PgDip Midwifery (Short)

In this module you will gain a critical understanding of the importance of providing evidence based and physiologically appropriate care and management to the newborn. You will learn how to assess the well-being of the newborn and apply your knowledge to identify normal and abnormal findings. The importance of multi-disciplinary team working will be evaluated, understanding when and how to share information during the referral process. The module content is divided into key areas: Newborn: You will consider the physiology, assessment, and care of the newborn and the skills required to carry out a Newborn Infant Physical Examination (NIPE). You will explore the knowledge required to understand and implement national screening and diagnostic tests for newborn infants. You will examine anatomy and physiology relevant to the identification of complications and additional care needs in relation to adaptation to life, the newborn infant and very early child development. Medicine management will be outlined and applied for newborn conditions. Newborn Nutrition: You will analyse the constituents of colostrum, breast milk and formula milk - encouraging the application of theory to practice through responsive feeding and recognition of effective feeding and breastfeeding (Baby Friendly Initiative, BFI). When additional care is required you will learn the principles of Naso Gastric (NG) feeding. Family: transitional care will be evaluated highlighting the importance of maintaining mother/birthing person-newborn contact especially when additional care is required. You will debate the importance of sharing information with mothers/persons and families which is clear and accurate. Current government policies will be justified in the context of the well-being of the mother or birthing person, newborn and family.

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The aim of this module is to enable you to critically examine the elements of the anatomy and pathophysiology of midwifery complications affecting both mother/birthing person and newborn infant during the childbearing period. You will develop knowledge and understanding which will enable you to critically analyse and apply evidence-based principles in the provision of care to both mother/birthing person and the newborn infant where complications arise. You will develop communication and transferable skills to enable you to work in partnership with women/people and other health and social care professionals. You will develop your knowledge in the following key areas: medical conditions which impact on maternal & neonatal health; pre-conceptional and antenatal care developing knowledge and understanding of the causes of infertility and the impact this has on women and birthing person’s health, exploring issues around surrogacy and fostering and the importance of history taking; antenatal and newborn screening and referral pathways; effective communication and working within a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) will be explored; intrapartum complications including principles and theories of intrapartum care with additional care needs; postpartum infections and complications; supporting families in the provision of respectful kind and compassionate end of life and bereavement care.

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The aim of this module is to enable you to critically apply the necessary knowledge and skills in the management of complications that occur in both mother and baby during the childbearing period. During this module you will learn to critically evaluate evidence-based care and apply principles of best practice to the care of women with additional needs. You will apply the principles of human factors, environmental factors and the importance of strengths-based approaches when working with colleagues from interdisciplinary and multi-agency teams and women/birthing people and their families. The module content is divided into key areas: antenatal- covering the management of pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, renal system and associated disorders; intrapartum - covering multiple pregnancy, interpretation of electronic fetal heart rate monitoring, meconium stained liquor, disordered uterine action, ruptured uterus, operative delivery and caesarean section and the care of mothers/birthing persons with anaesthetics; postpartum - covering retained placenta, thromboembolism, amniotic fluid embolism, disseminated intravascular coagulation, haemolysis elevated liver enzymes low platelets syndrome, shock. The theory and provision of care of women/birthing persons experiencing obstetric emergencies is also covered, including the management of neonatal resuscitation and preterm birth.

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During this module you will consider the philosophical underpinning of professional practice and evaluate models and approaches to midwifery care considering their sustainability and applicability to your future practice and employment as a midwife. You will study the anatomy and physiology of the female reproductive system, immune system and lactation. Physiology will be applied to the childbirth continuum as you engage with the principles of universal and additional midwifery care during preconception, pregnancy, birth, and the postnatal period. The module will explore the aims of antenatal care and national screening programmes considering the role genetics in maintaining maternal and fetal health. Place of birth and the impact of local national and global policy on women’s lives will be studies alongside consideration of midwifery care during labour. You will develop the range of skills and attributes needed by midwives to assess maternal and fetal wellbeing and make use of national online learning packages such as K2 . The principles of postnatal care will be studies and you will be introduced to initial examination and care of the newborn drawing on global UNICEF Baby Friendly Standards. Women’s health including issues around reproduction, gender identity and contraception will be considered. Throughout the module you will engage in the critical review of legal, ethical and professional issues related to practice. You will also be supported to develop your academic skills in relation to accessing, critiquing and applying evidence and to actively and independently manage your learning in preparation for post graduate study.

