Sample records for year midwifery students

  1. Peer to peer mentoring: Outcomes of third-year midwifery students mentoring first-year students.

    PubMed

    Hogan, Rosemarie; Fox, Deborah; Barratt-See, Georgina

    2017-06-01

    Undergraduate midwifery students commonly experience anxiety in relation to their first clinical placement. A peer mentoring program for midwifery students was implemented in an urban Australian university. The participants were first-year mentee and third-year mentor students studying a three-year Bachelor degree in midwifery. The program offered peer support to first-year midwifery students who had little or no previous exposure to hospital clinical settings. Mentors received the opportunity to develop mentoring and leadership skills. The aim was to explore the benefits, if any, of a peer mentoring program for midwifery students. The peer mentoring program was implemented in 2012. Sixty-three peer mentors and 170 mentees participated over three academic years. Surveys were distributed at the end of each academic year. Quantitative survey data were analysed descriptively and qualitative survey data were analysed thematically using NVivo 10 software. Over 80% of mentors and mentees felt that the program helped mentees adjust to their midwifery clinical placement. At least 75% of mentors benefited, in developing their communication, mentoring and leadership skills. Three themes emerged from the qualitative data, including 'Receiving start-up advice'; 'Knowing she was there' and 'Wanting more face to face time'. There is a paucity of literature on midwifery student peer mentoring. The findings of this program demonstrate the value of peer support for mentees and adds knowledge about the mentor experience for undergraduate midwifery students. The peer mentor program was of benefit to the majority of midwifery students. Copyright © 2017 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Simulation workshops with first year midwifery students.

    PubMed

    Catling, Christine; Hogan, Rosemarie; Fox, Deborah; Cummins, Allison; Kelly, Michelle; Sheehan, Athena

    2016-03-01

    Simulated teaching methods enable a safe learning environment that are structured, constructive and reflective. We prepared a 2-day simulation project to help prepare students for their first clinical practice. A quasi-experimental pre-test - post-test design was conducted. Qualitative data from the open-ended survey questions were analysed using content analysis. Confidence intervals and p-values were calculated to demonstrate the changes in participants' levels of understanding/ability or confidence in clinical midwifery skills included in the simulation. 71 midwifery students participated. Students rated their understanding, confidence, and abilities as higher after the simulation workshop, and higher still after their clinical experience. There were five main themes arising from the qualitative data: having a learning experience, building confidence, identifying learning needs, developing communication skills and putting skills into practise. First year midwifery students felt well prepared for the clinical workplace following the simulation workshops. Self-rated understanding, confidence and abilities in clinical midwifery skills were significantly higher following consolidation during clinical placement. Longitudinal studies on the relationship between simulation activities and student's overall clinical experience, their intentions to remain in midwifery, and facility feedback, would be desirable. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Concerns among first year midwifery students: towards addressing attrition rates.

    PubMed

    Carolan, Mary C; Kruger, Gina B

    2011-01-01

    Since 2000, there has been a shift to undergraduate midwifery education in Australia. Midwifery students are generally highly motivated, however attrition rates remain high among first-year students. This study was undertaken in one Australian University against a background of high course demand and high student attrition. Thirty-two first-year midwifery students completed a demographic questionnaire and wrote a reflection in response to the question: What if anything, would make your experience as a first year student better? Data were subjected to thematic content analysis. Findings indicated a need for: greater opportunities to prepare; for more time to study; for greater student supports; and outlined difficulties such as financial and childcare. In conclusion, undergraduate midwifery courses and local conditions vary among institutions. Student feedback is a useful way of identifying local concerns that may impact on student completion rates. This is a necessary first step to the provision of meaningful student support.

  4. Introducing sensitive issues and self-care strategies to first year midwifery students.

    PubMed

    Cummins, Allison M; Wight, Raechel; Watts, Nicole; Catling, Christine

    2018-06-01

    first year midwifery students learn early in semester about situations in midwifery where a high level of emotion is expressed, such as taking a sexual history, being faced with the body image changes of pregnancy and working with women in the extreme pain of labour. Commencing students usually have not had exposure to the realities of studying and working in midwifery, and often have an idealised view of midwifery that may lead to attrition from the course. We aimed to equip students with personal and professional tools to discuss sensitive issues in midwifery and promote self-care through the development of two workshops. The first workshop focussed on sensitive issues in midwifery and the second on self-care strategies. quantitative and qualitative data were collected pre and post workshops using a survey. the workshops were developed at one university in New South Wales, Australia. Beginning first year midwifery students MEASUREMENTS: feeling more comfortable, confident and knowledgeable was measured using a paired t-test from the responses on a pre and post workshop survey. Content analysis was performed on the qualitative survey responses. there were significant increases in the students feeling more comfortable to discuss sensitive issues in midwifery following the first workshop. They found meeting new people, respecting opinions, normalizing confronting topics to be valuable and useful. The second workshop found significant differences in being more confident and knowledgeable to access and try new self-care strategies in both their personal and professional life. Students discussed learning to be more mindful in order to prepare for stressful situations. They became aware of their feeling and thoughts when under stress and said they would practice techniques including meditation. the workshops assisted the students to develop peer support, self-care strategies and coping mechanisms when faced with the intimate and sometimes confronting nature of midwifery

