Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE MID3114

 
TITLE Management of Pain and Perineal Trauma in Midwifery

 
UM LEVEL 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 6

 
ECTS CREDITS 6

 
DEPARTMENT Midwifery

 
DESCRIPTION This study-unit is targeted to third year student midwives to give them an understanding of the variety of means used by the midwife to achieve for each women and her partner a positive birth experience. The study-unit includes definition and physiology of pain, non-pharmacological methods of pain-control including complementary and alternative medicine in maternity care, pharmacological methods of pain control, proficiency in perineal care and the responsibilities of the midwife.

Student midwives will have hands on practice in suturing the perineum under simulation conditions in the clinical labs.

Study-unit Aims:

The aims of this study-unit are to recognise and understand strategies of pain relief that make use of the mother's own body control mechanisms. Students are to be instructed and supervised in practice in the suturing of the perineum.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- identify factors affecting women's perceptions of pain antenatally, intranatally and postnatally;
- have an understanding of the physiology of pain with particular reference to the causes of pain in labour;
- identify how methods such as support and reassurance, encouragement, information giving and the provision of a relaxing environment can impact positively on birth experiences of women;
- have an understanding of the principal complementary therapies in use with pregnant and childbearing women and an appreciation of their application to the care of mothers where appropriate.

2. Skills:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- apply strategies of pain relief intranatally;
- apply natural pain relief strategies, which make use of the body's own control mechanism;
discuss and decide with the client the pharmacological methods of relieving pain in labour needed by the individual mother;
- to assess, infiltrate, suture tears and episiotomies and record perineal trauma;
- identify perineal problems of pain, haematoma, tight stitches or infections.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Main Text:

- Mander, R. (2011). Pain in childbearing and its control. London: Wiley Blackwell.

Supplementary Readings:

- Marshall, J. E., & Raynor, M. D. (2014). Myles' Textbook for Midwives (6th ed.) Edinburgh: Elsevier Health Sciences.
- Alexander, L., Levy, V., Roch, S. (1990) Intrapartum care: A research-based approach. MacMillan, London.
- Burns, E. F., Blamey, C., Lloyd, A. (2000) Aromatherapy in childbirth: an effective approach to care. British Journal of Midwifery, 8 (10) 639-643.
- Page, L. A., McCandlish (2006) The New Midwifery, Science and Sensitivity in Practice. (2nd Edit) Churchill Livingstone Elsevier.
- Mackereth, P., Tiran, D. (eds) (2002) Clinical reflexology: a guide for health professionals. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh.
- Tiran, D. (2000) Clinical aromatherapy for pregnancy and Childbirth. (2nd edn) Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh.
- Walsh, D., Downe, S. (2010). Essential midwifery Practice. London: Wiley Blackwell.

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES Please note that a pass in each assessment component is obligatory for an overall pass mark to be awarded.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture, Ind Study, Group Learning and Tutorials

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Practical [See Add. Notes] SEM2 Yes 20%
Assignment [See Add. Notes] SEM2 Yes 80%

 
LECTURER/S Johann Craus
Georgette Spiteri

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit