Advanced Diploma in Midwifery

Purpose

The Advanced Diploma in Midwifery will adequately prepare learners to become critical-thinking lifelong learners through active social participation in transformative teaching and learning environments, effectively function in various midwifery healthcare settings.

The purpose of this qualification is to produce competent, independent, and critical-thinking midwives who, with an understanding of theories, methodologies and practices in midwifery will provide scientific, safe and comprehensive quality midwifery care to individuals, families and communities within the legal and ethical framework in response to the national burden of disease, focusing on the reduction of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality rates.

Through the provision of supportive services, the qualification will

• Promote equal access to quality nursing education to a diverse Midwifery learner population.
• Promote scholarly activities to develop and sustain evidence-based decision-making in midwifery practice.
• Be implemented through appropriately qualified, empowered, and supportive staff towards sustainable competence and innovation.
• Incorporate the approaches that promote the practice of transparent value-based leadership and management.

The midwifery learners will acquire and apply a wide variety of skills, knowledge and attitudes that will enable them to make a meaningful and sustained contribution to midwifery services.

A qualified learner will be able to

• Apply specific knowledge of Bio- Natural, and Social Sciences including Pharmacology in Midwifery using an integrated approach.
• Provide safe and quality midwifery and neonatal care in a scientific, integrated and evidence-based approach in all healthcare settings.
• Practice independently and professionally within an appropriate ethical-legal framework.
• Improve the quality of midwifery and neonatal care through an analytic, reflective, and problem-solving approach.

Rationale

In compliance with the provision of the Higher Education Act, No. 101 of 1997 as amended, the change in the educational landscape of the country mandates the alignment of the nursing qualifications to the National Qualification Framework (NQF), in accordance with the NQF Act No. 67 of 2008.

The White Paper on the transformation of the post-school education in South Africa focuses on the promotion of equal access and skills development to post-school qualifications for candidates drawn from the diverse population.

Learners will contribute to the realization of the Gauteng Provincial Government pillars of radical transformation through community engagement and utilization of health programs and to reduce infant and maternal morbidity and mortality rates in the province by providing quality midwifery and neonatal care to individuals, families, and communities.

Community engagement in midwifery settings will be a shared vision among the community and partners in society that results in long-term collaborative qualification of action that benefits the whole community equitably from the initial planning phase.

Community engagement in midwifery education and training entails community projects and evidence-based practice by applying the research process to measure the effectiveness of quality indicators in midwifery settings to solve complex problems. Therefore, responding to the diverse needs of the community influences the development of communities. The utilization of evidence-based knowledge in midwifery education and practice will promote quality improvement.

The curriculum emphasizes learner-centred, self-directed approaches to teaching and learning for the development of competencies which include transferable life skills such as communication skills, collaboration skills, problem-solving skills, independent critical thinking, leadership skills and technology.

The qualification is aimed at producing critical-thinking midwives with competencies to respond to priority health needs and issues of women and the newborn within diverse midwifery healthcare settings by providing holistic midwifery and neonatal care that is safe, compassionate, professional, comprehensive, and ethical.

The midwifery practice will be informed by the best available evidence and sound theoretical knowledge to positively impact the health and quality of life of individuals, families, and communities during the preconception, antepartum, intrapartum, postpartum, and neonatal periods within the primary health care context to contribute to the reduction of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality (WHO: 2016:6).

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at NQF Level 7 totalling 140 Credits.

Compulsory modules, Level 7, 140 Credits.

• Fundamentals of Midwifery, 8 Credits.
• Integrated Low-Risk Midwifery, 48 Credits.
• Integrated High-Risk Midwifery, 76 Credits.
• Midwifery Unit Management, 8 Credits.

Exit Level Outcomes

1. Apply specific knowledge of Bio- Natural, and Social Sciences including Pharmacology in Midwifery using an integrated approach.
2. Provide safe and quality midwifery and neonatal care in a scientific, integrated and evidence-based approach in all healthcare settings.
3. Practice independently and professionally within an appropriate ethical-legal framework.
4. Improve the quality of midwifery and neonatal care through an analytic, reflective, and problem-solving approach.
5. Effectively manage a midwifery unit through appropriate clinical governance strategy.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 1.

• Apply specific knowledge of Bio- Natural, and Social Sciences including Pharmacology in Midwifery using an integrated approach.
• Illustrate integrated knowledge of bio-natural sciences, including an understanding of and ability to apply and evaluate the key terms, concepts, facts, principles, rules and theories and detailed knowledge of how that knowledge relates to midwifery practice.
• Illustrate integrated knowledge of pharmacology, including an understanding of and ability to apply and evaluate the key terms, concepts, facts, principles, rules and theories and detailed knowledge of how that knowledge relates to midwifery practice.
• Apply integrated knowledge of sociology, including an understanding of and ability to apply and evaluate the key terms, concepts, facts, principles, rules and theories of midwifery practice and detailed knowledge of and how that knowledge relates to other fields, disciplines, or practices.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 2.

• Conduct obstetric history taking, and physical examination of the mother in a comprehensive manner, using a variety of available technology.
• Apply anatomical and physiological changes related to conception, pregnancy and labour in the practice of midwifery.
• Accurately observe significant changes, interpret laboratory results, and appropriately make referrals where a potential risk to the mother and /or foetus exists.
• Timeously identify potential and actual emergencies of the mother and foetus, and appropriately manage and refer them.
• Document, manage, and communicate midwifery data appropriately to support decision-making.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 3.

• Apply knowledge of applicable ethics, professional practice and legal aspects during ethical decision-making in midwifery practice.
• Advocate for the rights of women, children and their families in the midwifery practice.
• Illustrate accountability and responsibility for own professional acts and omissions within the relevant legal and ethical parameters.
• Apply midwifery practice and show respect for human rights as enshrined in the Constitution and translated into the Patients' Rights Charter.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 4.

• Apply efforts towards quality improvement of midwifery practice to illustrate the use of analytic, reflective, and problem-solving skills.
• Initiate, maintain and utilize methods of inquiry to monitor quality of care.
• Apply knowledge of own roles and responsibilities, scope of practice and standards of midwifery practice to improve quality.
• Apply evidence-based practice to inform and improve the standards of midwifery practice.
• Identify, analyze, evaluate, critically reflect on and address complex midwifery problems, applying evidence-based solutions and theory-driven arguments to midwifery practice.
• Illustrate the ability to manage processes in midwifery contexts, recognizing that problem-solving is context and system bound, and does not occur in isolation.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 5.

• Illustrate an understanding of the value of communities of practice and clinical leadership and management principles in midwifery practice.
• Apply knowledge of midwifery practice and show the ability to utilise indicators for quality midwifery care.
• Promote cost-effectiveness in midwifery practice through utilisation of quality indicators.
• Apply inter-professional collaboration to reflect respect for diversity within the midwifery context.
• Manage the midwifery unit and assess and develop self and others to maintain midwifery standards of practice and continuous professional development.