MDWF13006 - Midwifery Practice 4

General Information

Unit Synopsis

This clinical placement unit is the final of four that provides you with midwifery clinical experience. In this capstone unit, you will be required to integrate and apply knowledge, concepts and skills learned throughout the course. The learning experiences will provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to practice at the level of a competent beginning midwife. The clinical practicum component of this unit will require you to complete a minimum of 224 hours in addition to Continuity of Care Experiences (COCE).

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 3
Credit Points 12
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 1
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.25
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Co-requisite: MDWF13009 Foundations of Midwifery 4

 

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School Compulsory Residential School
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Unit Availabilities from Term 3 - 2025

Term 1 - 2026 Profile
Mixed Mode

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 12-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 25 hours of study per week, making a total of 300 hours for the unit.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Case Study 40%
2. Portfolio 60%
3. Professional Practice Placement 0%

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).

Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2025 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 100.00% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 3.85% response rate.

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Source: SUTE data.
Feedback
Students provided feedback about Assessment 2, a reflective journal portfolio in which the students critically reflect upon each encounter with the women they engage with for continuity of care experiences. This assessment task carries a 60% weighting for the unit. The feedback from the students included statements indicating that the assessment task is too "time-consuming".
Recommendation
This is a challenging feedback item to address, as the nature of the required work is fulfils 3.13.a.iv. of the Midwife Accreditation Standards 2021, which state that regarding continuity of care experiences, students must "maintain a record of each engagement incorporating regular reflection and review by the education provider". The midwifery academic team will discuss possible amendments to the assessment task for the next 2025 intake to the course, which maintain the integrity of the course accreditation and adherence to the standards. The Learning Design & Innovation Directorate will be consulted.
Action Taken
The unit coordinator has reviewed the continuity of care assessment task for the 2025 cohort, and alterations have been made to address student feedback and enhance the students’ ability to engage in reflective practice, while ensuring alignment with Standard 3.13.a.iv of the Midwife Accreditation Standards 2021 and the learning outcomes.
Source: Verbal feedback from students and industry partner
Feedback
Students provided feedback indicating a preference to complete their required clinical placement hours earlier than the current timeframe. This adjustment would allow them to return to their paid nursing positions sooner and help reduce the overall burden of clinical placement.
Recommendation
Students are required to attend placement between the formative and summative AMSAT assessments within Term 1 to enable their progress and learning development to be assessed. This schedule ensures alignment with Midwife Accreditation Standard 3.11, which requires end of program placements to demonstrate achievement of the NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice, and supports Standard 5.3 by clearly linking formative and summative assessments to competence and student progression. It also enables students to continue with the unit in conjunction with their theoretical learning and the corequisite unit, Foundations of Midwifery 4.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: Verbal feedback from students at Midwifery Practice 4 residential school.
Feedback
Students indicated that the Academic Learning Session on the use of Generative AI, delivered during the Midwifery Practice 4 residential school, was not provided at an optimal time, and they would have preferred to receive this guidance earlier in the program.
Recommendation
The rapidly evolving landscape of generative AI meant that providing this guidance in previous residential schools earlier in the program was challenging. However, the value of this instruction is recognised, and future iterations of the unit will explore opportunities to integrate generative AI guidance more effectively to better support student learning.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate safe, effective, collaborative midwifery care and the use of digital health and emerging technologies at the level of a beginning registered midwife.
  2. Critically reflect on clinical learning, midwifery practice, and continuity of care experiences (COCE) to enhance practice
  3. Apply midwifery knowledge, cultural safety, and inclusivity to the care of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their families
  4. Demonstrate professional midwifery competence at the level of a graduate midwife based upon the Nursing and Midwifery Board Australia (NMBA) Midwife Standards for Practice (2018) requirements.

The proposed changes to learning outcomes and the unit will meet the following:

The draft ANMAC Midwifery Education Standards (2020).

Standard 1: Safety of the public.

Standard 3: Program of study.

Standard 4: Student experience.

Standard 5: Student assessment.

NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice (2018).

Standard 1: Promotes evidence-based maternal health and wellbeing.

Standard 2: Engages in respectful partnerships and professional relationships.

Standard 3: Demonstrates the capability and accountability for midwifery practice.

Standard 4: Undertakes comprehensive assessments.

Standard 5: Develops plans for midwifery practice.

Standard 6: Provides safe and quality midwifery practice.

Standard 7: Evaluates outcomes to improve midwifery practice.

The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) Code of Conduct for Midwives (2018).

Principle 1. Legal compliance.

Principle 2. Woman-centred practice.

Principle 3. Cultural practice and respectful relationships.

Principle 4. Professional Behaviour.

Principle 7. Health and wellbeing.

 

The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) International Code of Ethics for Midwives (2014).

1. Midwifery Relationships.

2. Practice of Midwifery.

3. The Professional Responsibilities of Midwives.

4. Advancement of Midwifery Knowledge and Practice.

National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (2017).

Clinical Governance Standard.

Partnering with Consumers Standard.

Preventing and Controlling Healthcare-Associated Infection Standard.

Medication Safety Standard.

Comprehensive Care Standard.

Communicating for Safety Standard.

Blood Management Standard.

Recognising and Responding to Acute Deterioration Standard.

The Nursing and Midwifery Digital Health Framework

 

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Case Study • •
2 - Portfolio • •
3 - Professional Practice Placement • • • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4
1 - Communication • • • •
2 - Problem Solving • • • •
3 - Critical Thinking • • • •
4 - Information Literacy • • • •
5 - Team Work • • •
6 - Information Technology Competence • • • •
7 - Cross Cultural Competence • • • •
8 - Ethical practice • • • •
9 - Social Innovation • •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10