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Midwifery practice is an ordered sequence of clinical experiences enabling progressive development and application of evidence-based knowledge for the advancement of clinical skills necessary to deliver effective care. Students will be introduced to midwifery practice principles that focus on the health and wellbeing of childbearing women and their babies. Students will have the opportunity to work with a midwife in a midwifery clinical setting, providing care for women throughout pregnancy labour, birth and the dyad in the postnatal setting.

The assessment in this course is competency-based. Students will achieve either a pass or fail for each assessment. Students need to pass all assessment items to successfully complete the course. These competency items form part of the UniSQ accreditation agreement with the accrediting organisation/s (where relevant).

This course enables students to provide midwifery care as a primary carer to strengthen midwifery skills when supporting women and their families during labour and birth. In this course students will demonstrate assessment skills, critical thinking, reflection and the ability to prioritise labour and birth care within a woman-centred partnership model of care. Students will further develop clinical skills in providing non-pharmaceutical, physiological and psychological labour support. Students will also employ a holistic approach to assessment and management of women in relation to induction of labour and of epidural analgesia. Students will demonstrate ability to perform and interpret the use of cardiotocograph during labour, midwifery labour assessments skills and care of a women as she progresses through labour. This course will also enable the student to develop skills to care for the infant at birth and assess maternal and infant wellbeing following birth. The student will apply knowledge and critical thinking to assist in initiating breastfeeding, sampling of blood from the infant and administration of an injection to the infant.

1. Perform physical antenatal assessments with preservation of the woman’s dignity, confidentiality and in accordance with specific beliefs, customs and cultures including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander;
2. Plan, implement and evaluate childbirth care and education for women and their families, adhering to Midwifery Standards for Practice and National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards integrating theoretical and professional clinical skills of care in the birth environment;
3. Demonstrates communication and clinical skills in performing and interpreting a cardiotocograph during labour;
4. Plan, implement and evaluate, in collaboration with the labouring woman, clinical skills to support the progression of labour;
5. Demonstrate cultural awareness and communication skills consistent with a multicultural society;
6. Plan and implement technical and non-technical measures to enhancing the elements of informed decision-making for women in their choice of pain management (including epidural analgesia);
7. Demonstrate the ability to analyse evidence, data and events, and intervene appropriately to plan, implement and evaluate safe and appropriate care in assessing and monitoring a woman and her baby following birth;
8. Demonstrate skills in blood sampling and administration of injections to the baby.