MAJO4000 Midwifery Care and Starting a Family Course description

The course focuses on matters relating to childbirth and starting a family and the new-born baby. 'Starting a family' is a broad concept that also covers pregnancy and the post-partum period. Midwifery at the intersection between normality and risk is also a focus area. Different topics will be discussed in light of natural diversity, cultural differences and physiological, psychosocial and ethical aspects. Focusing on the normal entails a responsibility to identify and respect the boundaries of the complicated.

The student will acquire different types of knowledge as a basis for developing his/her own midwifery competence and an awareness of clinical practice as an important arena for knowledge and professional development. The student must therefore gain an insight into and the opportunity to reflect critically on both the broadness and level of specialisation in a midwife's duties and areas of responsibility.

The course is taught over a ten-week period in parallel with MAJO4200 Research Theory and Methodology in Midwifery, part A. The courses are taught in parallel in order to encourage increased awareness of the complex interaction between the different material and research theory perspectives in midwifery.

Admission to the programme.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student has:

• in-depth knowledge about the functions and responsibilities of a midwife and about the laws and regulations that govern midwifery
• specialist knowledge about anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology within the midwife's area of expertise during pregnancy, childbirth and the post-partum period
• in-depth knowledge about normal labour progression and knowledge about abnormal labour progression, and about how to monitor the mother and child during pregnancy, childbirth and the post-partum period
• in-depth knowledge about pain during labour and pain relief methods
• in-depth knowledge about cultural traditions with a bearing on the individual approach to women during pregnancy, childbirth and the post-partum period
• in-depth knowledge about the development and fundamental needs of healthy and sick newborns
• in-depth knowledge about breastfeeding and mother and baby nutrition during the perinatal period

Skills

The student:

• has specialised theoretical knowledge about basic midwifery skills
• is capable of analysing the knowledge base for midwifery skills

Competence

The student is capable of:

• analysing links between physical, psychosocial and cultural aspects and developments in pregnancy, childbirth and starting a family
• communicating with fellow students and the teaching staff about issues relating to childbirth and starting a family
• analysing and contributing to new ideas and further development of interdisciplinary cooperation in antenatal and intrapartum care
• analysing health-promoting and preventive processes for the family

The work and teaching methods vary between lectures, seminars, and studying relevant specialist and research literature individually and in study groups.

The following required coursework must be completed and approved before a student can take the exam:

Planning and conducting a workshop on a given topic. The students will work in groups. The purpose of the work is for students to gain experience of group processes, acquire in-depth knowledge of a particular topic and to practise assessing/using results from research articles and communicating about midwifery issues. As part of the workshop, the students must

1. submit a written summary of 4-6 research articles on a given topic. The summary must not exceed 2,000 words.
2. Students must give an oral presentation in groups to the lecturer based on the summary

Supervision will be provided for the written part of the assignment. If a group fails, they must give another presentation on the same topic to the lecturer. The group is entitled to one more attempt. If one or more members of the group are absent, they must give the presentation prepared by the group to the lecturer(s).

Exam content: The learning outcomes

Exam form: Supervised individual written exam, four hours

No aids are permitted.

Grade scale A-F.

All exams are assessed by two internal examiners. An external programme supervisor contributes to the preparation of the question papers and assessment criteria.