This book investigates the education and assessment of student midwives in clinical practice, paying particular attention to how their practice is graded. Chenery-Morris brings primary research, which explores students, mentors, and midwifery lecturers perspectives of practice learning and its assessment, together with the international literature on clinical knowledge, teaching and learning in practice and assessment of students drawn from a range of healthcare and education professions. Discussing how practice is graded, what constitutes valid practice knowledge, learning in clinical practice, evaluating practice learning and failing students, this book uses Basil Bernstein’s theories to throw light on how we assess and whether we should assess performance in addition to whether a student is competent to practise. This is an important contribution to the field of midwifery education. It will also be relevant to those with an interest in practice education from a range of healthcare professions.

This book investigates the education and assessment of student midwives in clinical practice, paying particular attention to how their practice is graded. Chenery-Morris brings primary research, which explores students, mentors, and midwifery lecturers perspectives of practice learning and its assessment, together with the international literature on clinical knowledge, teaching and learning in practice and assessment of students drawn from a range of healthcare and education professions. Discussing how practice is graded, what constitutes valid practice knowledge, learning in clinical practice, evaluating practice learning and failing students, this book uses Basil Bernstein's theories to throw light on how we assess and whether we should assess performance in addition to whether a student is competent to practise. This is an important contribution to the field of midwifery education. It will also be relevant to those with an interest in practice education from a range of healthcare professions.

In order to become skilled and competent practitioners, student midwives need to understand the complex individual, family and societal issues they will encounter. By introducing the contemporary context of midwifery practice, this book helps students to understand the problems many women face in society. The book covers topics including violence, mental and sexual health, the rising obesity epidemic and increases in numbers of women from non-UK countries. The authors emphasise the fact that students need to be aware of their public health responsibilities and discuss various health promotion strategies.

For new students the language and concepts of midwifery care can at first be daunting. This book helps students to understand the expectations of midwifery training in relation to normal midwifery practice. It covers the basics of midwifery care including professional practice, frameworks informing midwifery care, key concepts and philosophies of care, communication and care skills, antenatal care, normal labour and birth, postnatal care, neonatal care and breastfeeding, as well as a brief introduction to medicines management in normal midwifery care. The book is designed to work alongside first taught modules in midwifery, and underpin training in subsequent years.