Midwifery BSc modules

First year

  • Principles of Universal Midwifery Care

This module introduces the student to the principles of universal midwifery care and professional midwifery practice. It aims to familiarise the student to the midwife’s scope of professional practice and the requisite underpinning professional, ethical and legal responsibilities of the registered midwife. The module will provide the student with an introduction to midwifery care across the continuum and will include mandatory skills and clinical skills in preparation for practice placements. The student will be facilitated to develop effective communication and interpersonal skills, including reflection and personal resilience. 

  • The Social Context of Childbearing

This module will develop the student’s knowledge and understanding of how midwives work in partnership with women to care for and support all childbearing women, newborn infants, and their families. It will illustrate the important contribution that midwives make to population and global health, fostering psychological and physical health and wellbeing to promote positive outcomes and to anticipate and prevent complications. This module will look at the provision of maternity care and ways of providing care, including continuity of carer.

  • Biological Sciences and Child bearing

This module will develop the student’s knowledge and understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the body systems, focusing on the normal biological and physiological processes of reproduction and the physiology of health. The module will facilitate an understanding of how the midwife can apply these principles to the care of a woman during childbearing, including optimising safe birth outcomes and the prevention of complications.

  • Practice Module One

This module will begin to develop the requisite knowledge, skills and attributes to provide safe and effective care as an autonomous and professional midwife. The student will experience placements across a range of contemporary midwifery settings, including community and in-hospital clinical environments. Students will be supported by a range of healthcare practitioners, including practice supervisors, practice assessors and academic assessors and be expected to participate in the care of mothers and their babies.  Through the use of SafeMedicate package the student will begin to develop the necessary medicines management and numeracy skills for professional practice.

Second year

  • Appreciating Research and Evidence in Midwifery Practice

This module aims to promote a critical understanding and evaluation in relation to the nature of the evidence-base that underpins midwifery practice. Students will consider what constitutes research evidence and how current evidence is undertaken and developed to promote safe and effective midwifery practice. The student will be facilitated to apply the concepts of research awareness through undertaking a literature search and undertaking a narrative review, where they will explore and evaluate a topic area and critically discuss how these impact on midwifery practice within a woman-centred context.

  • The Newborn Infant

This module aims to build upon the knowledge and skills introduced in MIDW1005, where the normal neonate was presented.  It will introduce the concept of the neonate with additional care needs and the midwives’ role as part of the multidisciplinary team, including during emergency situations. This module will also critically explore the skills and knowledge required of the midwife to conduct the ‘examination of the newborn’ (EoN) and act on findings and refer appropriately. It will promote the midwife’s role in optimising neonatal outcomes through the promotion of holistic midwifery care in partnership with the mother and the family.

  • Additional Care Needs and Midwifery Practice

This module will further develop the student’s knowledge and understanding of the common medical disorders that may be affected by pregnancy, labour and the puerperium or may, along with psycho-social factors, lead to complications. Students will explore the physical and psychological requirements of mothers globally, including those who have additional care needs and critically evaluate the midwifes’ role as care co-ordinator within the multi-professional team. 

  • Practice Module two

This module will further develop the knowledge, skills and attributes required to provide safe and effective care as an autonomous and professional midwife. The student will experience placements across a range of contemporary midwifery settings, including community and in-hospital practice clinical environments. Students will be supported by a range of healthcare practitioners, including practice supervisors, practice assessors and academic assessors and be expected to contribute to the care of mothers and their babies. A key component of this module is continuity of care where students will create a small caseload of women with complex care needs and follow their progress through the multi-professional care pathway. Within the MORA they will also demonstrate development of their skills undertaking the examination of the new-born. Through the use of SafeMedicate package the student will continue to develop the necessary numeracy skills.

Third year

  • Influencing and Advancing the Midwifery Profession

To enhance the provision of midwifery care for women, their partners and family’s midwives draw on collated research findings and other primary sources to critically evaluate care and develop professional practice. The dissemination of knowledge and practice through publication forms part of this. The aim of this module is for students to develop the knowledge and skills to produce an article for publication on a subject relevant to midwifery practice.

  • Preparation for Professional Midwifery Practice

This module will equip students with the knowledge and skills to provide safe and effective care as an autonomous and professional midwife ready for midwifery practice in a diverse and contemporary midwifery setting. There will also be a focus on the midwife’s role in the initial management of obstetric emergencies and their role as part of the multi-professional team. On completion of this module the student will also be ready and prepared to take on the role of the practice supervisor.

  • Developing and Shaping Midwifery Practice

This module builds upon the skills and knowledge to develop the aptitudes and understanding needed for autonomous professional midwifery practice. The module enables midwives to provide safe and effective midwifery practice and be involved in practice development to further develop the profession. This module promotes the midwife as a leader and change agent, who moves practice forward through management theory and change management.

  • Practice Module Three

This module will consolidate the student’s knowledge, skills and attributes required to provide safe and effective care as an autonomous and professional midwife. The student will experience placements across a range of contemporary midwifery settings, including community and in-hospital practice environments, with a period of case-holding practice. Students will be supported by a range of healthcare practitioners, including practice supervisors, practice assessors and academic assessors and be expected to develop proficiency in the care of mothers and their babies. A key component of this module is continuity of care where students will manage a small caseload of women and provide care under minimal supervision during the final placement. Within the MORA the student will also document evidence of their development of the skills of ‘Examination of the New-born’. Students will also demonstrate their competency in their numeracy skills.