Being a Midwife A (11957.1)

Please note these are the 2026 details for this unit
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Being a Midwife A
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
Midwifery Level 3 - Undergraduate Advanced Unit Band 1 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 1 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
This unit will support students to transform the learning from previous years to construct their own and ongoing midwifery philosophy and practice. Midwifery understanding gained in this unit will be applied to the corresponding practical unit.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Integrate midwifery, primary health, medical, pharmacological and other theory in the construction of midwifery philosophy and practice;
2. Exhibit high level communication in the context of being a midwife within a woman-centred team and First Nations and diverse populations; and
3. Appraise and integrate evidence and policy to determine best practice.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. 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
1. UC graduates are professional - work collaboratively as part of a team, negotiate, and resolve conflict
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - think globally about issues in their profession
2. UC graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
2. UC graduates are global citizens - make creative use of technology in their learning and professional lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - be self-aware
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - evaluate and adopt new technology
4. UC graduates are able to demonstrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing - apply their knowledge to working with Indigenous Australians in socially just ways
4. UC graduates are able to demonstrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing - communicate and engage with Indigenous Australians in ethical and culturally respectful ways
4. UC graduates are able to demonstrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing - use Indigenous histories and traditional ecological knowledge to develop and augment understanding of their discipline


Skills development

Gender inclusive statement

Throughout this course, I will use the term woman to honour, uplift, and make visible those who have been and continue to be marginalised within our patriarchal society. This term is intended to be inclusive of all who bear children, including those who may not identify as women, but whose realities are shaped by gendered systems of oppression. I invite you to make your own informed choices about the words you use.



Prerequisites

11949 Holistic Care of the Complex Woman B AND 11953 Collaborating in Maternity Practice

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

11299 Continuity Midwifery A

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

None.
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 16 February 2026 On-campus Dr Noelyn Perriman
The information provided should be used as a guide only. Timetables may not be finalised until week 2 of the teaching period and are subject to change. Search for the unit timetable.

Required texts

Recommended Text

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

Additional resources/references

Books

      Byrom, S. & Downe, S. (2015). The roar behind the silence - why kindness, compassion and respect matter in maternity care. Pinter & Martin

De-Vitry Smith, S. & Bayes, S. (2022). Skills for midwifery practice 2E (Australia and New Zealand ed.). Elsevier.

Homer, C., Leap, N., Brodie, P. & Sandall, J. (2019). Midwifery Continuity of Care. (2nd ed.). Elsevier.

Leap, N., & Hunter, B. (2016). Supporting women for labour and birth: a thoughtful guide. Routledge.

 

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Restricted - The use of GenAI is NOT allowed in completing the assessments for this unit. Students are permitted to use Studiosity Writing Feedback Plus to seek feedback on the drafts of their assignments.

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.
The  GenAI for StudentsLinks to an external site. Library Guide provides further information, including how to reference GenAI.

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.

Participation requirements

Attendance at classes is compulsory in this course, as per the Bachelor of Midwifery curriculum approved by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Board in 2023.

Because we understand that we all have multi-roled and complex lives, and that sometimes being on call will mean students will be attending women in labour during our face-to-face sessions, we will record sessions thus providing an opportunity for students to catch up on missed content. Students may be required to write a 500 word synopsis about their learning on any missed major topics and submit the 500 words within two weeks of their absence (or as negotiated with the Unit Convenor). In this way, students both demonstrate their learning on missed content and still share the learning processes with their co-students.

Note well: Please do not make 'FirstVisit' (Booking in/PAC) appointments with women during scheduled classes and please arrive at all practice with appropriate ID and dress.

Attendance modifications will be allowed for regional students who have discussed their attendance with the unit convenor.
 

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'.

In-unit costs

You do not have to purchase texts for this unit but as busy students who are also involved in midwifery practice, you may find it most useful to do so. Texts recommended for the unit will be used throughout the Bachelor of Midwifery course.