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In this module you will examine the role of the midwife in providing woman and birthing person centred care within a multidisciplinary, organisational and policy context. Your module is structured around domain 5 of the NMC Standards of Proficiency for Midwives: Promoting excellence: the midwife as colleague, scholar and leader.

Midwives as educators of the self and others:
- The midwife as practice assessor and supervisor, revalidation and professional development. - Reflective practice and supporting skills for positive birth.
- Midwifery skills for qualification.
- Midwives as colleagues and team members. - Contemporary Scottish, UK and International policy initiatives and legislation for pregnancy and the early years.
- Autonomous midwifery supporting all births with interprofessional and interagency working relationships.
Midwives as leaders:
- Professional, legal and ethical agendas for contemporary midwifery practice and public well-being from national and international perspectives.
- Midwifery leadership and change management theories – overcoming barriers to change in midwifery.
Midwives, organisations and management:
- Developing and delivering client centred maternity services through a quality improvement framework.
- Midwifery, risk management and clinical governance in the maternity services.
Midwives working with women and birthing people:
- Respecting client self-advocacy and agency within the health care relationship.

Further information

This module introduces you to midwifery practice and actively encourages you to engage with and utilise your transferable skills as a registered nurse. The module represents the first of two parts of practice learning experience which enable you to meet the Future Midwife Proficiencies (NMC, 2019). For each part you will have practice supervisors, a practice assessor and an academic assessor who will plan and support your learning in each area as per the Standards for Student Support and Assessment (NMC, 2018). The focus of the experience will be to enable you to develop the necessary skills required in caring for childbearing women, birthing people and their families (LOs 1- 5). You will have the opportunity to develop clinical and interpersonal skills in maternity care settings (LOs 1, 2, 5). 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, 2019). You will also undertake mandatory skills and development as part of your clinical skills passport detailed in the MPAD. This module includes clinical skills such as assessment of maternal, fetal and neonatal wellbeing and medicines administration including SafeMedicate.

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This module consolidates your professional practice and preparation for registration as a midwife with the NMC. The module represents the second of two parts of practice learning experience which enable you to meet the Future Midwife Proficiencies (NMC, 2019). For each part you will have practice supervisors, a practice assessor and an academic assessor who will plan and support your learning in each area as per the Standards for Student Support and Assessment (NMC, 2018). The focus of the experience will be to enable you to develop the necessary skills required in caring for childbearing women, birthing people and their families (LOs 1- 5). You will have the opportunity to develop clinical and interpersonal skills in maternity care settings (LOs 1, 2, 5). You will continue 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, 2019). You will also undertake mandatory skills and development as part of your clinical skills passport detailed in the MPAD.

This module includes clinical skills such as the assessment and response to urgent and emergency situations, cannulation and perineal repair.

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In this module you will explore the philosophies which underpin professional midwifery practice. You will examine core academic skills which will facilitate personal and professional development. Social theories will be introduced that will provide you with explanatory and evaluative frameworks for 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/person-centred care. In this module you will build upon your existing knowledge of how to use evidence to inform practice. This includes learning about sources of midwifery knowledge and evidence; searching, sourcing and appraising evidence and research. The learning will be within the context of professional issues, and you will receive an introduction to midwifery research career pathways.

You will develop an understanding of the stages of the research process. This will include the principles of qualitative and quantitative research; key research approaches and methods for midwifery research. The underlying principles of research such as sampling, reliability and validity will also be explored.
You will also build your knowledge and understanding of ethics. With a particular focus on the ethical principles for research, research governance and formal processes for research ethics.

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