In this module you will develop knowledge and understanding, enabling you to provide women-centred care throughout the preconception, antenatal and postnatal periods.
The module content is divided into six key areas and you will be encouraged and supported to consider the following:

Professional Midwifery Practice:
Models of women centred compassionate midwifery care, methods of communication and documentation with care planning and needs assessment: in relation to contemporary government policies for maternity care e.g. Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC), The Code and Midwives Rules. Throughout all aspects of care you will explore how the rights of women are supported to promote choice, ensure confidentiality and maintain dignity. You will go on to discover how midwifery practice must be diversity sensitive and discrimination free.

Academic development: Information retrieval workshop (library).
You will have an opportunity to explore your personal development through the use of a Personal Development Profile (PDP) and Revalidation. Throughout the module you will build an awareness of the evidence base which underpins all midwifery care.

Preconception:
You will consider the necessary components of preconceptual care and the physical and emotional changes which will occur during pregnancy.

Antenatal:
You will explore principles of antenatal care, initial consultation, information sharing, history taking, documentation, maternal mental health and well-being, maternal nutrition, antenatal and newborn screening tests. You will have an opportunity to discuss infant feeding choices in relation to beliefs and social constructs and you will explore the anatomy and physiology relating to lactation. You will also be introduced to The Baby Friendly Initiative 10 successful steps to breastfeeding.

Postnatal:
You will explore the theories of postnatal care, normal physiology of the puerperium and postnatal care and cervical cytology. Assessment of ongoing mental health needs and any signs of distress which would require intervention.

Midwifery Skills for Practice:
You will gain experience in efficient moving and handling, CALM training, midwifery skills for assessing maternal well-being – adult resuscitation, venepuncture, infection control - completion of cleanliness champions’ package

Further information

During this module you will develop your knowledge and caring skills in relation to labour and birth. You will learn about the anatomical, physiological and psychological adaptations of both the mother and baby during labour and birth. You will also learn to identify evidence based informed care appropriate to the individual needs of each woman and her baby working within the multidisciplinary team .The module is divided into key areas:

Anatomy and physiology
Applied to all stages of labour and birth

1st stage of labour
Care of a woman and her family/midwives role
Introduction to fetal heart rate monitoring
Pain relief in labour/ Complementary therapies
Positions in labour
Fetal circulation/physiological adaptation of the neonate
Emotional care offering appropriate support and intervention as required for the individual

2nd stage of labour
Care of a woman and her family/midwives role
Emotional care offering appropriate support and intervention as required for the individual
Administration of intravenous therapy
Injection technique
Vaginal examinations
Procedures and practical skills in midwifery – episiotomy, suturing and care of the perineum
Introduction to pre-operative and post-operative care
Introduction to the operating theatre environment

3rd stage of labour
Examination of the placenta
Care of a woman and her family/midwives role
Emotional care offering appropriate support and intervention as required for the individual

Neonatal care
Care of the neonate at birth and in the initial postnatal period/midwives role
Neonatal resuscitation
Infant nutrition - introducing the principles and practices immediately after birth that ensure knowledge and practice of the Baby Friendly Initiative enabling women to breastfeed.

Programme strands :
Also included in this module:
Introduction for research evidence and ethics around labour and birth
Examination preparation workshop (academic development)
Working within a multidisciplinary team
Clinical skills for midwives for labour and birth
Patient safety agenda
An introduction into pharmacology and medicine management

Further information

This module will introduce you to the professional issues which underpin midwifery practice. Core academic skills will be introduced which will facilitate your personal and professional development. You will be introduced to the frameworks that will guide your practice as a midwife, including the professional, legal and ethical codes of practice. You will learn the key principles of values based and women-centred care (Scottish Government 2012) all of which will be presented in the context of The Code: Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses and midwives (NMC, 2015).

The module content is divided into six key areas:

Prioritising people:
Principles of responsive, woman-centred communication will be introduced with concepts related to reflexive, inclusive, ethical and legal frameworks. The module will provide you with an opportunity to consider relevant health and social policies that inform midwifery practice, for example national policies such as ‘Getting it Right for Every Child’ and international policy such as the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative. Alongside this, you will explore issues relating to the health equality, public protection and the wellbeing of children and adults (including policies such as the dementia framework), mental health and the support of third sector agencies will be considered.

Practising effectively:
You will explore strategies to support learning for professional practice in the context of the topics covered within the module. Particular focus will be on the construction and quality of knowledge and ways in which you can use evidence appropriately to inform midwifery practice. You will consider communication, therapeutic skills and record keeping relevant in the light of relevant theory and apply this to midwifery care. Information retrieval and writing workshops will support your learning in respect of this.

Preserving safety:
You will examine the role of the midwife as part of a multidisciplinary team giving care to women and their families in relation to: sphere of practise; referral, candour; acting in emergency situations; managing risk and escalating concerns; midwifery and medicines administration; and harm reduction.

