MW6001 - The Professional Midwife: Consolidation as Student & Scholar

You will learn through interactive lectures, seminars, action learning sets and guided and independent learning. The lectures will cover theories that will enable you to complete guided work, which will then be discussed in seminars and action learning sets. Reflection on practice experiences will allow you to apply current evidence and ensure you are appropriately prepared for practice as a midwife. You will be allocated to an action learning set to support development of your Capstone project ideas, supported by tutorial supervision and peer feedback.

Support will include feedback from tutors during interactive lectures and seminars, which will allow for knowledge checking and questions to be answered promptly. The action learning sets will also provide an opportunity for you to receive feedback on how your academic abilities are developing. Resources will be available to you on the electronic learning platform (BBU) and tutors can be contacted for support. Both the action learning sets, and a group tutorial will provide academic support focussed on the assessment task.
The University Library offers extensive access to electronic texts and tutorials that supports the development of academic skills aimed at improving your critical thinking and analytical writing. There will be a librarian supported literature searching workshop in this module to support revision of literature searching techniques, followed by a supervised practical workshop to support application of search techniques related to your project.

The University Libraries at both Coach Lane Campus and City Campus offer an extensive collection of material, both hard copy and electronic, access to international databases and training in information retrieval. The module will be supported by University library staff and resources, including study skills support packages. You can access the interactive training via the library webpages or the following link: http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/learning-skills
Ask4Help Online (accessed through your student portal) provides a comprehensive range of answers to frequently asked questions and is of benefit to students as a central point of reference for information about many different topics. Ask4Help face to face service points include those located in both university libraries.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Deconstruct and critically analyse an aspect of your midwifery practice which has the potential for development and enhancement.
2. Appraise the contribution of a range of relevant literature to demonstrate understanding of key theoretical and methodological perspectives that can apply to midwifery care.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
3. Synthesise, evaluate and translate evidence relevant to an aspect of midwifery practice and reflect on the impact on women centred, evidence-based care.
4. Apply creative thinking techniques and resourcefulness to consolidate midwifery professional practice skills and abilities.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
5. Reflect on the impact of personal and professional attributes on midwifery practice and consider strategies for enhancement.

Formative:
Presentation of seminar work. Action Learning Sets with peer and supervisor feedback: this will include formative presentation of elements of the search for evidence, project proposal, change management and personal and professional development. Students will provide constructive critique to peers, of their work guided by ALS supervisors. Individual supervision tutorials are provided to support individual development of your Capstone project.

Summative:
8000-word Capstone Project to include an evidence review, critical appraisal and identification of key themes related to the evidence-base to support your proposed practice development proposal.

MLO’s: 1-5; 100%

Feedback via marking rubric, with qualitative comments.

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This module will complete your midwifery research journey on the BSc Midwifery Studies programme, equipping you with the personal reflexive insights and professional skills to effectively use evidence and identify potential opportunities for practice development and research, and understand the difference between these approaches. You will have the opportunity to consolidate your understanding of evidence-based practice related to a specific aspect of midwifery practice improvement; you will undertake a review of the evidence, and critically appraise the evidence to develop the rationale to inform a practice development project. You will consolidate your understanding of the impact of professional and personal attributes on the role of the midwife relating to communication such as, advocacy, and effective partnerships with women and how these may impact on professional practice and practice development. Concepts such as, organisational contexts, values and discourses, local and national priorities and change management will be explored. Action Learning Sets enable peer review and critical friend feedback and contribute to your abilities for participating in opportunities to develop best practice, in your professional life.