Work placement, internships or practicums

None

Additional information

As you know, midwifery is a complex course because of both the theory and practice requirements, so please do not remain quiet if you are concerned or worried. The Unit Convener, your midwifery mentor, Midwifery Practice Coordinators, and the Course Convenor are all here to help you. At UC, as well as the excellent midwives in the practice areas, you have the added advantage of access to our Practice Support Midwives who are available to assist you in your practice with women.  We want you to continue on your journey to becoming respectful and connected midwives by learning in a supportive environment, so please let us know if you feel very challenged. Most things can be sorted out quickly and easily if we know. We will also help with more complex issues.

You will need to self-regulate time off from being on call this year.  It is important to turn your phone "off" at times to unwind and have balance in your life.  This will need to be done on an individual basis and will be determined by when you have women due, if you are on task with requirements.  Your unit convenor, practice co-ordinators and PSMs can help you with discussions around this. 

Announcements made at seminars or on Canvas are deemed to be made to the whole group. Important announcements will be repeated on the unit UCLearn website.

Makeup shifts

All students please be aware that if you are falling behind in your birth catches, there will be plenty of opportunities to do makeup shifts as we are working closely with the ACT Clinical Placement Office. If you are in NSW and need to do make up shifts, please notify Sophie Wrigley or Belinda Napier (Midwifery Practice Coordinators) if you are falling behind in your catches. 

Professional boundaries

Midwifery students need debriefing about many experiences that occur during the Bachelor of Midwifery course, particularly in the clinical areas. Midwifery students are able to contact the university lecturers, staff, and the Practice Support Midwives (PSM's) to receive this debriefing. As a midwifery student, unless it is an urgent phone call that is needed, students should refrain from approaching the above staff out of hours, which includes texting. We understand that as a midwifery student, you may also approach the clinical midwife that you are working with, but also be cognisant about doing this within working hours for these midwives as well. We provide our mobile phone numbers for a very good reason, for those circumstances that need addressing immediately. For those matters that could be addressed during the work hours, please be respectful of the staff's availability at that time.

When following your COC women on the pregnancy journey, ensure that you do not have a conflict of interest with this woman. An example of a conflict of interest is that you are her friend, or a family member. This ensures that you have a professional relationship with the woman and reduces the chance of you working outside your scope of practice as a midwifery student.

Requests for flexibility 

To support students, the midwifery team will attempt to accommodate genuine need for flexibility wherever possible when allocating CoCEs and rostered shifts. Please aim to provide placement preferences to the Midwifery Practice Coordinators two months prior to the beginning of the relevant PEP block. All effort will be made to accommodate student needs, prioritising accommodation of healthcare, childcare and paid work, but this is not guaranteed.  

Missing up to two weeks of PEP (e.g. short-term illness) 

If circumstances require students to miss up to two weeks of practical experiences (including CoCEs, rostered shifts and practical classes), students are expected to make this up prior to the commencement of the following placement unit, or they will be unable to continue in PEP. If students need to make up a CoCE which does not meet criteria, this must be communicated to the Midwifery Practice Coordinators, with the reasons, as soon as possible so that further allocations can be made. A make-up practical class and make-up rostered shifts block will be made available to students at the end of each semester. Please note that flexibility cannot usually be accommodated in make-up shift blocks or make-up CoCE allocations.  

Missing more than two weeks of PEP 

If more than two weeks of PEP is missed, or students will be unable to meet their CoCE requirements for the unit, a PEP/WIL Absence Form (available on UCLearn) must be submitted and approved, or the student will fail the practical unit. Forms must be submitted five business days prior to the missed practical classes/shifts/CoCEs for predictable events and as soon as possible for unpredictable events. Forms must be accompanied by documentary evidence as per the UC Assessment Procedure for Special Circumstances. Approval is at the discretion of the Unit Convenor in consultation with the Midwifery Practice Coordinator, and contingent on an agreed plan to make up missed PEP prior to the commencement of the student's following PEP year. If a large amount of PEP will be missed, students are encouraged to consider seeking a Reasonable Adjustment Plan or adjusting their enrolment to undertake practical units at a time when their circumstances allow. 

The Midwifery Simulation Space is available for students for private study, group work and practising skills/tasks when it is not in use for timetabled classes.
 
 
 

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