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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: 2026-27

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 1 2026-27 to Summer Semester 2026-27

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 100.0

Special assessment rules

Non-compensatable

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100.0

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 (2026). AIMS home [Online]. Available at: https://www.aims.org.uk/ [Accessed 30 July 2026].

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

Birthrights. (2026). About us. [Online]. Available at: https://www.birthrights.org.uk/about-us/ [Accessed 30 July 2026].

Cottrell, S. (2024). The study skills handbook. (6th edition). 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 30 July 2026].

International Confederation of Midwives. (ICM). (2024). Who we are. [Online]. Available at: https://internationalmidwives.org/who-we-are/ [Accessed 9th September 2024].

International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). (2024). Who we are [Online]. Available at: https://internationalmidwives.org/who-we-are/ [Accessed 30 July 2026].

Moss, B. (2020). Communication skills in health and social care. (5th edition). Los Angeles: SAGE.

NHS Digital.(2026). Home - NHS England Digital. [Online]. Available at: https://digital.nhs.uk/ [Accessed 30 July 2026].

NHS England. (Undated). Maternity [Online]. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/category/maternity/ [Accessed 30 July 2026].

NHS England (Undated). Maternity Transformation Programme. [Online]. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/mat-transformation/ [Accessed 30 July 2026].

NHS England. (2023). Three year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services [Online]. Available at:https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/three-year-delivery-plan-for-maternity-and-neonatal-services/ [Accessed 30 July 2026].

Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC). (2019 - redesigned 2024) Standards of proficiency for midwives [Online]. Available at: https://www.nmc.org.uk/standards-for-education-and-training/standards-for-student-supervision-and-assessment [Accessed 30 July 2026].

Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC). (2019 - republished 2023). Part 2: Standards for student supervision and assessment. [Online]. Available at: https://www.nmc.org.uk/standards/standards-for-midwives/standards-of-proficiency-for-midwives/ [Accessed 30 July 2026].

Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC). (2026). Who we are and what we do. [Online]. Available at: https://www.nmc.org.uk/about-us/our-role/ [Accessed 30 July 2026].

Royal College of Midwives (RCM) (2026). Digital midwifery [Online]. Available at:https://rcm.org.uk/digital-midwifery/ [Accessed 30 July 2026].

Staras, T. (2023) Communication in midwifery (1st edition). Edinburgh: Elsevier

The Lancet. (2014). Midwifery (series from The Lancet journals). [Online]. Available at: https://www.thelancet.com/series/midwifery[Accessed 30 July 2026].

Underwood, J. (2016). About death cafe. [Online]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1zb6LKVg6o [Accessed 30 July 2026].

unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI). (2019). Guide to the unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative University Standards. [Online]. Available at: https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/07/Guide-to-the-Unicef-UK-Baby-Friendly-Initiative-University-Standards.pdf [Accessed 30 July 2026].

United Nations (UK). (2025). The 17 Goals (Sustainable development goals). [Online] Available at: https://sdgs.un.org/goals [Accessed 30 July 2026].

Williams, K. et al (2020). Reflective writing. (2nd edition). 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.