What will I learn on this module?
The Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC 2019) recognise that midwives care includes, the promotion of physiological processes but are ideally placed to anticipate, recognise and prevent complications in mother and child. Midwives are responsible for recognising such situations and providing immediate care, management, escalation and collaboration with the multidisciplinary team ensuring coordination of care that focuses on woman and neonates needs and supporting choice and preferences (NMC 2019 & 2025).
This module will build on existing knowledge of the normal physiology of pregnancy to introduce you to emergency and high dependency scenarios within midwifery care. This is in keeping with the framework for Quality Maternal and Newborn Care for all childbearing women and infants with complications (Renfrew et al 2014) and the NMC Standards of Proficiency for Midwives (2019). You will explore the theory and evidence underpinning childbirth and neonatal emergencies and additional care needs, to develop your ability to recognise, diagnose and manage serious complications. You will identify when to summon appropriate assistance and select and justify the management of childbirth and neonatal emergencies and additional neonatal care needs, within the scope of midwifery practice. You will also be introduced to aspects of high dependency care that will facilitate the application of knowledge relating to pathophysiology and underpin clinical practice in a variety of care settings.
How will I learn on this module?
The teaching and learning strategy for this module will be a mix of lectures, seminars, practical sessions, directed and independent learning. The lectures will provide key sources of policy, knowledge and theoretical evidence. These will encourage you to connect to sources for independent learning.
You will experience a diverse range of input from university lecturers with a wide range of experience in the topic areas covered. Seminars via case-based discussions and reflection on experiences from clinical practice and research evidence will challenge your integrative ability and encourage application to practice. Practical sessions in the skills centre will enable you to rehearse the management approaches that have been discussed in lectures, enabling you to apply theory to practice and gain confidence in the first line management of childbirth and neonatal complications and neonatal additional care needs.
You will be expected to engage with technology enhanced learning, for example online information, training and pre-reading. The learning in the module will provide sources of evidence that will contribute to your practice development and assessment. Simulated learning workshops with interactive mannequins will support development of relevant skills for assessment.
How will I be supported academically on this module?
The lecturers delivering this module will provide guidance and academic support to enable your engagement with the academic content of the module during lectures, seminars and a group tutorial. There is also extensive support accessible online as part of the university’s commitment to technology enhanced learning, for example the use of the eLearning portal and collaborative tools. Opportunities to assess and improve practical midwifery skills in a safe, structured environment will provide formative feedback for learning and development to prepare you for the summative assessment as well as real clinical practice.
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 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.
What will I be expected to read on this module?
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)
What will I be expected to achieve?
Knowledge & Understanding:
1. Analyse the relevant theory underpinning childbirth emergencies, high dependency and additional care needs for women, fetus’ and neonates across the childbirth continuum.
2. You will demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the determinants of health and ill health in the fetus and newborn.
3. Evaluate the care and management of childbirth emergencies, high dependency and additional care needs to maintain maternal, fetal, and neonatal safety and wellbeing.
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
4. Appraise and critique the role of the midwife in relation to managing childbirth emergencies and caring for a seriously ill woman, fetus or neonate with high dependency needs.
5. Evaluate the collaborative nature of maternity care when dealing with a childbirth emergency or caring for a seriously ill woman, fetus or neonate.
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
6. Reflect on, and critique your ability to communicate with women, families and members of the healthcare professions team during difficult/stressful occasions.
How will I be assessed?
This module will assess that you can confidently, competently and compassionately manage complex and emergency scenarios. You will be expected to critically apply expert knowledge, critically reflect on your own role and that of others. The module will develop and assess your capacity to problem solve, promote knowledge transfer and lead care.
Formative:
Online learning materials, that are self-assessed relating to childbirth emergencies, pathophysiology and high dependency care and simulated practice scenarios and case-based discussions in lectures and seminars, with peers and lecturers will serve as formative feedback on your progress and engagement with the subject content.
Workshops for practice OSCA’s will feature in the module.
Summative:
The OSCA will present a scenario that involves an obstetric emergency with impact on the fetus or neonate.
Observed structured clinical assessment 70%(30-mins): one of a range of childbirth emergencies will be examined,
incorporating:
a case-based viva 30% (15-mins) exploring neonatal emergency or additional care needs
MLO’s 1-6; 100%
Marking rubric and qualitative feedback via BBU
Module abstract
For most women and neonates, childbirth is a normal life event, while for some, it will require emergency interventions and high dependency and additional care. As midwives, we are coordinators of care for all women and neonates, and are pivotal in organising and referring women and neonates to the appropriate health professionals; it is therefore, essential that you have the knowledge and skills to provide high quality, seamless care for these women and neonates. It is imperative that you are aware of the scope of midwives practice in relation to childbirth emergencies, additional and high dependency care. This module will enable you to identify deviations from the normal, institute emergency measures and work collaboratively with the multi-disciplinary team to ensure the safety and wellbeing of women and their babies.
