Study Guide

Description

The registered midwife is the expert of sexual and reproductive care. Midwife’s independent professional role is to promote women’s health through their life cycle and to take care of newborn infants and women during and after pregnancy and normal childbirth. Midwives are able to support health and wellbeing of women who plan pregnancy or are pregnant, women during childbirth and postnatal period. Midwives are also able to take care of newborn infants and their families in the changing multicultural society. The core of the midwifery practice is to promote health of women through their life cycle and to take care of women with gynecologic disorders and diseases. The basis of the midwifery practice is the strong theoretical knowledge and clinical skills, which are accomplished during the long periods of supervised clinical training.

The extent of the midwifery education is 270 credits (cr) and it lasts for 4.5 years. The midwifery education includes first completed nursing studies and after that completed advanced studies in midwifery. The extent of the midwifery studies is authorised by the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health both as midwives and registered nurses according to the Act on Health Care Professionals (559/1994). The education fulfils the EU directive (2005/35/EU and 2013/55/EU) on recognition of professional qualifications for nurse and midwife. International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations on midwifery skills and practices are also considered in the curriculum.

The core values of the midwifery education are respect for individuals and human dignity, confidentiality, responsibility and high-quality professional conduct. The international code of ethics for midwifery has been set to regulate the midwifery practice. The registered midwife is able to support people in health promotion and maintenance, and care for the ill in a holistic manner.

The midwife is an expert who carries out and develops midwifery independently and in multiprofessional teams. The competencies are based on midwifery and nursing science and other supporting disciplines such as medicine, social and behavioral sciences. Learning of nursing and midwifery includes reflective, critical and ethical evaluation of prior knowledge and conduct, realisation of new ways of action, and processing of personal attitudes. The starting point of learning is the multidimensional reality and diverse forms of knowledge. The bases for learning rise from the key competence needs of the professional field.

The professional competencies of registered nurses/midwives consist of ethical conduct, health promotion, decision making, guidance and teaching, collaboration, research and development, leadership, multicultural nursing, societal activities, clinical midwifery and nursing, and medication.

Midwives can work in the service of primary and special health care, private sector or third sector organisations. Education also enables international assignments. Midwives can work with diverse planning and development tasks.

Midwifery throughout the study years:

After the first semester of studies, the midwifery student knows the basics of caring for ill patients. The student obeys the laws and ethical codes concerning health care. The student can recognise and predict the possible health problems of individuals and communities. The student is able to monitor basic vital signs, recognise nursing needs, and use appropriate nursing methods safely. The student knows how to carry out medication safely and master medication calculations. The student is able to give first aid in emergency situations. The student is able to consider the meaning of different cultures in nursing.

During semesters two–five, the student develops his/her clinical know-how in different areas of nursing and is able to define the health needs of patients/clients of different ages, and plan, implement and evaluate nursing interventions in cooperation with patients/clients and their significant others. The student utilises multidisciplinary knowledge as the basis for his/her work. The student is able to guide and support patients/clients in self-care. The student knows how to act in multiprofessional collaboration to benefit the patient/client. The student knows how to evaluate his/her own work critically.

In nursing studies, supervised clinical training in postnatal ward, intensive care neonatal unit, surgical/gynecological ward and operative theatre are supporting development of nursing skills that create the strong basis for midwifery competence in the current health care and society.

For the midwifery students, advanced studies after completing nursing studies include 90 credits midwifery studies. The student strengthens her/his nursing competence but the main purpose is to develop independent midwifery skills and competence. The student is able to do ethically sustainable, evidence based decisions and to work professionally. The student is responsible for development of midwifery and professional working. The student advances her/his competence on midwifery by completing Bachelor’s thesis.

After the third year the student can monitor pregnancy with diverse methods, guide expecting families both in physical changes and growth towards parenthood. The student knows the labour progress and procedures theoretically, and can act in normal childbirth under supervision.

After the fourth year, the student can independently manage normal childbirths and is able to recognise abnormalities during pregnancy, labour and postnatal periods and can manage them as a member of multidisciplinary team. The student can monitor and take care of the mother and newborn infant after childbirth and support the family in the new phase of life. The student can implement health promotion and gynecological care for women of different ages. The student is advancing competence of gynecological care.

During the last half year, the student develops her/his competences in all fields of midwifery. The student can predict, plan and implement midwifery. She/he can solve problems, make decisions and has a critical and developmental attitude to midwifery.

Implementation of teaching
The midwifery studies can be completed as full-time studies in Finnish. The midwifery education includes the required amount of clinical training to enhance professional skills. The students are encouraged to participate in international exchange programmes and innovative projects on sexual and reproductive health.

Progress of studies
The student’s know-how in nursing expands and deepens throughout the studies. In completion of the studies the following principles are followed:
During the first year, 50 ects must be completed before starting the second-year studies. These 50 ects must include medication safety and master medication calculation.
Before starting the midwifery studies the student need to complete nursing studies expect for Bachelor´s thesis, supervised clinical training, working in a project 2 and supervised clinical training, simulation 2 midwifery.

Internationalisation
Students have the opportunity to deepen their international competence up to 20-30 credits. The studies may consist of English-language theoretical studies in Finland, international student or trainee exchange or other international studies.

Curriculum development and working life cooperation

Development of programme and collaboration with working life
The curriculum was considered by the Advisory Board for Midwifery on 2.4.2019 and approved on 5.4.2019 by the Higher Education Council.

The Finnish health policies, future challenges and TAMK strategy have been considered in the curriculum. In addition to the Act on Health Care Professionals (559/1994) and the decree (564/1994), the competence descriptions made by the work group appointed by the Ministry of Education in 2005 on health care education in universities of applied sciences, Rectors' Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences’ competence classifications, and the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) have been considered in the curriculum. The development of the curriculum has also taken into account various reports on the development of the social and health care sector, e.g. reports of the Osaamisella soteen -project by Ministry of Education and Culture.
The education fulfils the EU directive (2013/55/EU) on recognition of professional qualifications.