Integrating Maternity Practice (11955.1)

Required texts

Recommended Text

Johnson, R., Taylor, W., de-Vitry Smith, S. & Bayes, S. (2022). Skills for Midwifery Practice 2E, Australia and New Zealand Edition. Elsevier

Additional resources and references

Australian College of Midwives. (2026). National Midwifery Guidelines for Consultation and Referral (5th ed.). Australian College of Midwives.

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.

Department of Health (2020) Clinical Practice Guidelines: Pregnancy Care. Canberra: Australian Government Department of Health.

Pairman S., Tracey, S., Dahlen, H. & Dixon, L. (Eds) (2023). Midwifery: Preparation for Practice (5th ed). Churchill Livingstone Elsevier.

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG). (n.d.). Statements and guidelines directory. RANZCOG. Retrieved 14 March 2023, from https://ranzcog.edu.au/resources/statements-and-guidelines-directory/ 

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Submission of assessment items
Student responsibility in regard to assessment If there is any doubt about the requirements of a particular assessment or assessment procedure, please see the Unit Convenor who is here to help you. The onus for clarifying assessment issues rests with the student. All assessments must be submitted to pass the unit. Back up your work. You must keep a copy of your assignments.

Special assessment requirements

Extensions
Unlike other disciplines, the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) component of studying midwifery continues alongside the academic semester and this work can be complex, demanding and unpredictable. Therefore, students can use WIL as circumstances to apply for an extension to an assessment item due date using the assignment extension form available from the Student Forms page and the UCLearn site. Unit convenors can use their discretion to approve an extension of up to one week on these grounds and may audit Daisy documentation as evidence to support the extension. Students can also apply for an extension to the submission due date for an assessment item due to extenuating, evidenced circumstances (specific details are found in the Assessment Procedures).

Documentary evidence (e.g. medical certificate) will be expected for an extension to be granted for extenuating circumstances or illness, however this will not guarantee that the application will be successful. The Unit Convener or relevant Program Director/Course Convener will decide whether to grant an extension and the length of the extension. An Assignment Extension form is available from the Student Forms page and on the UCLearn site.

Supplementary assessment

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Performance Concerns
If the unit convenor receives concerning feedback about a student’s performance during WIL, or reports of unsafe practice, several steps are typically taken to address the situation. First, a consultation about the feedback will be undertaken with the student, and the student may be withdrawn from WIL. The student may then be placed on a learning plan. This plan will outline specific areas for improvement against the midwifery standards for practice and provide targeted support to help the student enhance their skills and knowledge. The learning plan may involve additional supervision, remedial education and tasks, or focused clinical experiences in simulation or the practice setting.

Secondly, the student may face the possibility of unit failure. If the student's performance does not satisfactorily improve, as determined by the unit convenor with input from relevant parties, despite the learning plan, the student will fail the practice unit.  The student will also fail the unit if the learning plan is not satisfactorily completed, or the initial feedback was deemed very serious by the unit convenor. Finally, if the behaviour breaches the Student Conduct Rules, then a referral for summary inquiry may be made.
It is essential for student midwives to be self-aware, take feedback seriously, reflect on their practice, take responsibility for their actions and actively engage in the learning process to ensure safe and effective care.

Artificial intelligence

Students are not permitted to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in assessments for this unit.

GenAI may only be used in authorised ways when completing assessments at UC. This means that GenAI can only be used for an assessment when:

1. the Unit Convener has authorised GenAI use for that assessment
2. the student uses GenAI in the way that the assessment instructions allow
3. the student fully acknowledges their use of GenAI, with proper citations, references and a GenAI Acknowledgement Statement in line with the assessment instructions.

Where the assessment instructions do not specifically state that GenAI may be used and how, then its use is not permitted for that assessment. Students must still provide the required GenAI Acknowledgement Statement to indicate whether GenAI has or has not been used in the preparation of the assessment. If unsure, students should seek advice from the Unit Convener.

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

Inclusion and engagement

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.

Participation requirements

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

None

In-unit costs

Note: To calculate your unit fees see: How are Your Fees Calculated? Your unit convener may have listed textbooks for you to purchase via The School Locker.

Work placement, internships or practicums

This unit has pre-placement requirements. You must complete the following prior to commencement of your Placement.

• Manual Handling, up to date immunisations and e-learning

You are also required to complete details in InPlace, refer to inplace.canberra.edu.au. If you have any queries related to InPlace please contact placement@canberra.edu.au.

Additional information

Students are required to undertake midwifery practice in a continuity of care experiences model this semester. While it is difficult to mandate numbers of continuity experiences to have been started or completed in the first semester, it is expected that at least half of the total numbers for the year will be commenced.   

There are variations of course between women and between experiences, so each ‘continuity experience' will be slightly different. For the purposes of this semester's requirements, it is very important that the student, under direct supervision, shares the lead carer role for each woman, while ever that is appropriate for the woman.

In this semester, progress toward achieving the ‘midwifery minimum practice requirements' comes from working in the continuity of care model.

Students must follow all guidelines as per the Midwifery Practice Experience and Course Handbook

• Winter Term, 2026, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (231136)
• Winter Term, 2025, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (225993)