Module GW4160-KP06

Duration

2 Semester

Turnus of offer

each winter semester

Credit points

6

Course of studies, specific fields and terms:

• Bachelor Midwifery 2021, compulsory, Reproductive health

Classes and lectures:

• GW4160-Ü: Understanding complex cases in pregnancy, birth and postpartum (exercise, 2 SWS)
• GW4160-V: Understanding complex cases in pregnancy, birth and postpartum (lecture, 4 SWS)

Workload:

• 90 hours private studies
• 90 hours in-classroom work

Contents of teaching:

• Role and significance of midwifery in the international context and within interdisciplinary teams
• Prevention of over-, under-, and inadequate treatment and care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period
• Midwifery care in the context of complex psychosocial challenges during the life stages of pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period
• Care for women and families in special life circumstances, for example with a refugee or forced migration background or living in poverty
• Non-violent, anti-racism, culturally safe, and queer-sensitive midwifery practice
• Evidence-based counseling using current scientific literature and relevant guidelines, for example in areas such as nutrition, vaccinations, and prenatal care
• Distinguishing between physiology and pathology, as well as recognizing and managing emergency situations, for example in areas such as prolonged labor, breech birth, fetal distress, and neonatal emergencies
• Decision-making in complex situations during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, for example at the threshold of fetal viability, and in cases of child welfare endangerment
• Care following medical interventions, emergencies, and during periods of particular psychological stress, for example in areas such as operative vaginal birth, preterm birth, late miscarriage, and stillbirth

Qualification-goals/Competencies:

• Students have the scientific, theoretical, and practical expertise to recognize deviations from physiology during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period
• Students are able to initiate appropriate measures in response to deviations from physiology and justify them based on evidence
• Students understand the significance of various decision-making models in evidence-based midwifery practice
• Students are able to identify psycho-social factors that may have a negative impact on the health of women and families
• Students are able to identify guidelines and standards for ensuring evidence-based care, evaluate their evidence base, and apply them safely
• Students practice effectively within the interdisciplinary team, focusing on providing the best possible healthcare, including in complex situations and emergencies
• Students are able to tailor communication, interaction, and professional counseling appropriately and competently for the target audience
• Students are familiar with and reflect on different care models in midwifery practice and the impact of different models on health outcomes of women and families
• Students promote family health including in complex situations, taking into account existing care concepts that align with the current state of research
• Students understand the significance of their professional role as midwives in an international context and within the interdisciplinary team

Grading through:

• Written state examination
• Oral state examination

Responsible for this module:

• Prof. Dr. Marina Weckend

Teacher:

• Institute of Health Sciences
• Prof. Dr. Marina Weckend

Literature:

• Sheena Byrom, Soo Downe (Eds) : The Roar Behind the Silence: Why Kindness, Compassion and Respect Matter in Maternity Care Pinter & Martin Ltd, 2015 /li>
• Rixa Freeze, David Hayes, Kristine Lauria : A Guide to Physiological Breech Birth Breech Without Borders, 2022 /li>
• Shamian, Judith : Interprofessional collaboration, the only way to Save Every Woman and Every Child The Lancet, Volume 384, Issue 9948, e41 - e42 /li>
• Renfrew, Mary J et al. : Midwifery and quality care: findings from a new evidence-informed framework for maternal and newborn care The Lancet, Volume 384, Issue 9948, 1129 - 1145 /li>
• :

Language:

• offered only in German

Notes:

Last Updated:

10.10.2025