Unit rationale, description and aim
Midwifery is a recognised global profession, aligned with principles of primary health care and public health. To fulfill their role effectively and inclusively, midwives need to be able to establish culturally safe partnerships with women and families from various backgrounds and contexts and recognise relevant maternal health priorities. [ANMAC 3.5b; 3.9a]
To prepare you so that you may successfully do this once you graduate, you need to develop insights and knowledge into diverse cultural, social, political and international contexts and influences on maternal health, including respect for other ways of knowing.
Building upon earlier learnings from previous units, in this unit you will further develop your knowledge about the midwife’s role in primary health care and the provision of culturally safe midwifery care both in local and global contexts. As well, you will further describe the ACU community engagement principles as they relate to midwifery care.
You will identify common causes of global maternal mortality and morbidity, analyse social and cultural influences on maternal health outcomes locally and globally, and gain insight into the different ways of knowing that may impact maternal health. You will reflect critically on your 20-hour community engagement experience, analysing this for alignment with ACU community engagement principles and identifying examples of personal transformational learning.
The aim of this unit is to expand your knowledge of the midwife’s global role in relation to primary health care, public health principles and culturally safe midwifery care, through the exploration of cultural, political and social influences on maternal health, as well as participation in community engagement experiences aimed at capacity building and partnership.
We recognise that people who access maternity care may have diverse gender identities, that those who do can experience marginalisation and oppression, and that using appropriate terminology can help with these community members’ recognition and visibility, acknowledge the variety of pregnancy and birth experiences people may have, and respect individuals’ preferences. To reflect this, terms such as ‘pregnant person’, ‘birthing person’, ‘childbearing people’, ‘parent’ and ‘chestfeeding’ may be used in the midwifery courses at ACU in addition to ‘woman’, ‘mother’, ‘maternity’, ‘maternal’ and ‘breastfeeding’, which are used not to exclude those who do not identify as a woman, but in recognition that women continue to be marginalised and oppressed in many places around the world and to respect their own individual preferences.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Examine the midwife’s role in advocating for the r...
Learning Outcome 01
Analyse the impact of cultural beliefs and practic...
Learning Outcome 02
Identify the common causes and impacts of maternal...
Learning Outcome 03
Examine different ways of knowing, including Indig...
Learning Outcome 04
Reflect critically on how your experience of commu...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics will include:
Legal and professional practice
- Global Standards from professional bodies (ICM, WHO, UNICEF, United Nations, World Bank, Caritas)
- Capacity building
- Legal issues
- Risk management
- Preparation of student
- Development of learning contract
- Assertive communication skills
Midwifery knowledge and practice
- Global models of care
- Rural, regional, remote,
- Urban, tertiary
- Partnership with women
- Birthing on Country
Midwifery as primary health care
- Global maternity services
- Social
- Economic
- Cultural and political issues
- Working in partnership with other key providers in the maternity workforce
- Traditional Birth Attendants
- Aboriginal Health Workers
- Strong Women Workers
- Health inequalities for childbearing women in minority groups
- Epidemiological evidence of inequalities in health outcomes
- Refugee, migrant and asylum seekers
- Rural and remote communities
- Indigenous women
- Midwifery as a public health strategy
- Reproductive health
- Current outbreaks and emergencies
- Indigenous communities
- International communities
- Maternal mortality and morbidity globally
- Principles of community engagement
- Respect for human dignity
- Mutuality and reciprocity
- Partnerships for transformation
- Working with, not doing for
- Nurturing hope for a better tomorrow
- Focus of community engagement
- Local
- Regional
- International
- Processes for identifying needs and working with communities to plan and implement strategies
Reflective and ethical practice
- Midwifery as a sustainable health care practice
- Ethics of international recruitment of midwives
- Ethical issues
- Transformation of self
Assessment strategy and rationale
A range of assessment procedures consistent with University assessment requirements will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate capabilities.
Underpinned by the De Witt et al. (2023) Seven Step Learning Framework, the community engagement project provides scaffolding for the student’s experience. First, students will develop a learning contract in which they articulate their goals for collaborative work within the community group/organisation. Second, students will maintain a reflective journal throughout the 20 hour placement in the chosen community group/organisation. Third, students will write a transformational learning report on their collaboration with the chosen community group/organisation and the manner in which they contributed to its mission, aims and objectives. Online group and individual classroom activities will enable students to showcase sound written communication skills and understanding of the key issues in primary health care and community engagement.
Online group and individual classroom activities will enable students to showcase sound written communication skills and understanding of the key issues in primary health care, culturally safe care and public health as they relate to midwifery care.
The community engagement project enables students to present their learnings and reflections pertaining to their community engagement experience, offering the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge and application of the ACU community engagement principles and evidence of transformational learning.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1 - Online classroom activities (...
Assessment Task 1 - Online classroom activities (Group and individual)
Online group and individual classroom activities will enable students to showcase sound written communication skills and understanding of the key issues in primary health care, global trends in maternal health and reproductive rights, and community engagement.
50%
Assessment Task 2 - Community Engagement Project ...
Assessment Task 2 - Community Engagement Project (2000 words)
Based on their journal reflection, this assessment enables students to articulate their knowledge and understanding of the community group/organisation in which they undertook community engagement.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit is offered by flexible mode using the online learning management system. Students in this unit will also undertake community engagement. They will actively participate in 20 hours of community engagement, identifying and accessing an appropriate experience that aligns with the ACU community engagement criteria.
Consistent with adult learning principles, teaching and learning strategies will provide students with foundational knowledge and skills relevant to professional midwifery practice. Development of knowledge, skills and understanding will also be supported using 'hands on' methods, story sharing, community linking and other Aboriginal ways of learning. These strategies will also support students in meeting the aim, learning outcomes and graduate capabilities of the unit and the broader course learning outcomes. Learning and teaching strategies will reflect respect for the individual as an independent learner. Students will be expected to take responsibility for their learning and to participate actively with peers. Scenario-based learning, case-based learning, problem-based learning and inquiry-based learning are all used to support the development of students' independent learning ability.
Students exiting university need significant life-long learning skills to deliver sound, ongoing, evidence-based graduate practice as a member of the professional workforce. To embed life-long learning skills students must demonstrate increasing reflective capacity to identify what is being done well and what requires additional work in progressing toward required learning outcomes. Located in the third year of the programme, this theory/community engagement unit offers online components of learning. Students will extend their capability as a member of the community of learners, and increase their self-reliance, critical reflection and debate. Online materials provide students with the opportunity to undertake directed, self-motivated study and continue to transition to independent study and life-long learning.
NMBA Midwife Standards for Practice
NMBA (2018) Midwife Standards for Practice developed in this unit are: