Knowing Postnatal Practices (11947.1)
| Available teaching periods | Delivery mode | Location |
|---|---|---|
| View teaching periods | On-campus |
Bruce, Canberra |
| EFTSL | Credit points | Faculty |
| 0.125 | 3 | Faculty Of Health |
| Discipline | Study level | HECS Bands |
| Discipline Of Midwifery | Level 1 - Undergraduate Introductory Unit | Band 1 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021) Band 1 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021) |
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:1. Develop foundational knowledge and skills to understand and apply theory to practice with well women, their babies and their families;
2. Achieve a satisfactory WIL level as evidenced by completion of the practice portfolio;
3. Demonstrate the ability to form and maintain midwifery relationships with postnatal women while developing a woman-centred midwifery philosophy; and
4. Develop reflective skills to learn from experience and apply critical thinking to working with women.
Graduate attributes
1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - take pride in their professional and personal integrity
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
2. UC graduates are global citizens - make creative use of technology in their learning and professional lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development
Skills development
Nil
Prerequisites
11945 Knowing Birth PracticesCorequisites
None.Incompatible units
11334 The Work of BirthEquivalent units
None.Assumed knowledge
None.| Year | Location | Teaching period | Teaching start date | Delivery mode | Unit convener |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Bruce, Canberra | Semester 2 | 28 July 2025 | On-campus | Mrs Noelyn Perriman |
| 2026 | Bruce, Canberra | Semester 2 | 10 August 2026 | On-campus | Mrs Noelyn Perriman |
Required texts
Recommended text
de-Vitry Smith, S., & Bayes, S. (2022). Skills for Midwifery Practice Australian & New Zealand Edition 2E (2nd ed.). Elsevier.
Additional resources and references
Pairman, S., Tracey, S., Dahlen, H., & Dixon, L. (Eds.). (2023). Midwifery Preparation for Practice 5e (5th ed.). Elsevier.
Raynor, M. D. & Marshall, J. E. (2020). Myles Textbook for Midwives e-book (17th ed.). Churchill Livingstone, Elsevier.
Walker, M. (2017). Breastfeeding Management for the Clinician: Using the Evidence. (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett
Watson Genna, C. (2017). Supporting Sucking Skills in Breastfeeding Infants (3rd ed.). Jones & Bartlett.
Bass, J., Fenwick, J., & Sidebotham, M. (2017). Development of a model of holistic reflection to facilitate transformative learning in student midwives. Women and Birth, 30(3), 227–235.
Submission of assessment items
Extensions & Late submissions
N/A
Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.
Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.
UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).
UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.
Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.
Learner engagement
It is strongly recommended that students who need assistance in undertaking the unit because of disability or an ongoing health condition register with the Inclusion and Engagement Office as soon as possible so that reasonable adjustment arrangements can be made
Participation requirements
Attendance: students are expected to attend all face-to-face practice sessions unless there are extenuating circumstances such as personal illness, attendance at a birth or ‘sorry business.' Students will be required to make up any missed learning opportunities in scheduled make up sessions.
Required IT skills
Students are required to have the skills to use and complete the requirements of documenting their practice using our on-line Midwifery Practice Portfolio 'DAISY M'.
Students will need to access a computer with the internet to successfully complete this unit. Computers and internet are available for students to use on campus, or students may use their own.
The Client Services Division provides campus IT networks for the University, including computers and networked information resources for student use. For students needing help with basic IT skills, training courses are offered by the Client Services Division and some Faculty Resource Centres to help students start using the University online services. For more information, please contact the Helpdesk on 6201 5500 or email helpdesk@cts.canberra.edu.au. The library is also an excellent resource for IT skills related to information searching
In-unit costs
You do not have to purchase the textbook for this unit but as busy students who are also involved in midwifery practice, you may find it most useful to do so. The textbook is available through the UC Library in person. The text is used heavily in further midwifery subjects, so you will get good use out of the book if you choose to purchase it.
You will also need to purchase (if you don't already own) the following materials to succeed in midwifery Work Integrated Learning:
- Means of communicating with pregnant women and midwives (mobile phone)
- Means of transportation to and from hospital visits and births
- Comfortable, close-toed, non-slip shoes (black or navy blue)
- Respectable, high-waisted work pants (not jeans or leggings)
- A UC Bachelor of Midwifery Polo Shirt (required for mid-year rostered practice)
- A watch or nurse's fob
Work placement, internships or practicums
Expected engagement for this unit includes:
- Pre-placement activities
- Work Integrated Learning and its associated documentation.
- Assigned weekly pre-class activities which may include reading, watching pre-recorded lectures or online activities.
- Attendance at workshops as required (in-person)
- Reflective journalling
In total, this work is expected to equal approximately 10 hours of work each week.
Learner engagement is monitored via workshop attendance, engagement in online activities, and monitoring use of the UCLearn site and watching pre-recorded lectures as required. Students have multi-roled lives with a variety of commitments, including continuity practice requirements which must be constantly weighed against class requirements. Therefore, we have designed this class with a catch-up session at the end of the semester and students are expected to manage their own time. A high-level of engagement (at least 80%) is expected and keeping up with the content each week is considered essential for success in this unit. The skills learnt in this unit are essential foundations for later midwifery practice and assessments.
If you are struggling with the content, workload or any other aspect of the unit, you are strongly encouraged to discuss this with the unit convenor or another member of the Midwifery Discipline. Most problems can be resolved with good communication and the team is here to support you
Additional information
| Discussion of practice experiences on Social Media Networks Please remember when discussing your experiences in practice you are discussing women's lives. Therefore, these experiences must not be discussed on social media networks such as Facebook or Twitter. Doing so breaks the confidentiality agreement by which students are governed when in practice. The appropriate place for discussion related to practice is the classroom setting, with your mentors or in your journal. Further information can be obtained from http://www.ahpra.gov.au/ and search for social media document. Registration as a Student Midwife As a student enrolled in an approved midwifery program of study the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia will register you for the duration of study and associated practice. Student registration is a National Law requirement, the role of which is to protect the public. You do not need to apply for registration; the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority will work directly with the University of Canberra to register all students who need to be registered. There are no fees for student registration. Further information can be found at http://www.ahpra.gov.au/Registration/Student-Registrations.aspx Announcements: Announcements made at seminars are deemed to be made to the whole group. Important announcements will be repeated on the unit website. Please check the ‘Knowing Postnatal Practice' website and email for messages at least weekly. The Midwifery Practice Room (10A02) is available for students for private study, group work and practising skills/tasks when it is not in use for timetabled classes. There is also a student space on level 1 (ground floor) of Building 10. |