Promoting professionalism and trust:
Through the recognition and development of appropriate professional values and behaviours, you will apply your understanding of their significance in respect of relationships in midwifery care and practice. This will involve understanding professional roles and responsibilities in respect of not only your own practice, but that of others too.

Academic Development – Writing workshop
Programme Strands
Throughout the programme you will find ‘strands’ or ‘themes’ that follow particular topics. In this module Baby Friendly Initiative standards will be considered in respect of health and wellbeing, infant feeding culture in the UK, communication of infant feeding and Public Health strategies related to infant feeding. You will explore research in the context of evidence-based practice and understanding and accessing sources of midwifery evidence and knowledge. Medicines management will address managing professional practice in respect of the law, consent confidentiality, ethics, accountability and documentation. You will consider communication strategies such as sharing information, being attentive, confidentiality, enabling choice, consent, treating women with dignity and respect, partnership working, non-discriminatory practice and compassionate care. You will consider emotional wellbeing related to your knowledge of mental health during the perinatal period, women’s rights and treatment options, preconception advice, risk associated with history, signs and symptoms of distress, psycho-social risk factors in pregnancy, risks of self-harm, referral pathways, support, risk management strategies, all of which will reflect working within relevant policies and guidelines.

Further information

In this module you will gain an understanding of the importance of providing evidence based and physiologically appropriate care and management to the mother, baby and family unit. You will learn how to integrate partnership working into midwifery practice.
The module content is divided into five key areas and you will be encouraged and supported to consider the following:
Newborn:
You will explore the physiology, assessment and care of the newborn, newborn examinations, blood spot screening test and newborn hearing test
Infant and maternal nutrition:
You will consider the anatomy and physiology of the immune system and immunity
Constituents of colostrum and breastmilk encouraging the application of theory to practice – Responsive feeding (Baby Friendly Initiative) and recognition of effective breastfeeding
Overview of infant brain development and importance of love and nurture to ensure optimal outcomes.
Mother:
The importance of informed consent will be highlighted throughout the module. You will consider maternal physical and mental health and well-being before and after birth, cervical pathology, common minor disorders of the puerperium, pre/post-operative care following caesarean section, working as per The Code and an introduction to first aid. You will discuss the importance of sharing information with women which is clear and accurate. The rights of women will be explored and respected with care offered in a warm, sensitive and compassionate manner. Medicine management will be outlined and you will gain an appreciation of the role of the midwife in supporting women to make safe and informed choices regarding medicines throughout pregnancy and beyond.



Family:
Environmental – Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) you will recognise factors which may influence the well-being of the mother; newborn and family, teaching and learning a skill, emotional transition to parenting, family planning, parent and child interaction.
Professional:
You will explore the importance of reflection and reflective models.
Introduction to evidence based practice and professional roles within the multidisciplinary team.
Guidance with regards to documentation/ record keeping as per The Code.
Infection Control and continued support for completion of the Cleanliness Champions package.

Further information

You will learn under the direct supervision of a midwife to care for healthy childbearing women and gain competence in the performance of core midwifery skills for women and the newborn.
This practice module introduces you to midwifery practice, with placements in maternity care settings. You will be working under the direct supervision of a named mentor in each placement. The focus of the experience will be to enable you develop the necessary skills required in caring for the healthy childbearing woman and her family (LOs 1- 6). You will have the opportunity to perform basic clinical and interpersonal skills in maternity care settings (LOs 1, 2, 5, 6). Initially the practice will be observational, with gradual progression to hands-on practice in accordance with the mentor’s professional judgement of your level of experience, the clinical situation and the nature of the clinical skill.

You will begin to record births and clinical examination of childbearing women and their babies as required by the European Midwifery Directives (2005) and the Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC 2009).

You will also complete Cleanliness Champion Programme (HAI units 1 – 6).

Further information

During this module you will apply basic scientific principles of anatomy and physiology to maternal and infant health. This will provide you with the information that you require in order to undertake practice and will allow you to build on the knowledge gained in further theory modules.

In this module you will learn about five key areas including:

Basic Body structures:
You will examine in detail the cell and genetics, the nervous system, cardio-vascular system, respiratory system, renal system, gastro-intestinal system, reproductive and endocrine systems, microbiology and immunity.

Fertility: You will also examine in relation to female fertility, cell division, the ovarian cycle, menstrual cycle, fertilisation and conception. This module will also include maternal adaptation to her pregnancy, maternal nutrition and the anatomy of the female pelvis and fetal Skull

The Fetus: This module will also include basic embryology, fetal growth and development and fetal circulation.

Programme strand Breast Feeding: This module will commence with the Baby Friendly Initiative Theme (BFI) that is stranded throughout your programme. This includes the anatomy of the breast and physiology of lactation, the role of the feedback inhibitor of lactation (FIL) and instinctive mothering behaviour.
You will also study the prevention of Infection- principles of infection control, immunity

Further information