MW7002 - Midwifery Additional Care Needs & Pathophysiology

What will I learn on this module?

This module introduces you to new concepts and further develops existing knowledge and understanding of additional care needs that women and families may encounter throughout the childbirth continuum. The module will explore a variety of additional needs and the role of the midwife in assessment and care, developing confidence and competence around effective collaborative working and inter-disciplinary practice. You will be supported to critically analyse and appraise the evidence base for practice around additional care needs and apply this to deliver safe, effective care to women in a variety of circumstances. This will include being supported to synthesize the evidence available to suggest future directions for practice. Consideration will be given to a range of conditions and complications arising during and/or because of pregnancy, and of pre-existing conditions that women may enter pregnancy with. This will be supported and guided by up-to-date information on conditions having the greatest impact on maternity care and maternal and fetal health, utilising key sources of information such as Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk through Audits and Confidential Enquiries across the UK (MBRRACE-UK) and empirical research. The importance of holistic midwifery care in complex circumstances will be highlighted and features as a thread throughout the module content.

How will I learn on this module?

You will learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops, directed and independent study. Lectures will introduce a variety of concepts and theories related to additional needs, pathophysiology and holistic care, and signpost further reading and learning activities. You will further develop your skills n critically analysing and applying research and theory to clinical practice.
Seminars will give group work activities to enhance collaboration skills in communication and application, as well as opportunities to practice clinical skills of first line assessment, management, and care and support of women. A range of resources and technology will be used to help consolidate skills built in the module. There will also be opportunities for critical reflection on practice experiences to apply current evidence to the clinical situation, using structured models, with the aim of developing your ability to evaluate and improve practice through evidence-based approaches.

Adhering to Universal Design for Learning principles, 2 options for authentic assessment are offered in this module, allowing students to optimise choice and autonomy to support engagement and demonstrate learning and capability.

How will I be supported academically on this module?

Support will include feedback from tutors during group work within interactive lectures and seminars, which will allow for knowledge checking and questions to be answered promptly. The seminars will also provide an opportunity for you to receive formative feedback on how your academic abilities are developing. This will be in a feedforward approach with the emphasis on helping you understand how to improve going forward Critical thinking, clinical reasoning and reflective practice as key competencies for higher level midwifery education will be the focus of the seminars, involving problems-based solving, case-based discussions and peer teaching and learning. Resources will be available to you on the electronic learning platform (BBU) and tutors can be contacted for support. A group tutorial will provide academic support focussed on the assessment task.
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.Demonstrate a critical understanding of the range of additional needs of women throughout the childbirth continuum, and relevant underpinning pathophysiology.
2. Demonstrate critical understanding and application of current assessment, pathways, and interventions for women with additional needs.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
3. Critically appraise the role of the midwife in co-ordinating and evaluating care for women with additional needs, and their part in inter-disciplinary collaboration.
4. Critically analyse and apply the evidence base for care in complex and challenging circumstances, synthesising evidence to suggest future practice improvement.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
5. Critically reflective on the knowledge and skills required to provide respectful and effective holistic care to all women and their families.

How will I be assessed?

This module will ensure you are confident, competent and compassionate midwifery practitioners in relation to additional care needs facing women and their families. The assessment will enable you to demonstrate your ability to critically apply expert knowledge, critically reflect on your own work and that of others, and contribute to the creation of new knowledge and /or applications to practice within midwifery. You will also be expected to demonstrate the capacity to problem solve, promote knowledge transfer and lead in the transformational change of care.


Formative assessment: Verbal feedback will be provided in seminars with debrief and reflection following group activities. Blackboard will be used for further discussion groups and formative activities. Peer teaching and learning will provide opportunity for feedback on presentation skills, and feedback from case-based discussion will help develop assessment preparation.

Summative:

Option 1: A 3000-word Case Study Essay. Based upon a student selected case from practice, working with a woman with additional care needs.

Option 2: 20-minute oral presentation. Based upon a student selected case from practice, working with a woman with additional care needs.
MLO’s 1-5; 100%

Marking rubric and qualitative feedback in BBU.

Pre-requisite(s)

N/A

Co-requisite(s)

N/A

Module abstract

This module builds on learning from year 1 on universal care and normal processes and develops your knowledge and understanding of the additional care needs of women throughout the childbirth continuum. The module will explore a variety of additional needs and their application to the role of the midwife in assessment and care, developing confidence and competence around effective collaborative working and inter-disciplinary practice. You will be supported to critically analyse the evidence base for practice around additional care needs and to apply this clinically and theoretically to deliver safe effective practice to all women. You will have opportunities to use your developing academic skills to synthesise the evidence to make suggestions for future practice directions. effectively making the links between theory and practice.

Course info

Credits 20

Level of Study Postgraduate

Mode of Study 3 years Full Time

School Healthcare and Nursing Sciences

Location Coach Lane Campus, Northumbria University

City Newcastle

Start January 2027

Fee Information

Module Information

All information is accurate at the time of sharing. 

Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.  

Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.

 

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