Practice Experience 1

Teaching and learning methods

Resources & Reading list

General Resources

The practice learning portal via Blackboard.

Internet Resources

Guidance on using social media responsibly.

The Code.

Standards for Student Supervision and Assessment.

Standards for Pre-registration Midwifery Education.

Better Births: Improving Outcomes of maternity services in England. National Maternity Review.

Assessment strategy

You will have access to a nationally NMC validated Midwifery On-going Record of Achievement (MORA) portfolio, as will your midwifery practice assessors/supervisors throughout the practice experience. This forms the basis of regular discussions of learning needs and also ensures records of achievement are completed regularly. You will take responsibility for the collation and organisation of your evidence and assessments within the MORA for presentation in line with the assessment requirements.

Each practice experience requires an assessment. The assessment must be overseen by a qualified midwife assessor/supervisor in line with the NMC (2018) Standards for Student Supervision and Assessment. Sufficient time should be planned and set aside to complete the assessment. Assessments should be carried out within the context of practice so that evidence of skills, attitudes and knowledge is captured. It may be appropriate to use a combination of assessment methods e.g. questioning and/or direct observation. Questioning allows the midwifery assessors/supervisors to assess knowledge and attitudes, whilst observation measures accuracy of practice and level of autonomy. Best practice encourages you to provide a portfolio of evidence demonstrating user feedback, personal reflections, personal development planning and evaluation, attendance, feedback from members of the multi-disciplinary team, etc.

Formative assessment

As part of the assessment for the module, midwifery practice assessors and practice supervisors will provide you with written and verbal feedback which you will collate in a portfolio of evidence to support the year 1, review 1 assessment. Within your MORA portfolio is a ‘holistic performance descriptor level 4’ which will be used to accompany your clinical year. Completion of this at strategic points across your year will highlight your development and progression through the practice journey and will be required for the final end of year assessment. Results will be discussed with you at the time of completion to ensure timely feedback so that where identified, there are opportunities to improve prior to the summative assessment. Where learning needs are identified, feedback should be delivered with sensitivity and in a manner which will enhance learning. Learning needs should be made explicit in the comments section and should be written by both you and midwifery practice assessors/supervisors following the assessment and discussed with your academic assessor.

Review 1: compulsory assessment

Near to the end of the practice experience 1 period review 1 is completed. You are required to receive an ‘achieved’ award to pass the module. Results will be discussed with you at the time of completion to ensure timely feedback. Where learning needs are identified, feedback should be delivered with sensitivity and in a manner which will enhance learning. Comments should be written by both you and midwifery assessors/supervisors following the assessment and discussed with the academic assessor. If a ‘not achieved’ is recorded, any learning needs must be documented and made explicit in the comments section. This will be undertaken in tandem with your academic assessor whereby you will be required to complete a written reflection regarding the areas for development and completion of a learning agreement. Both the practice assessor and academic assessor will agree the finalisation of both the reflection and learning agreement which will then be used to support your retrieval assessment.

Summary of assessment methods

Assessment requirements

You are required to record an ‘achieved’ in the following core areas to pass the module:

• Practises in accordance with The Code (NMC 2015 and updated in 2018)
• Understands the need to practice in a way which respects, promotes and supports individual rights, interests, preferences, beliefs and cultures
• Aware of the need for effective communication throughout the pre-conception, antenatal, intrapartum and post-natal periods
• Maintains confidentiality of information following GDPR

Inability to achieve these outcomes will constitute a fail overall.

If you have failed the assessment at first attempt you are required to complete a written reflection addressing areas to be ‘achieved’ [1000-1500 words] plus a learning agreement [must be agreed with both academic assessor and practice assessor prior to next placement experience] to be assessed at review 2. A recording of ‘not achieved’ at review 2 will result in withdrawal from the programme.

This module is based within a clinical environment and can only be attempted in-person. Only two total attempts are allowed, irrespective of the regulatory conditions under which it is attempted. Any student who must re-attempt this module in a subsequent academic year must do so in attendance, as there is no external option.

If this is the only module taken in a specific academic year then the student will be suspended when not directly on placement. The attempt will be subject to pro-rata fees liability, which will be calculated based upon the credit total of the module. Any student choosing to re-attempt the module accepts the conditions described above and the fees liabilities defined, this includes any student who attempts this module as part of the conditional progression policy.