Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to provide care to mother and newborn infant in a range of health care settings such as postnatal, neonatal, child and family health care and paediatric settings.
This unit applies to enrolled nursing work carried out in consultation and collaboration with registered nurses and registered midwives and under supervisory arrangements aligned to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia regulatory authority legislative requirements.
The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation, Australian/New Zealand standards and industry codes of practice.
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
Elements define the essential outcomes | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Work as part of the interdisciplinary health care team caring for a mother and her newborn infant | 1.1 Assist the registered midwife by performing delegated aspects of postnatal care for the mother and newborn infant 1.2 Use correct terminology associated with pregnancy, labour and antenatal care when providing care 1.3 Contribute to the mother’s education about lactation and assist in latching the newborn infant to the breast correctly and in line with current breastfeeding research 1.4 Assist the mother to adopt safe practices in caring for the newborn infant 1.5 Document and discuss observations and progress of the mother and newborn infant to assist in care planning in collaboration and consultation with the registered midwife 1.6 Record observations of the mother and newborn infant, and report any abnormal observations to the registered nurse or midwife 1.7 Provide holistic care for the mother and newborn infant to support maternal and infant health |
2. Support mother and newborn infant towards identified goals | 2.1 Identify and document goals in care plan, and evaluate progress of the mother and newborn infant towards the care goals 2.2 Review and discuss with the registered nurse or midwife care goals that have not been achieved by the mother or newborn infant and update care planning 2.3 Support the mother by demonstrating appropriate interactions with their newborn infant to assist in progress towards care goals 2.4 Provide education to the mother on relevant aspects of maternal and infant health, and give information about support services in consultation and collaboration with the registered nurse or midwife |
Evidence of Performance
The candidate must show evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the job role. There must be evidence that the candidate has:
undertaken nursing work in accordance with Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia professional practice standards, codes and guidelines
provided holistic maternity care for 2 mothers and their newborn infants in the workplace, in collaboration and consultation with the registered nurse or midwife and interdisciplinary health care team including:
umbilical cord care
preparation of feeding formulas
dressing newborn infant and changing newborn infant nappies
safe practice for bathing, holding, settling and positing the newborn infant for sleeping
care of the mother’s nipples.
Evidence of Knowledge
The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the work role. This includes knowledge of:
role of the midwife in antenatal and postpartum care
anatomy and physiology and associated terminology related to pregnancy, birth, postnatal period, lactation and care of the newborn infant
breastfeeding support
primary health care approaches to care planning
community support services for maternal and infant care
common abnormalities of newborn infant
common obstetric emergencies
correct use of artificial formula:
preparation volumes to be consumed according to age
methods for sterilisation of equipment
process of grief associated with infant death and appropriate care of the mother and family
impact of cultural practices and beliefs in relation to birthing
appropriate interactions with newborn infant including:
individual differences in newborn infant’s need for rest and their sleep and rest patterns
signs of stress, distress or pain in newborn infant
practices that are safe and unsafe for use with newborn infants
diverse practices and routines used by various families and their underlying cultural or personal rationale
emotional, physical and language development of newborn infant
attachment theory
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and safe sleeping techniques
brain development in newborn infant
newborn screening
principles for recognising a deteriorating mother or baby and the importance of immediately raising issues of concern
World Health Organisation (WHO) code for breastfeeding and the development and establishment of breastfeeding and benefits of breast milk and breastfeeding
umbilical cord care.
Assessment Conditions
Skills must have been demonstrated in the workplace or in a simulated environment as specified in the performance evidence. The following conditions must be met for this unit:
use of suitable facilities, equipment and resources in line with the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council’s Standards including:
newborn screening procedures
equipment suitable for bathing and changing a newborn infant
equipment suitable for positing a newborn infant for sleep
equipment suitable for umbilical cord care
bottles and formula
progressive notes of a de-identified person’s medical history
organisation policy and procedures on which the candidate bases the planning.
Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.
In addition, assessors must hold current registration as a Registered Nurse with Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, and for assessments related to postnatal care of the mother and neonatal care of the newborn infant, assessors must hold registration as a Registered Midwife with Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia.
Foundation Skills
The Foundation Skills describe those required skills (language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills) that are essential to performance.
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.