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Developing Professional Self in Midwifery - HEA00166I

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  • Department: Health Sciences
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: I
  • Academic year of delivery: 2023-24
    • See module specification for other years: 2024-25

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 2 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.

  • Analyse accountable, autonomous, professional and contemporary midwifery practice within local, regional, national and international contexts.

  • Critically evaluate the concepts of communication, reflection and adult learning, during an establishing professional learning journey towards midwifery registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC).

  • Analyse the role requirements of the midwife as a colleague:

    • contributing to safe and effective midwifery care within interdisciplinary and multiagency teams

    • deploying advocacy and effective improvement strategies for quality and safety, with a focus on self and others.

Module learning outcomes

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

  1. Analyse and evaluate the requirements to be an accountable, autonomous professional midwife within the UK.

  2. Critique local, regional and national contexts of contemporary midwifery practice and maternity care, including evaluation of global contexts.

  3. Analyse and evaluate the developing professional self within the contexts of communication, reflection and adult learning during an establishing professional learning journey towards midwifery registration.

  4. Analyse and evaluate the role of midwife as colleague, working with women, families, interdisciplinary and multi agency teams to provide safe and effective care, incorporating human factors, environmental factors and strength based approaches.

  5. Analyse the role requirements of the midwife as a colleague, deploying advocacy and strategies for quality and safety, with a focus on self and others.

Module content

Content includes: women’s experiences/service users views of & engagement in UK and global midwifery and maternity care; advocacy; strength based approaches to maintain health and wellbeing; enhanced communication & interpersonal skills (including simulation) - including advocacy, negotiation challenge & providing constructive feedback; digital technologies; human factors; environmental factors; interdisciplinary and multiagency working; interprofessional education (IPE); Schwarts rounds; clinical supervision; adult learning, lifelong learning and the role of professional reflection; ongoing input from University careers service and York Award; themes within UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) University Standards mapped to this module including supporting positive communication with regards to infant feeding with women, their families and the multidisciplinary team..

Please also see detailed mapping of the module content to NMC (2019) Standards of proficiency for midwives for the programme.

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 will be provided on the standard proforma within the timescale specified in the programme handbook

Indicative reading

Byrom, S. and Downe, S. (Eds). (2015). The roar behind the silence. London: Pinter & Martin.

Durairaj, S. (2020). Turning the Tide. The South East response to the Covid-19 BAME mortality and morbidity disparities health and workforce inequalities.[Online]. Available from: https://www.england.nhs.uk/south-east/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/2020/10/SE-Turning-the-Tide-Strategy.pdf [Accessed 11 March 2022]

East London Health & Care Partnership (ELLMS). (2020). Turning the tide: the experiences of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic NHS staff working in maternity services in England during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. [Online]. Available from: https://www.eastlondonhcp.nhs.uk/downloads/ourplans/Maternity/Turning%20the%20Tide%20Maternity%20Report%20-%202020.pdf [Accessed 11 March 2022].

CAIPE (The Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education). (2022). About us. [Online}. Available at: https://www.caipe.org/about-us [Accessed 11 March 2022].

Cottrell, S. (2017). Critical thinking skills: effective analysis, argument and reflection. (3rd ed). London: Palgrave.

Department of Health and Social Care. (2013). Berwick review into patient safety (independent report). [Online]. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/berwick-review-into-patient-safety [Accessed 11 March 2022].

Department of Health and Social Care. (2015). Morecambe Bay investigation: report. [Online]. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/morecambe-bay-investigation-report [Accessed 11 March 2022].

Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB). (2022). Maternity investigations. [Online]. Available from: https://www.hsib.org.uk/what-we-do/maternity-investigations/ [Accessed 11 March 2022].

Kemp. J,. Maclean, G. D. and Moyo, N. (2021). Global midwifery: principles, policy and practice. Switzerland: Springer Nature.

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

Oade, A. (2015). Free Yourself from workplace bullying: become bully-proof and regain control of your life. London: Oade Associates.

Ockenden, D. (2020). Ockenden report. Emerging findings and recommendations from the independent review of maternity services at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital. [Online]. Available from: https://www.donnaockenden.com/downloads/news/2020/12/ockenden-report.pdf [Accessed 11 March 2022].

NHS England. (2022). The equality and health inequalities hub. [Online]. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/about/equality/equality-hub/ [Accessed 11 March 2022].

NHS England. (2022). The NHS patient safety strategy. [Online]. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/patient-safety/the-nhs-patient-safety-strategy/ [Accessed 11 March 2022].

Reed, A. (2020). Overdue - birth, burnout and a blueprint for a better NHS. London: Pinter & Martin.

Royal College of Midwives. (RCM). (2021). Making maternity services safer: human factors. The solution series: 3 [Online] Available at: https://www.rcm.org.uk/media/5182/the-solution-series-3-making-maternity-services-safer-human-factors.pdf [Accessed 11 March 2022].

Royal College of Midwives. (RCM). (2021). Making maternity services safer: nurturing a positive culture. The solution series: 4. [Online]. Available at: https://www.rcm.org.uk/media/5275/the-solution-series-4-making-maternity-services-safer-nurturing-a-positive-culture-v3.pdf [Accessed 11 March 2022].

Royal College of Midwives. (2022). Safety in services. [Online]. Available from: https://www.rcm.org.uk/promoting/professional-practice/safety-in-services/?dm_i=4YCH,MZYX,2AWJ9E,2SEC9,1 [Accessed 11 March 2022].

Royal College of Midwives. (2022). Standing up for high standards. [Online]. Available at: https://www.rcm.org.uk/media/5832/standing-up-for-higher-standards_-publication_final.pdf?dm_i=4YCH,MZYX,2AWJ9E,2SEC9,1 [Accessed 11 March 2022].

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) et al. (2022). Workplace behaviour toolkit. [Online]. Available at: https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/careers-training/workplace-workforce-issues/workplace-behaviour/toolkit/ [Accessed 11 March 2022].

The White Ribbon Alliance (2022). About us. Available at: https://www.whiteribbonalliance.org/about-us/[Accessed 11 March 2022].

UNFPA. (2021). The state of the world's midwifery 2021. [Online]. Available at: https://www.unfpa.org/publications/sowmy-2021 [Accessed 11 March 2022].


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.