Nursing - Midwifery

Overview
The MSc Midwifery programme will enable you to build on your existing skills as an adult nurse, and develop professional competency as a midwife. You will graduate with a Masters in Midwifery and you will be eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a Midwife.

Midwifery is a rewarding, dynamic and highly skilled profession. This course will equip students with the knowledge, skills and attributes to deliver woman-centred, compassionate, safe and effective care. You will have the opportunity to learn in our new state-of-the-art Simulation Centre and complete practice placements in a range of settings.

Our personal tutor system for student support is very well regarded, and we were awarded the Best Student Experience award in the 2021 Student Nursing Times Awards.

This programme has been co-designed with all relevant stakeholders including maternity service users and carers, midwifery students and practice partners to ensure adequate preparation for midwifery practice on completion. The programme will ensure you meet all requirements for registration as a midwife on successful completion including systematic examination of the newborn.

The course is taught by experts in Midwifery who will support you in becoming a caring, autonomous and evidence based practitioner incorporating leadership skills and working in partnership with women, families, and communities. Our focus on interdisciplinary learning throughout the two year course will enrich your experience and help prepare you for professional practice.

To be eligible to apply, applicants must be currently employed as an Adult Nurse by a HSC Trust within N Ireland. Successful applicants will be exempt from programme tuition fees.

Applicants must discuss their intention to apply with their employer to understand implications and/or changes to their employment contract. QUB cannot advise regarding any contractual or financial considerations and as such assume no responsibility in this regard.

Placement during your midwifery programme are normally within one HSCT in NI, however you may also be required to undertake placements in other NI HSCTs.

Learning and Teaching
At Queen's, we aim to deliver a high quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable student to achieve their full academic potential.

On the MSc Midwifery we do this by providing a range of learning experiences which enable our students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world class library that enhances their development as independent, lifelong learners. Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this course are:

E-Learning technologies
Information associated with lectures and assignments is often communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Canvas. A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the degree through, for example: interactive group workshops in a flexible learning space, podcasts and interactive web-based learning activities.

Lectures
Introduce information about new topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading. Lectures also provide opportunities to ask questions, gain some feedback and advice on assessments (normally delivered in large groups to all year group peers)

Personal Tutor
Students are allocated a Personal Tutor who meets with them on several occasions during each year to support their academic development.

Practical and Simulation Based Education
Where you will have opportunities to develop technical skills and apply theoretical principles to real-life or practical contexts in our ground-breaking simulation centre. All midwifery students have opportunities to engage in interprofessional education (IPE) activities. You will be expected to attend 100% of classes within your midwifery modules.

Self-directed study
This is an essential part of life as a Queen's student when important private reading, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and research work for assignments is carried out.

Seminars/tutorials/workshops
Significant amounts of teaching are carried out in small groups (typically 10-20 students). These provide an opportunity for students to engage with academic staff who have specialist knowledge of the topic, to ask questions of them and to assess your own progress and understanding with the support of peers. You should also expect to make presentations and other contributions to these groups

Work Practice placements
Students will undertake clinical placements regularly throughout the programme. This enhances the link from theory to practice in nursing and provides students with a wide variety of opportunities and experiences in all fields of nursing. It is an essential component of the programme, ensuring that the student has sufficient opportunities to develop skill and competence in care provision and decision making, meeting the requirements for professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC 2020).

Placements in Adult Nursing can be anywhere in Northern Ireland; students should expect to travel to placements. When on placements every student is assigned a practice assessor/supervisor, who will support learning in clinical practice. It is a requirement of the NMC for registration as a midwife, that students on the programme experience provision of care across the range of hours expected by practising midwives, so students should expect to work night shifts and/or long days on a regular basis while on placement

Course Structure
The two year programme will comprise of 50% academic modules and 50% in practice learning. All modules are listed below.

Academic Modules
Students will be required to complete all compulsory modules, plus a Portfolio of evidence to successfully complete this programme.

Applied Pharmacology for Midwifery practice
Midwifery students will be able to critically analyse and evaluate legal and ethical issues for administration and prescribing medicines across the trajectory of childbirth and be able to critically examine issues associated with breast feeding, multiple co-morbid conditions, complex drugs, polypharmacy and stewardship.

Developing Skilled Midwifery Practice
This module introduces midwifery students to the knowledge and skills they will acquire in order to provide safe and effective maternity care (integrated person-centred, universal and additional care).

Foundations of Midwifery Practice
Midwifery students will build upon their existing knowledge and develop application of essential life sciences and pharmacology to midwifery practice. The theory and practice of midwifery as a profession including the role of the midwife, the underpinning philosophy of care, continuity of care and carer and the provision of universal and additional care will be included.

Health for All: Women, Families and Midwives
Students will explore women's health from a salutogenic perspective across the reproductive life span. This will be explored through the following themes: concepts and determinants of health and wellbeing for women, families and midwives; perinatal mental health; personal health and wellbeing including resilience, self-care and team-working; antenatal and reproductive health.

Infant Feeding
Students will demonstrate positive knowledge, skills, attitudes and values in supporting and caring for women and the rights of the child at the beginning of their feeding journey.

Leading Professional Midwifery
Students will demonstrate positive knowledge, skills, attitudes and values in leading and managing care in the maternity healthcare system. This will be achieved through the following themes:?? leadership and management; Analysis of national and global health frameworks; Principles of supervision and assessment in practice; professional values.

Midwives as Skilled Practitioners
Building on students' knowledge and skills acquisition in year 1 and all other modules, this module will enable students to consolidate their knowledge and skills as they are challenged to take the lead in providing safe and effective maternity care (integrated person-centred, universal and additional care),?as an autonomous practitioner and key member of the interdisciplinary team.

Quality Improvement in an Interprofessional Context - Part A Students will work with practice partners to identify a Quality Improvement project, plan, implement all aspects of the project, analyse the data and report/ disseminate the findings.

Quality Improvement in an Interprofessional Context - Part B Students will demonstrate the skills to lead, facilitate and disseminate a Quality Improvement project to promote the embedding of outcomes as part of an interprofessional team. This will include: how to implement a PDSA cycle (e.g team working, principles and methods of data collection and consent); analysing QI data, dissemination and interprofessional team working.

Safe Medicate 3 Midwifery
Students will engage and apply previous knowledge in more complex scenarios preparing students for safe clinical practice as they prepare for entry to the midwifery register. Using Safemedicate is a NMC approved online platform in which students complete interactive exercises and practice assessments similar to solving dosage calculation problems in the real world.

Graduate
All applicants must hold a Bachelor (Honours) degree in Adult Nursing of 2.1 standard, or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University. Applicants with a Bachelor (Honours) degree in Adult Nursing of 2.2 standard, or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University, may be considered in exceptional circumstances.

All applicants must provide evidence of their registration as an adult nurse within the NMC.

All applicants must have at least 6 months' post-registration experience as a nurse.

Applicants should provide details of two referees as part of their application. Where possible, applicants should provide one educational and one employment referee. However, if this is not possible, two employment referees would be acceptable. Two satisfactory references are required as part of the application process.

Please note: This course is not open to international applicants.

Please note: Applicants must be currently employed as an Adult Nurse in a HSC Trust within Northern Ireland.

International Students
Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region. Use the dropdown list below for specific information for your country/region.

English Language Requirements
Evidence of an IELTS* score of 7.0, with not less than 7.0 in reading, listening and speaking, and no less than 6.5 in writing, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required. *Taken within the last 2 years.

International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.

For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: www.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs.

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.

Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level

Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.

Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible and ideally no later than 31st July 2023 for courses which commence in late September. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal. Notifications to this effect will appear on the Direct Application Portal against the programme application page.

How to Apply
Applications should be submitted online via the Postgraduate Applications Portal for admission to the vast majority of postgraduate programmes.

New applicants will need to register via the Portal to create an application account. If you are already a Queen's student with an active Qsis account, you can log in using your student number and Qsis password. Guidance on how to complete an application is provided within the Portal and it is possible to save application data and return to complete it at a later date, if you wish. After core details about yourself and your academic background have been provided, you can submit an application, or multiple applications, if required.

If you applied in a previous cycle through the Portal and are re-applying, you should use your previous log in details. Please review and update your personal and contact details, academic and professional qualifications before submitting a new application.

Important – please ensure that the email address you provide is correct and active, as this will be used by us to communicate the progress of your application to you.

Closing date for applications for May 2023 entry: 12 noon on 13th February 2023.

2 years full-time.

Contact Teaching Hours
Medium Group Teaching
25 (hours maximum)

This is a full time programme using blended learning. Students should be available to either attend class or complete all online elements across the week. 100% attendance is required for face to face teaching.

Personal Study
0 (hours maximum)
Students will be expected to prepare for classes and develop assignments during unscheduled time.

Career Prospects
Introduction
Studying for an MSc Midwifery degree at Queen's will assist you in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions. Graduates from Queen's are well regarded by employers both nationally and internationally.

The majority of our graduates pursue a career in midwifery which is an interesting, rewarding and challenging career where work can be in a variety of health care settings from hospitals and midwife-led units to working in community settings with women. Midwifery can also offer a diverse range of post registration opportunities to specialise in areas such as perinatal mental health or ultrasound scanning, and provide career development opportunities in education and research.

Employment after the Course
Graduates of this programme will have the potential to become leaders in midwifery, building an exceptional career from the point of registration.

Professional Opportunities
Further study is also an option open to Midwifery graduates, and some may choose to follow a to engage in further professional and academic development. There is a range of MSc and PhD opportunities available within the School; click here for more information.
https://www.qub.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate-research/nursing-midwifery-phd.html

Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.