- Midwifery

Lecturer. Dr. Sahar Ismail Abdulla 

Head of Midwifery Department

Introduction

Midwifery Department which established in 2012 after applying for DelPHE Iraq, round two 2010 project, which is supported by British Council to establish a midwifery program at Hawler Medical University, College of Nursing. Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Division of Health and Social care, University of Surrey, UK, helped the college to prepare a BSc midwifery curriculum. The curriculum was approved. This department still is unique academic unit which provide BSc in Midwifery to students in Kurdistan and Iraq. The Bsc Midwifery is a full-time four years program, offered by the department of Midwifery, college of Nursing, Hawler Medical University. Clinical placements take place in the Maternity Teaching Hospital and primary Health care Centers in Erbil City, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. Certified midwives manage women's health care focusing on pregnancy, childbirth postpartum, care of the newborn and family planning and gynecological needs of women as well as specialty care and support for expecting mothers. Upon graduation, midwives practice in a variety of settings including primary health care centers governmental hospitals, private hospitals and home birth services.

Philosophy

Midwives believe that health is a human right and that an investment in maternal and child health safeguards the wellbeing of women, their families and the communities. The process of human childbirth is a normal physiological process. Women should have as much control as possible in determining their care, and should be encouraged to be active participants in decision-making and self-care. Midwifery is both an art and a science. The art of midwifery consists of sensitivity to the needs of women and families and being able to meet these needs in the most appropriate way. The science of midwifery overlaps with that of other disciplines such as nursing and medicine. We see our clients as whole, capable people for whom the processes of pregnancy, labor delivery and parenting offer the opportunity for significant personal growth.

Vision statement

The midwifery program will produce midwives able to provide comprehensive quality maternal and child health services continued competency for practice requires that each midwife commits herself to an on-going process of life-long education.

Mission statement

Midwifery program in the college of nursing, Hawler Medical university is to prepare midwives at an advanced level in essential competencies for basic midwifery practice. Knowledge, attitudes, skills and practices at all levels of the health care system according to professional standards.

Program goal

The bachelor of science in midwifery education program aims at preparing the student to be competent midwives who will play a vital role in improving the quality of life of childbearing families. The teaching and learning process facilitate student's skill development, decision-making capacity and application of competencies based on service and profession led education.

Program objectives

On successful completion of this program, the student will have acquired the knowledge, attitude, skills and practices which will enable them to:

1. Collect information to critically analyze social determinants and epidemiological patterns for improving maternal and newborn health outcomes.

2. Utilize appropriate counseling and communication skills to interact effectively with women, children and their families.

3. Integrate the concepts of midwifery process in planning and providing care for women during pregnancy, intrapartum, postpartum and for the newborns.

4. Uphold midwifery care and its relevance in the care and management for childbearing women and their families.

5. Apply reflective models to drawn lessons from personal experience about own clinical practice in emergency obstetric and neonatal care for mothers and babies.