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Unit Synopsis
In this unit, you will critically explore the normal childbearing continuum and the midwife’s role in promoting and facilitating optimal physiological, psychological, and cultural processes across diverse maternity care contexts. You will engage with the philosophical foundations of midwifery, including the principles of being ‘with woman’, midwife-woman partnerships, and continuity of care. Emphasis is placed on synthesising current evidence, evaluating models of care, and applying theoretical frameworks to support woman-centred, culturally safe midwifery practice. You will develop mastery in reflective practice, ethical reasoning, and leadership within interdisciplinary teams, preparing you to contribute to innovation and reform in maternity services through evidence based practice and advocacy.
Details
| Level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 8 |
| Credit Points | 6 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 1 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.125 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
Co-requisite: Midwifery Professional Frameworks. 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 | No Residential School |
Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2026
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).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Assessment Tasks
| Assessment Task | Weighting |
|---|---|
| 1. Case Study | 50% |
| 2. Oral Examination | 50% |
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%).
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web site.
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.
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Analyse complex anatomical and physiological concepts relating to human reproduction, pregnancy, birth, and lactation, integrating current research findings to generate informed insights and evidence-based approaches to clinical or educational practice
- Interpret the multifaceted role of the midwife in promoting, supporting, and facilitating normal physiological processes across the childbearing continuum, incorporating current research, ethical principles, and interdisciplinary perspectives to inform and enhance professional practice
- Critically appraise and synthesise contemporary evidence to inform and advance midwifery practice, demonstrating scholarly judgement and the ability to translate research into safe, ethical, and culturally responsive professional practice across a range of clinical settings.
Content in this unit addresses the following professional requirements:
ANMAC Midwife Accreditation Standards (2021)
Standard 1: Safety of the public
Standard 3: Program of study
The National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards (2021)
Clinical governance
Partnering with consumers
Preventing and controlling healthcare-associated infection
Medication safety
Comprehensive care
Communicating for safety
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
Standars 4: Undertakes comprehensive assessments
Standard 5: Develops plans for midwifery practice
Standard 6: Provides safe and quality midwifery practice
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
ICM International Code of Ethics for Midwives (2014)
Midwifery relationships
Practice of midwifery
Professional responsibilities of midwives
Advancement of midwifery knowledge and practice
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Case Study | • | • | • |
| 2 - Oral Examination | • | • | • |
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | • | • | • |
| 2 - Communication | • | • | • |
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | • | • | • |
| 4 - Research | • | • | • |
| 5 - Self-management | • | • | |
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | • | • | • |
| 7 - Leadership | • | • | |
| 8 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | • | • | • |
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | |