92359 Women with Complex Pregnancies

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Health
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Undergraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 92357 Midwifery Practice 2: Supporting Women AND 92354 Introductory Pharmacology and Microbiology
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

This subject prepares students to assess, plan, implement and evaluate midwifery care for women who have complex needs during pregnancy. The subject provides theoretical underpinnings that engage students to explore how midwives can support these women and builds student capacity to acquire the knowledge, skills and attributes for midwifery practice in complex situations.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

A.	Articulate knowledge of the underlying physiology/pathophysiology in relation to complexities in pregnancy
B.	Apply knowledge of deviations from normal to plan, implement and evaluate safe care of the woman experiencing complex problems during pregnancy
C.	Describe the role of the midwife in supporting women who develop complexities during pregnancy and/or have chronic medical conditions prior to becoming pregnant
D.	Articulate the theoretical underpinnings of quality and safety in the care of women with complexity in pregnancy
E.	Appraise interventions and appropriate fetal assessment techniques used when managing the care of women whose pregnancy deviates from normal
F.	Evaluate the use of evidence based practice in relation to complex pregnancy
G.	Apply legal, ethical and professional responsibilities to midwifery practice

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes specifically to the following graduate attributes:

Practice woman-centred care (1.0)
Are professionally competent midwives who provide safe and effective midwifery care using intelligent kindness (2.0)
Work collaboratively in order to provide excellence in maternity care (3.0)
Are professionally engaged critical thinkers who take a lively and questioning approach and embrace lifelong learning (6.0)

Teaching and learning strategies

Tutorials, workshops and learning materials
In this subject, the student will participate in a range of teaching and learning strategies that are designed to encourage the student to engage with midwifery care for women with complexities in pregnancy.

The teaching and learning strategies used to explain concepts will include topic related case studies discussed through workshops. Students will be required to engage in critical thinking and collaborative group work and group discussions. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their clinical practice skills including communication skills and the impact of these on women and their families during their pregnancy.

This subject benefits from the provision of online pre-workshop reading of journal articles, reading of women’s stories accessible via websites, and watching videos via Youtube. These activities are foundational and will be built upon during class workshops.

Each week students will be exploring the pregnancy experiences of real women (these will be de-identified). These contemporary cases will involve women who have had complexity arise during their pregnancy and will relate directly to the topic being discussed. Workshops are provided to enable students to clarify, discuss, and develop subject concepts.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Summary of Evidence and Fact Sheet

Intent:	PART A Information provided to women in particular those experiencing complexities during their pregnancy has to be accurate, evidence-based, and relevant. Midwives must be current in their knowledge in order to provide women with this information. Part A of the assessment task provides students with the opportunity to practice evaluating and critiquing evidence and making a decision about what to include in information sharing with women, midwives, and other relevant health care professionals. The assessment also provides an opportunity for students to develop succinct and accurate documentation of current evidence-based practice in relation to the chosen complexity. PART B Part B of this assessment task will help students learn about the chosen pregnancy-related complication in finer detail. The fact sheet may also be used as a resource for student peers to learn about this complexity.
Objective(s):	This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, B, C, D, E, F and G This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 6.0
Weight:	50%
Length:	PART A: Summary of evidence - 800 words (plus references) PART B: Fact sheet - 1,200 words (plus references)
Criteria:

Assessment task 2: Case-based Examination

Intent:	Midwives must be current in their knowledge in order to provide women with safe and effective care in collaboration with other healthcare professionals. This assessment task provides the opportunity for the student to demonstrate knowledge gained about safe effective care for women experiencing a complexity in their pregnancy.
Objective(s):	This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, B, C, D, E and F This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 6.0
Weight:	50%
Length:	This examination will be two (2) hours.

Required texts

Catling, C., Cummins, A. & Hogan, R. (2016). Stories in Midwifery: Reflection, Action, Enquiry, Elsevier, Sydney.

Marshall, J. & Rayner, M. (eds). (2020). Myles Textbook for Midwives, 17th edn, Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh.

Pairman, S. Pincombe, J., Thorogood, C. & Tracy, S. (eds). (2019). Midwifery: Preparation for practice, book 1, Elsevier, Sydney.

Pairman, S. Pincombe, J., Thorogood, C. & Tracy, S. (eds). (2019). Midwifery: Preparation for practice, book 2, Elsevier, Sydney.

References

Blackburn, S.T. (2017). Maternal, fetal & neonatal physiology: a clinical perspective, 5th edn, Saunders, St. Louis, Mississippi.

Boyle, M. (2016). Emergencies around childbirth: a handbook for midwives, 3rd edn, Radcliffe Medical Press, Abingdon.

Canfield, R.N.(ed). (2009). Infectious pregnancy complications, Nova Biomedical Books, New York.

Foley, M.R., Strong, T.H. & Garite, T.J. (2014). Obstetric intensive care manual, 4th edn, McGraw-Hill Medical, New York.

Other resources

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