Midwifery

At the end of the three-year course, graduates must be able to:
- manage the physical, psychological and social needs and diagnose the need for help of women, couples and the community as a whole, within the various social and medical fields, by combining theoretical and practical knowledge in order to respond with technical and scientific competence, including where foreign users are concerned;
- manage obstetric and gynaecological needs which call for preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative competences in specific fields of highly specialised gynaecology and obstetrics, such as mammary pathology, pelvic static disorders, sterility, infertility, metabolic diseases and infective diseases, etc;
- maintain good relations and provide information concerning the birthing process and family planning problems by keeping with the principle of responsible motherhood and fatherhood, including when dealing with people from other ethnic groups, thus taking into account their cultural characteristics with counselling skills;
- conduct education sessions on reproductive health for women and couples as well as the community at large, especially where sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are concerned;
- conduct education sessions on the prevention of neoplastic diseases affecting the female genital system and
related glands, by using the information processes and methods in which the student becomes competent (e.g. self examination of breast, pap-tests etc.)
- manage the social and medical needs of pregnant women, providing any and all informative and educational support needed to help resolve situations of conflict where drug addiction, poverty and disabilities are concerned;
- ascertain clinical manifestations linked to the biological and sexual cycle of the woman;
- ascertain clinical manifestations linked specifically to pregnancy;
- plan, provide and evaluate the gynaecological, obstetric and neonatal care provided to both healthy and unhealthy individuals within a complex and integrated social-welfare system, by promoting lifestyles that are positive for health and adopting assistance systems geared towards self-management and self-treatment;
- monitor maternal-foetal wellbeing during the physiological pregnancy, during spontaneous birth and (in conjunction with specialists) in pathological situations (supervision and care for at least 40 women in labour);
- practice normal birth in the event of vertex presentation including, where necessary, episiotomy and, in the event of an emergency, breech presentation;
- prevent, identify, monitor and manage potentially pathological situations which require medical intervention and, where necessary, take the relevant emergency measures by using the available means within their competence.
- evaluate any clinical manifestations associated with pathologies of a gynaecological, obstetric and neonatal nature, with reactions to various stages of illness, to surgery conducted on an in-patient, day-Hospital and day-surgery basis, and home care;
- assess clinical manifestations associated with pregnancy of an immediate, intermediate and overdue nature during hospitalisation, and during home care, including the assessment of newborns not affected by significant pathologies;
- assess clinical manifestations associated with pregnancy of an immediate, intermediate and overdue nature during hospitalisation, including the assessment of clinical manifestations of pre-term and post-term newborns of less than average weight, or affected by a variety of pathologies;
- provide assistance planned in accordance with verified and verifiable Guidelines based on scientific evidence (Ebm/Ebc);
- examine the newborn and care for it by taking every necessary measure and, if necessary, perform immediate reanimation;
- guarantee the correct application of diagnostic and therapeutic performance in compliance with scientific principles and adapt them to the person being treated, in relation to the various priority problems regarding reproductive health and health in general of the woman concerned and the couple;
- contribute towards identifying, defining and organising gynaecological and obstetric assistance on an ordinary and emergency, urgent basis in accordance with the criterion of priority, whilst guaranteeing continuity of assistance by optimising human and material resources;
- conduct assessments of gynaecological and neonatal preventive, curative, palliative and rehabilitative services in accordance with specific process and outcome indicators;
- possess professional and decision-making skills in planning and implementing health and sexual education for women, couples and the community;
- provide support for both innovative and traditional surgery procedures in conjunction with specialist doctors and other medical personnel;
- act in accordance with moral, ethical and forensic principles in gynaecological-obstetric and neonatal fields;
- respect both their own role and competences as well as those of other staff members working in the assistance core team, in accordance with the regulations in force governing responsibility and the spheres of action of the obstetrician when working both autonomously and with other medical staff;
- adopt the various technologies needed for birthing, whilst respecting the different ethnic backgrounds in accordance with the principle of personalisation and appropriateness of treatment;
- use at least one European Union language besides Italian in the specific field of competence, as well as for the purposes of general information exchange;
- adopt counselling techniques in the various professional contexts which promote effective communication both with users and co-workers.

THE COURSE
1st year:
Geared towards providing knowledge regarding the structure and function of organs and systems, as well as the type of biological phenomena related to human reproduction and the basics of the theory and practice of general assistance, obstetric-neonatal assistance according to the principles of Midwifery. Knowledge of the needs of multi-ethnic mothers and infants, with the aim of creating the right conditions for tackling the first internship in relevant professional fields, and acquiring basic assistance competences.
2nd year:
Geared towards gaining more in-depth knowledge of a physiological and pathological nature, specialist and assistance clinics for managing physiological and high risk pregnancies and assistance for both healthy and critical newborn babies. Students must acquire competences in obstetric surgery and specialist fields, work together with specialists, and improve their communicative skills for conveying information to individuals, couples and the community, with an end to prevention and health promotion for women, couples and families. The internships are conducted in local and hospital contexts (clinics, birthing centres, districts and associated providers) to allow students to put the knowledge and techniques learned into practice.
3rd Year:
It aims to provide more in-depth knowledge of oncology, endocrinology, sexology and contraception, and of anatomical and pathological neoplasies of a gynaecological nature, as well as the principles of bioethics and the moral and ethical rules governing the obstetrician's profession. The autonomy with which clinical assessments are made in handling obstetric emergencies and urgent situations increases gradually. Students work in a team with other professionals and acquire the methodological competences needed to understand obstetric research to support the drafting of the final thesis. The importance of the internship conducted on a rotation basis in birthing centres of 1st, 2nd and 3rd criticality level increases, whilst on a local level it focuses on autonomous assistance provided to women with physiological pregnancies. The logic behind the curriculum sees a gradual distribution of the internship experiences which are increased over the three-year course.