92370 International Perspectives
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Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
This subject enables students to identify their role in Australia and in the wider global community of midwifery, as they near the end of their course. It engages students to reflect upon and interpret the evidence that underpins midwifery practice and influences change in a global context. The subject includes an exploration and critique of the ideologies associated with Western constructs of childbirth and maternity care, and facilitates critical thinking and reflection on practice.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| A. | Summarise the main causes of maternal and infant mortality and understand the contributing factors especially in resource-poor situations |
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| B. | Explain the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, in particular, describe the international progress in meeting MDGs 4 and 5 |
| C. | Explain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, in particular describe Transforming our world- the 2030 Agenda towards meeting SDG 5 |
| D. | Critique the role of the World Health Organization, the International Confederation of Midwives, non-government organisations, and national and international charities in addressing the MDGs and SDG’s |
| E. | Explore midwifery care in other countries with a focus on primary health care and community development approaches in resource-poor settings |
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
This subject contributes specifically to the following Graduate Attributes:
- Are professionally competent midwives who provide safe and effective midwifery care using intelligent kindness (2.0)
- Are socially responsible citizens who value the diversity of people (5.0)
- Are professionally engaged critical thinkers who take a lively and questioning approach and embrace lifelong learning (6.0)
Teaching and learning strategies
In this subject, students participate in a range of teaching and learning strategies that are designed to assist them to develop understanding and awareness of the issues related to international perspectives of midwifery care for women, families and communities.
LECTURES AND ONLINE LEARNING MATERIALS
This subject benefits from both the real-time delivery of content and access to online resources including videos and learning modules. All classes will be conducted face-to-face. Guest speakers enable students to clarify, discuss and develop critical thinking directly related to woman-centred care in low and middle-income countries. Online resources enable students to clarify complex concepts and terminology, and engage with sensitive or confronting topics at their own pace. Online activities are then discussed in class to share learning, experiences and reflections. Online resources from groups such as Women Deliver, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNFPA, WHO and Family Planning 2020 are used to engage students in stories and experiences in relation to global midwifery.
STUDENT CONFERENCE
The culmination of the subject requires students to engage in a student-led conference (half-day) exploring aspects related to women’s reproductive health, pregnancy, labour, birth and puerperium, cultural birth practices and infant feeding, within a global context. Group work and assimilation of information fosters the development of respectful and collegial collaboration with student peers, women, professional organisations and other stakeholders. This activity develops skills in collaborative group work, working in a team, allocating tasks and supporting one another and oral presentation skills. Other midwifery students (first and second year BMid and GradDip students) and midwifery academics and educators from our clinical partners are invited to attend the conference. Students choose a theme to the conference and invite a guest speaker in keeping with that theme. The conference will be held during class time in the final scheduled week for the subject.
Content (topics)
International issues in maternal and infant health
- Causes and contributing factors to maternal and infant mortality in resource-poor situations
- The global politics of maternity service provision and midwifery regulation and education
- The role of midwifery in contributing to quality maternal and newborn care in all countries
- United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in particular MDG 4 and 5 (2000-2015)
- United Nations Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (2015-2030)
- The role of the World Health Organization, the International Confederation of Midwives, non-government organisations and national and international charities in addressing the Post-2015 SDG agenda.
Midwifery in other contexts and settings
- The role of Traditional Birth Attendants in low income countries
- The organisation of maternity services in other parts of the world
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Abstract
| Intent: | The purpose of this assessment is for students to research a topic related to the Student International Conference theme. You are required to work in pairs or a maximum of three students to develop an abstract and to prepare for their final presentation. |
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| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, B, C and E |
| Weight: | 20% |
| Length: | 250 words maximum - abstracts over 250 words will not be accepted. |
Assessment task 2: Report
| Intent: | The purpose of this assignment is for students to reflect on the Sustainable Development Goals in relation to an international organisation that provides care/services to women and their babies. |
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| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): B, C and E |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | 1500 words. The word limit must be strictly adhered to. The reference list is not included in the word count. In-text citations are included in the word count. Referencing must be in APA 7th format. |
Assessment task 3: Conference presentation
| Intent: | This assessment item is the culmination of the work that students have completed in this subject. Students will be required to present this assessment as a presentation (either an 'oral' or a 'poster' presentation) at the Midwifery Student International Conference. |
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| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, C, D and E |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | Oral presentation: 10 minutes and 5 minutes for questions Poster presentation: 5 minutes and 3 minutes for questions |
References
Magar, V. 2015, 'Gender, health and the Sustainable Development Goals', Bulletin of the World Health Organization, vol. 93, no. 11, pp. 743.
Renfrew, M., Homer, C., Downe, S., McFadden, A., Muir, N., Prentice, T. & ten Hoope-Bender, P. 2014, 'The Lancet series on midwifery: executive Summary', The Lancet, United Kingdom.
United Nations 2016, Sustainable Development Goals, United Nations, New York, viewed 27 June 2019, <http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/>.
United Nations Population Fund 2016, UNFPA Midwifery, UNFPA, New York, viewed 27 June 2019, <http://www.unfpa.org/midwifery>.
United Nations Population Fund, International Confederation of Midwives & World Health Organization 2014, State of the world's midwifery report: a universal pathway, a woman's right to health, UNFPA, ICM, WHO, Not Stated.
Van Lerberghe, W., Matthews, Z., Achadi, E., Ancona, C., Campbell, J., Channon, A., de Bernis, L., De Brouwere, V., Fauveau, V., Fogstad, H., Koblinsky, M., Liljestrand, J., Mechbal, A., Murray, S.F., Rathavay, T., Refr, H., Richard, F., Hoope-Bender, P.t. & Turkman, S. 2014, 'Country experience with strengthening of health systems and deployment of midwives in countries with high maternal mortality', The Lancet, vol. 384, no. 9949, pp. 1215-25.
World Health Organization 2016, Midwifery, World Health Organization, Geneva, viewed 27 June 2019, <http://www.who.int/topics/midwifery/en/>.
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