  5. Final year students' experiences of the Bachelor of Midwifery course.

    PubMed

    Carolan-Olah, Mary; Kruger, Gina; Walter, Ruby; Mazzarino, Melissa

    2014-05-01

    : the aim of the study was to explore the experiences of final year Bachelor of Midwifery students. earlier research indicates that midwifery students experience a number of difficulties and concerns during their studentship. These difficulties can lead to a lack of confidence and poorer integration and socialisation into the profession. Ultimately, poorer integration may lead to dissatisfaction and attrition from the profession. a qualitative approach, informed by interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), was used in this study. Ten completing Bachelor of Midwifery students participated in in-depth interviews and reflected on their experiences over their three year course. Data were subjected to IPA analytic steps as proposed by Smith and Osborn (2008). demographics revealed that participants were generally aged more than 35 years and worked 16 hours or less per week. Most had two or more children and lived with a spouse/partner. Four main themes emerged from the analysis: (1) a challenging start; (2) coming to terms with course requirements; (3) developing strategies; and (4) overall satisfaction with the course. Participants generally considered that their individual strengths and determination helped them to negotiate the many challenges they encountered during the course. this study indicates that students undergo a process of adjustment as they travel through the Bachelor of Midwifery course. The most critical transition phase appears to occur in the first year and students may require additional supports to assist their socialisation into both the university and their course. Particular needs identified include return to study skills for mature-aged students and counselling and support group needs generally. The provision of such supports may assist with the retention of students within the course and may contribute to overall student satisfaction. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Midwifery student reactions to workplace violence.

    PubMed

    Shapiro, Jesse; Boyle, Malcolm J; McKenna, Lisa

    2018-02-01

    Workplace violence, incidents against people in their workplaces, is a growing problem in Australia causing untold personal suffering as well as costing Australian businesses in productivity. Midwives have been highlighted as a group particularly at risk, yet in Australia there is little research into workplace violence against midwives and even less into midwifery students. This study aimed to explore Australian midwifery students' responses to workplace violence as well as to gauge the impact of workplace violence on them. Cross-sectional survey design was employed. Second and third year students were invited to participate at the end of a scheduled lecture. Fifty-two female midwifery students who had completed their work placement completed a survey indicating their immediate responses to workplace violence as well as the Impact of Event Scale. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Most students notified a co-worker immediately after a workplace violence incident, yet few completed an incident form or received official debriefing. There is a need for the reporting of workplace violence against midwifery students to be made easier to access thereby ensuring they can receive the assistance they require. Midwifery students need to understand the processes and supports in place for managing instances of workplace violence. Clinical placements can impact on midwifery students' future careers. Universities need to prepare students for the possibility of workplace violence and arm them with appropriate strategies for safely dealing with it. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Crossing professional barriers with peer-assisted learning: undergraduate midwifery students teaching undergraduate paramedic students.

    PubMed

    McLelland, Gayle; McKenna, Lisa; French, Jill

    2013-07-01

    Peer assisted learning (PAL) has been shown in undergraduate programmes to be as effective as learning from instructors. PAL is a shared experience between two learners often with one being more senior to the other but usually both are studying within the same discipline. Interprofessional education occurs when two or more professionals learn with, from and about each other. Benefits of PAL in an interprofessional context have not been previously explored. As part of a final year education unit, midwifery students at Monash University developed workshops for second year undergraduate paramedic students. The workshops focused on care required during and after the birth of the baby. To investigate the benefits of an interprofessional PAL for both midwifery and paramedic students. Data for this project were obtained by both quantitative and qualitative methods. Questionnaires were distributed to both cohorts of students to explore experiences of peer teaching and learning. Results were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Focus groups were conducted separately with both cohorts of students and transcripts analysed using a thematic approach. Response rates from the midwifery and paramedic students were 64.9% and 44.0% respectively. The majority of students regardless of discipline enjoyed the interprofessional activity and wanted more opportunities in their curricula. After initial anxieties about teaching into another discipline, 97.3 (n = 36) of midwifery students thought the experience was worthwhile and personally rewarding. Of the paramedic students, 76.9% (n = 60) reported enjoying the interaction. The focus groups supported and added to the quantitative findings. Both midwifery and paramedic students had a new-found respect and understanding for each other's disciplines. Midwifery students were unaware of the limited knowledge paramedics had around childbirth. Paramedic students admired the depth of knowledge displayed by the midwifery

  8. Fear, an unpleasant experience among undergraduate midwifery students: A qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Ahmadi, Golnoosh; Shahriari, Mohsen; Kohan, Shahnaz; Keyvanara, Mahmood

