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Establishing Professional Self in Midwifery - HEA00079C

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  • Department: Health Sciences
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: C
  • Academic year of delivery: 2023-24

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2023-24 to Summer Semester 2023-24

Module aims

Note: This document uses the word 'women’ throughout. This should be taken to include people who do not identify as women but are pregnant or who have given birth.

  • Develop rigorous understanding of the requirements to be an accountable, autonomous professional midwife within the context of contemporary midwifery practice and maternity care.

  • Evaluate the concepts of communication, reflection and adult learning, during the start of a professional learning journey towards midwifery registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC).

  • Identify and apply a strengths-based approach for self and self development, to support future development promoting excellence as colleague, scholar and leader.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate rigorous understanding of the requirements to be an accountable, autonomous professional midwife.

  2. Present clear understanding of the national context of contemporary midwifery practice and maternity care.

  3. Demonstrate and evaluate skills of communication, reflection and adult learning, relevant to the start of a professional learning journey towards midwifery registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC).

  4. Demonstrate and evaluate skills to support a strengths-based approach for self and self development commensurate with Stage One of the programme.

Module content

Content includes introductions to: the Connected Curriculum model; Professional and Statutory Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs) & professional regulation within UK midwifery and health care; role of the NMC; history of UK midwifery and maternity care; global contexts of midwifery and maternity care; strength based approach to maintain health and wellbeing; adult learning; lifelong learning; library resources and study skills; professional reflection and reflective writing; communication skills (including simulation) including record keeping, interpersonal skills and constructive feedback; digital technologies; interdisciplinary working and learning; Interprofessional education (IPE); Death cafe; Schwartz rounds; human rights of women and newborns; women’s sexual and reproductive rights; University careers service and York Award; themes/learning outcomes within UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) University Standards mapped to this module including understanding breastfeeding in a wider social, political and cultural context.

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Special assessment rules

Non-compensatable

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Module feedback

Written feedback for the summative assessment is provided on the standard proforma, within the timescale specified in the programme handbook.

Indicative reading

AIMS (Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services (2022). AIMS home [Online]. Available at: https://www.aims.org.uk/ [Accessed 11 March 2022].

Allison. J. (2021.) Midwifery from the Tudors to the twenty-first century: history, politics and safe practice in England. London: Routledge.

Andrews, A. and St Aubyn, B. (2020). Record keeping for nurses and midwives: an essential guide. Kewsick: M&K Publishing

Birthrights. (2022). About us. [Online]. Available at: https://www.birthrights.org.uk/about-us/ [Accessed 11 March 2022].

Becker, L. (2019). Study your way to your perfect career. London: SAGE.

Brown, A. (2021). Covid babies: how pandemic health measures undermined pregnancy, birth and early parenting. London: Pinter & Martin.

Butterworth, T. (2022) What is clinical supervision and how can it be delivered in practice? Nursing Times. Feb. 118 (2) pp. 2–22

Cottrell, S. (2019). The study skills handbook. (5th ed). London: Palgrave.

Edwards, J. (2022). Write reflectively. London: SAGE.

Fung, D. (2011). A connected curriculum for Higher Education. [Online]. Available at: https://www.uclpress.co.uk/products/86213 [Accessed 11 March 2022].

International Confederation of Midwives, (ICM), (2019). Essential competencies for midwifery practice. [Online]. Available at: https://www.internationalmidwives.org/assets/files/general-files/2019/03/icm-competencies-en-screens.pdf [Accessed 11 March 2022].

International Confederation of Midwives. (ICM). (2022). About us. [Online]. Available at: https://www.internationalmidwives.org/about-us/ [Accessed 11 March 2022].

International Confederation of Midwives. (ICM). (2013). Global standards for midwifery education (2010 Amended 2013). [Online]. Available at: https://www.internationalmidwives.org/assets/files/general-files/2018/04/icm-standards-guidelines_ammended2013.pdf [Accessed 11 March 2022].

Jasper, M. (2013). Beginning reflective practice. (2nd ed). Andover: Cengage Learning.

Kuipers, S. (2012). The thriving giver: 7 principles for health professionals and caregivers to enhance self care and prevent burnout. Tadley: Practical Inspiration Publishing.

Marshall, J. E. (2019). Myles professional studies for midwifery education and practice: concepts and challenges. Amsterdam: Elsevier.

Moss, B. (2017). Communication skills in health and social care. (4th ed). Los Angeles: SAGE.

National Maternity Voices. (2022). Home. [Online]. Available at: https://nationalmaternityvoices.org.uk/ [Accessed 11 March 2022].

NHS Digital. (2021). Digital maternity - harnessing digital technology in maternity services. [Online] Available at: https://digital.nhs.uk/services/digital-maternity-programme#harnessing-digital-technology-workstream [Accessed 11 March 2022].

NHS Digital.(2022). About NHS Digital. https://digital.nhs.uk/ [Accessed 11 March 2022].

NHS England. (2016). A-EQUIP a model of clinical midwifery supervision. [Online]. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/a-equip-midwifery-supervision-model.pdf [Accessed 11 March 2022].

NHS England. (2016). Better Births: Improving outcomes of maternity services in England. A five year forward view for maternity (National maternity review). [Online]. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/national-maternity-review-report.pdf [Accessed 11 March 2022].

NHS England. (2020). Better Births four years on: a review of progress. [Online]. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/better-births-four-years-on-progress-report.pdf [Accessed 11 March 2022].

NHS England (2022). Maternity transformation programme. [Online]. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/mat-transformation/ [Accessed 11 March 2022].

Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC). (2020). My Future, My Midwife. [Online]. Available from: https://www.nmc.org.uk/about-us/our-role/who-we-regulate/midwifery/education/ [Accessed 11 March 2022].

Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC). (2021). Practising as a midwife in the UK. [Online] Available at: https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/nmc-publications/practising-as-a-midwife-in-the-uk.pdf [Accessed 11 March 2022].

Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC). (2022). Who we are and what we do. [Online]. Available at: https://www.nmc.org.uk/about-us/our-role/ [Accessed 11 March 2022].

Rabel, K. (2020). Improve your health and wellbeing. London: SAGE.

Royal College of Midwives. (RCM). (2022). Equality and diversity. [Online]. Available at: https://www.rcm.org.uk/supporting/equality-diversity/ [Accessed 11 March 2022].

Thompson, N. (2018). Effective communication: a guide for the people professions. (3rd ed). London: Palgrave.

The Lancet. (2014). Midwifery (series from The Lancet journals). [Online]. Available at: https://www.thelancet.com/series/midwifery [Accessed 11 March 2022].

Underwood, J. (2016). About death cafe. [Online]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1zb6LKVg6o [Accessed 11 March 2022].

United Nations (UK). (2016). Sustainable development goals. [Online] Available at: https://sdgs.un.org/goals [Accessed 11 March 2022].

Williams, K. (2020). Reflective writing. (2nd ed). London: Macmillan Education.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.