Criminal history check must be an Australia wide check, include the student's full name matching their Student ID card and date of birth and not have any offences listed. If a student has a criminal history identified on their check, they must provide a Clinical Placement Authority Card (CPAC) or conditional letter from the NSW HealthShare Employment Screening and Review Unit.

NSW Student Compliance Information Booklet

2. A NSW Working with Children Check (WWCC) clearance letter issued under the category of volunteer valid for their entire course.
3. A current approved first aid certificate valid for their entire course, approved provider courses can be found at

https://training.gov.au/

4. A completed vaccination/immunisation card with all serology results containing expiry dates and currency must be maintained by the student to ensure compliance for their entire course
5. NSW Undertaking/Declaration form
6. Completed any additional health forms required (such as NSW Health Code of Conduct, Health Student Undertaking/Declaration and Tuberculosis (TB) Assessment Tool)
7. Relevant Local Health District specific documentation as requested.

Contact your School for further details. Resources are also available on the Placement Hub website.

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