Course Title: Breastfeeding and Human Lactation

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Breastfeeding and Human Lactation

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

NURS1175

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

150H Health Sciences

Distance / Correspondence

Sem 2 2015

NURS1175

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

150H Health Sciences

Distance / Correspondence or Face-to-Face

Sem 1 2012,
Sem 1 2013,
Sem 2 2014

NURS1175

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

150H Health Sciences

Face-to-Face

Sem 2 2006,
Sem 1 2007,
Sem 1 2008,
Sem 1 2009,
Sem 1 2014

NURS1175

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

150H Health Sciences

Face-to-Face or Internet

Sem 1 2010,
Sem 1 2011

NURS1175

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

150H Health Sciences

Internet

Sem 2 2009,
Sem 2 2010,
Sem 2 2011

Course Coordinator: Dr Jennifer James

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 6650

Course Coordinator Email: jennifer.james@rmit.edu.au


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

To be eligible to undertake this course you must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Registration Board of Australia as a Registered Nurse with general registration.  If you are undertaking this course as part of your and Child Family Health qualification then you also need to be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Registration Board of Australia as a Midwife with general registration
Contact your course coordinator if you think you may be eligible for recognition of prior learning. For further information go to: www.rmit.edu.au/students/enrolment/credit/he

 


Course Description

This course gives you the opportunity to expand upon basic theoretical aspects of lactation and breastfeeding. The course will move from a basis of the anatomy and physiology of human lactation and consider nutrition and biochemistry, immunology and the developmental milestones associated with this activity. Issues associated with breast feeding including an introduction to pathology, pharmacology, toxicology, public health and ethical issues will also be discussed. Practical aspects associated with breast feeding including techniques and equipment used to assist women breastfeed will be included in these discussions. The course will focus on relevant socio-political forces and their impact on women’s choices of infant nutrition. The impact of contemporary social behaviours and pathological diseases on the lactation process will be examined. The importance of culture, religion, moral beliefs and values will be integrated throughout the subject. Emphasis will be placed on the role of health-care professionals in influencing and being influenced by decisions about infant nutrition made at local and global levels.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Course Learning Outcomes
At the conclusion of this course you should be able to:

  • review  common breastfeeding challenges experienced by mother/ baby dyads and undertake appropriate clinical management
  • critically evaluate the  findings of contemporary  and historical empirical data as it relates to infant feeding
  • evaluate global and local actions taken to reduce the impact of human milk replacements on the health and wellbeing of women and children
  • review the role of informed  decision making and the role of the health-care professional related to maternal choice of nutrition for the newborn infant
  • analyse the clinical management options to address breastfeeding issues


Program Learning Outcomes
This course contributes to the development of the Program Learning Outcomes in the following way:

For students undertaking the Child and Family Health Program:

  • PLO 2: Practises in accordance with legislation affecting maternal child health nursing practice and health care
  • PLO6: Advances knowledge in maternal child health nursing assessment and counselling
  • PLO8: Provides comprehensive, safe and effective evidence-based health care to achieve identified individual/group health outcomes  
  • PLO9: Plan, implement and evaluate health promotion and disease prevention activities within the maternal and child  health nursing practice

For students undertaking the Midwifery Program:

  • PLO1:  Functions in accordance with legislation and common law affecting midwifery practice
  • PLO2: Accepts accountability and responsibility for own actions within midwifery practice
  • PLO3:  Communicates information to facilitate decision making by the woman
  • PLO6: Assesses, plans, provides and evaluates safe and effective midwifery care for the woman and/or baby with complex needs


Overview of Learning Activities

The range of learning requirements for this course provide an opportunity for a variety of different learning activities. These learning activities include seminars, group discussion, on line activities, simulations and other interactive learning experiences.  Seminars will  give you an overview of the specified study area and direct you to foundational, critical, and evidence-based practice readings. Facilitated open discussions in the seminar context will draw on your own professional work and life experiences as well as prescribed readings for the course. This approach will encourage you to share your clinical experience and practice wisdom, to critique existing research literature and to explore and debate issues to ground your clinical practice in the evidence based research.


Overview of Learning Resources

The learning resources associated with this course will include targeted readings taken from a range of both primary and secondary sources. Material to be chosen may be digitally available to you. Lecture material will be delivered via Lectopia, Discussion Board interaction and Blackboard Collaborate workshops. Practice learning activities may be provided in a variety of ways, including simulated learning activities. RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through the online system.


Overview of Assessment

In order to achieve the learning outcomes, you need to be able to demonstrate clinical judgments in relation to the learning objectives. You will need to demonstrate that you can articulate and evaluate various issues in clinical practice to address the broad range of descriptive objectives. This will be achieved in some form of written and/ or on-line assessment where you can provide evidence of their knowledge and application to practice. Assessment needs to include evaluating how you synthesise your understandings in the design of a plan based on accurate assessment of individuals. Assessments may include an essay, case study or similar.

For information on grades used in RMIT courses see: www.rmit.edu.au/students/grading/highered

Assessment completed in the first half of the semester will provide feedback on your progress. Ongoing feedback on your skills will be provided from peers and staff.

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or the Disability Liaison Unit if you would like to find out more.

This course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies and procedures which are described and referenced, at: www.rmit.edu.au/students/assessment