Entry requirements

Midwife degree

Aims

The aim of the course is to provide basic knowledge in the academic subject Menopausal Counselling. In order to meet the increased need for health advice for women before, during, and after the menopause, the course provides a thorough discussion of physiology and endocrinology during this phase of women’s life in a cultural context and with a genus perspective. Knowledge of different forms of treatment is also taken up.

In the guidelines that have been put forth by the Swedish Association of Midwifes and the Swedish Association of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, it was emphasised that midwifes who provide menopause counselling should have an adequate competence in the climacteric aspects of women’s health.

Content

At the conclusion of the course, the participants shall know and be able to account for:

Physiology and endocrinology – normal changes and pathological deviations

(including incontinence).

· Genus in a cultural context

· How health and the menopause are perceived

· Life style questions

· Sexuality

· Contraception

· Pharmacology in medical forms of treatment

· Non pharmacological forms of treatment

· Methods to search for knowledge of evidence-based care

· Teaching care and communication excerises

Instruction

The instruction is obligatory and takes the form of intensive sessions with an overnight stay on two different occasions plus a third session where the results of a written examination are gone through. Independent work between period 1 and 2 covering:

Searching in databases having to do with evidence based care, advice, and treatment from the perspective of a chosen research question concerning osteoporosis, heart and circulatory issues, incontinence or vaginal atrophy.

To search, read, critically evaluate and assemble attitudes and values concerning the menopause as it is presented in the literature, the media, Internet pages, etc.

Reporting will take the form of an oral and a written reflection.

Assessment

The student’s presentation takes the form of an oral and a written reflection. The examination is made up of a 5-7 page written text handed in by the student. This will contain a reflective discussion of the midwife’s role in climacteric advice with reference to each of the sections that make up the course. In addition each student is expected to discuss how she/he can implement the knowledge derived from the course and how this will reinforce women’s health during menopause. There is an assumption that references to the course literature will be made