What will I learn on this module?
This year three module will develop you as a student and scholar, in line with the NMC Future Midwife Standards. It will build directly on the proficiencies outlined in Domain 5 Promoting Excellence: the midwife as colleague, scholar and leader.
You will have the opportunity to learn about the essential role of research in midwifery and how evidence from a variety of sources drives improvements in the quality and safety of maternity care. You will be provided with information about methodologies, theories, methods, and frameworks that underpin research practice and situate these in the context of current issues in midwifery practice at local, national, and international levels. You will be encouraged to apply principles of partnership, collaboration and interdisciplinary working to research and to take a critical approach to understanding factors that influence health research and research priorities in reproductive health. You will explore important related disciplines and methodologies such as health economics and coproduction. Your learning will be used to inform a Research Proposal, designed to explore an evidence gap around an area of innovation in the provision of safe and effective woman-centred midwifery care.
This is a year-long module, providing the time to develop a research topic which reflects the complexities of providing physically, psychologically and emotionally competent care and support to women, infants and their families. You will develop leadership skills around dissemination of research findings and the implementation of evidence into clinical practice.
How will I learn on this module?
The module offers a variety of approaches to learning, designed to support you to develop research knowledge and skills to formulate your research proposal. This includes a range of face-to-face lectures, seminars, practical workshops, and group supervision sessions, alongside meetings with a named supervisor who will provide individualised support for the development of your research proposal.
You will be encouraged to work and learn in collaboration with your peers to build your knowledge and understanding. You will also be provided with the opportunity to learn alongside fellow students in Nursing and Allied Health Professions. This will introduce you to the principles of partnership, collaboration and teamwork that are essential to successful clinical research.
These learning opportunities are designed to provide you with the knowledge, confidence and guidance to develop research skills, and an in-depth understanding of how generating evidence supports improved practice.
How will I be supported academically on this module?
You will be supported by an experienced module team comprised of researchers with theoretical and practical knowledge of health care research as well as teaching. You will receive ongoing guidance and feedback to ensure you are able to engage with research concepts and the academic rigour of the module. Regular supervision meetings with an allocated supervisor, alongside scheduled group supervision sessions with your peers, will support you in the development of your research proposal. All support will be in line with Disabled Student Services Report Recommendations (DSSR). Learning materials will be made available on the BBU. Seminars will provide opportunities to engage in discussion and debate to enhance your learning throughout the module, alongside opportunities for peer support and feedback.
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.
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. Critically appraise models, theories and frameworks underpinning health care research methodology, as applied to a defined health care research problem.
2. Systematically identify and synthesise evidence from a range of sources about a topic/issue relevant to contemporary midwifery care in the UK, using this to justify and explain an evidence gap and formulate an appropriate research question.
Intellectual / Professional Skills & Abilities:
3. Create a research proposal relating to an identified evidence gap, establishing its relevance to midwifery practice and critically reflecting on its potential contribution to improvements in the quality and safety of maternity care.
4. Construct elements of a research proposal that mirror the practice of research in the real world, including the application of ethics and service user involvement in research.
Personal Values, Attributes:
(Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
5. Confidently defend informed judgements about the way research is planned, ensuring professional values and accountability are articulated in academic practice.
How will I be assessed?
The module will assess 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 the discipline. You will need to demonstrate advanced skills in the conceptualisation, implementation and application of healthcare leadership and research.
Formative Assessment:
Provision of formative feedback on performance will be an ongoing process through group/class discussion in formal scheduled teaching. This will align to the criteria for the summative assessment.
Seminars and assessment tutorials will utilise peer and tutor feedback to aid development of the research proposal and enable you to build the skills required to complete the project and present and defend your work effectively. Individual feedback will also be delivered via personal supervisor.
Summative Assessment:
10,000-word Research Proposal (70%) focused on innovation in midwifery care
MLO’s 1-5; 70%
Marking rubric and qualitative feedback in BBU.
And
30-minute presentation (30%) of the Research Proposal to students, staff and maternity stakeholders
MLO’s 3, 4, 5; 30%
Marking rubric and qualitative feedback during presentation and in BBU.
Module abstract
Within this module you will be able to experience and develop first hand practical research skills. You will have the opportunity to apply the principles of partnership, collaboration and interdisciplinary working to identify an evidence gap and develop a robust research proposal addressing an evidence gap in midwifery practice. You will be encouraged to understand factors that influence current policies, practices and research priorities. You will be provided with the principles of different elements of health care research including different theories, methodologies, and methods. These areas of knowledge will be used to inform a dissertation designed to explore the provision of safe, effective and woman-centred midwifery care. This is a year-long module, providing the time to develop a research topic which reflects the complexities of providing physically, psychologically and emotionally competent care and support to women, infants and their families. You will have the opportunity to learn alongside peers, assess and direct the development of your research skills, and present and defend your research proposal in a face-to-face presentation, to an audience of peers, and maternity stakeholders. You will develop the confidence and ability to think critically and contribute to the evidence base for maternity care, becoming a midwife who is able to deftly combine knowledge and skill to lead excellence in practice.
