Required texts

Lists of suggested texts

• Pairman, S., Tracy, S., Dahlen, H. & Dixon, L. (2022). Midwifery preparation for practice. 5th ed. Sydney
• Leap, N., & Hunter, B. (2022). Supporting women for labour and birth: a thoughtful guide. 2nd ed. UK: Routledge
• Homer, C., Leap, N., Brodie, P. & Sandall, J. (2019). Midwifery Continuity of Care. 2nd ed. Australia: Elsevier
• Byrom, S. & Downe, S. (2015). The roar behind the silence - why kindness, compassion and respect matter in maternity care. UK: Pinter & Martin
• De-Vitry Smith, S. & Bayes, S. (2022). Skills for midwifery practice (Australia and New Zealand ed.). 2nd ed. Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier.

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

Unlike other disciplines, the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) component of studying midwifery continues alongside the academic semester and this work can be complex, demanding and unpredictable. Therefore, students can use WIL as circumstances to apply for an extension to an assessment item due date using the assignment extension form available from the Student Forms page and the Canvas site. Unit convenors can use their discretion to approve an extension of up to one week on these grounds and may audit Daisy documentation as evidence to support the extension.  

If there is any doubt about the requirements of a particular assessment or assessment procedure, please see the Unit Convener who is here to help you. The onus for clarifying assessment issues rests with the student. The midwifery staff are here to help you, of course.  

Special assessment requirements

If there is any doubt about the requirements of a particular assessment or assessment procedure, please see the Unit Convener who is here to help you. The onus for clarifying assessment issues rests with the student. All assessments must be submitted to pass the unit and students must achieve an overall mark of 50% to pass the unit. You must keep a copy of your assignments.

• Written assignments should be word processed in 1.5 line spacing, single spacing for tables with numbered pages. 
• Referencing requirements
• Students must use APA 7th Edition method of referencing throughout their assignments. The following useful resource on referencing is available at: 

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and 69萝莉 (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Participation requirements

Attendance at classes is compulsory in this course, as per the Bachelor of Midwifery curriculum approved by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Board in 2018.

Because we understand that we all have multi-roled and complex lives, and that sometimes being on call will mean students will be attending women in labour during our face-to-face sessions, we provide opportunities for students to make up missed classes. Students may be required to write a 500 word synopsis about their learning on any missed major topics and submit the 500 words within two weeks of their absence (or as negotiated with the Unit Convenor). In this way, students both demonstrate their learning on missed content and still share the learning processes with their co-students.

This semester, this is compulsory unless students make arrangements to 鈥榗atch up' on any practical work missed in class e.g. undertake perineal suturing workshop or attend a well baby assessment workshop in the practice arena. Students cannot pass this unit unless they have either attended all practical classes, undertaken an alternative workshop or (for some appropriate classes, submitted 500 words per topic missed). Students who do not submit to these attendance requirements in a timely way will not pass the unit.

Note well: Please do not make 'FirstVisit' (Booking in/PAC) appointments with women during scheduled classes and please arrive at all practice with appropriate ID and dress.  

Required IT skills

Students are required to have the skills to use and complete the requirements of documenting their practice using our on-line Midwifery Practice Portfolio 'DAISY M'.

In-unit costs

You do not have to purchase texts for this unit but as busy students who are also involved in midwifery practice, you may find it most useful to do so. Texts recommended for the unit will be used throughout the Bachelor of Midwifery course.

Work placement, internships or practicums

Students are required to undertake midwifery practice in a continuity of care experiences model this semester. While it is difficult to mandate numbers of continuity experiences to have been started or completed in the first semester, it is expected that at least half of the total numbers for the year will be commenced.   

There are variations of course between women and between experiences, so each 鈥榗ontinuity experience' will be slightly different. For the purposes of this semester's requirements, it is very important that the student, under direct supervision, shares the lead carer role for each woman, while ever that is appropriate for the woman.

In this semester, progress toward achieving the 鈥榤idwifery minimum practice requirements' comes from working in the continuity of care model and rostered shifts of 240 hours.

Students must follow all guidelines as per the Midwifery Practice Experience and Course Handbook

• Placement
• Simulation

This unit has pre-placement requirements (e.g., Manual Handling and e-learning).

You can self-enrol in this module through the UC Learn site here.

You are also required to complete details in InPlace, refer to inplace.canberra.edu.au. If you have any queries related to InPlace please contact placement@canberra.edu.au.

Contact your unit convener if you have any concerns with meeting the requirements of this unit.

Additional information

As you know, midwifery is a complex course because of both the theory and practice requirements, so please do not remain quiet if you are concerned or worried. The Unit Convener, your midwifery mentor, Midwifery Practice Coordinators, and the Course Convenor are all here to help you. At UC, as well as the excellent midwives in the practice areas, you have the added advantage of access to our Practice Support Midwives who are available to assist you in your practice with women.  We want you to continue on your journey to becoming useful and connected midwives by learning in a supportive environment, so please let us know if you feel very challenged. Most things can be sorted out quickly and easily if we know. We will also help with more complex issues.

You will need to self-regulate time off from being on call this year.  It is important to turn your phone "off" at times to unwind and have balance in your life.  This will need to be done on an individual basis and will be determined by when you have women due, if you are on task with requirements.  Your unit convenor, practice co-ordinators and PSMs can help you with discussions around this. 

Announcements made at seminars are deemed to be made to the whole group. Important announcements will be repeated on the unit UCLearn website.

• Semester 1, 2024, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (218073)
• Semester 1, 2023, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (212587)
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• Semester 1, 2021, On-campus, UC - Canberra, Bruce (200804)