    2018-03-01

    Fear is a normal emotion that can evoke an appropriate response when facing threat. However, sometimes the consequences of fear can lead to responses that are maladaptive. Fear can have negative effects on learning. Research has focused on the experience of fear and its consequences among midwifery students during their undergraduate program. A qualitative analysis was conducted of interviews with ten midwifery students in different years of an undergraduate program. The data was analyzed through a content analysis approach. Two main categories and five subcategories emerged. The first category, areas of fear in midwifery students, consisted of the following subcategories: fear of doing harm, fear of encountering their first childbirth, and fear of penalties. The second category, consequences of fear, consisted of the following subcategories: general physical and psychological consequences and interference in adopting the professional role. In this study, fear not only raised the students' stress levels thereby, leading to physical and psychological issues but also hindered their adoption of their professional role. These findings will potentially inform support and retention strategies within midwifery undergraduate programs in the future. Maternity care in Iran is provided mainly within a medical model of care. The majority of women give birth in hospital, where care is provided by midwives who work under the direction and supervision of an obstetrician. Midwives within the medically dominated system lack autonomy and have very little opportunity to gain experience in providing continuity of care for women as midwife-led models of care are rare. This practice context means that midwifery students have very little opportunity to gain experience in autonomous midwifery practice. Midwifery undergraduate program in Iran is for four years. Admission to the undergraduate program is implemented via a direct entry route. Nearly all of the midwifery students are school

  9. Exploring midwifery students' views and experiences of caseload midwifery: A cross-sectional survey conducted in Victoria, Australia.

    PubMed

    Dawson, Kate; Newton, Michelle; Forster, Della; McLachlan, Helen

    2015-02-01

    in Australia, models of maternity care that offer women continuity of care with a known midwife have been promoted. Little is known about the intentions of the future midwifery workforce to work in such models. This study aimed to explore midwifery students' views and experiences of caseload midwifery and their work intentions in relation to the caseload model following graduation. cross-sectional survey. Victoria, Australia. 129 midwifery students representing all midwifery course pathways (Post Graduate Diploma, Bachelor of Midwifery, Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Midwifery) in Victoria. midwifery students from all course pathways considered that continuity of care is important to women and indicated that exposure to continuity models during their course was very positive. Two-thirds of the students (67%) considered that the continuity experiences made them want to work in a caseload model; only 5% reported that their experiences had discouraged them from continuity of care work in the future. Most wanted a period of consolidation to gain experience as a midwife prior to commencing in the caseload model. Perceived barriers to caseload work were being on-call, and challenges in regard to work/life balance and family commitments. midwifery students in this study were very positive about caseload midwifery and most would consider working in caseload after a period of consolidation. Continuity of care experiences during students' midwifery education programmes appeared to provide students with insight and understanding of continuity of care for both women and midwives. Further research should explore what factors influence students' future midwifery work, whether or not their plans are fulfilled, and whether or not the caseload midwifery workforce can be sustained. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Midwifery students' evaluation of team-based academic assignments involving peer-marking.

    PubMed

    Parratt, Jenny A; Fahy, Kathleen M; Hastie, Carolyn R

    2014-03-01

    Midwives should be skilled team workers in maternity units and in group practices. Poor teamwork skills are a significant cause of adverse maternity care outcomes. Despite Australian and International regulatory requirements that all midwifery graduates are competent in teamwork, the systematic teaching and assessment of teamwork skills is lacking in higher education. How do midwifery students evaluate participation in team-based academic assignments, which include giving and receiving peer feedback? First and third year Bachelor of Midwifery students who volunteered (24 of 56 students). Participatory Action Research with data collection via anonymous online surveys. There was general agreement that team based assignments; (i) should have peer-marking, (ii) help clarify what is meant by teamwork, (iii) develop communication skills, (iv) promote student-to-student learning. Third year students strongly agreed that teams: (i) are valuable preparation for teamwork in practice, (ii) help meet Australian midwifery competency 8, and (iii) were enjoyable. The majority of third year students agreed with statements that their teams were effectively coordinated and team members shared responsibility for work equally; first year students strongly disagreed with these statements. Students' qualitative comments substantiated and expanded on these findings. The majority of students valued teacher feedback on well-developed drafts of the team's assignment prior to marking. Based on these findings we changed practice and created more clearly structured team-based assignments with specific marking criteria. We are developing supporting lessons to teach specific teamwork skills: together these resources are called "TeamUP". TeamUP should be implemented in all pre-registration Midwifery courses to foster students' teamwork skills and readiness for practice. Copyright © 2013 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Meeting the health and social needs of pregnant asylum seekers, midwifery students' perspectives: part 1; dominant discourses and midwifery students.

    PubMed

    Haith-Cooper, Melanie; Bradshaw, Gwendolen

    2013-09-01

    Current literature has indicated a concern about standards of maternity care experienced by pregnant women who are seeking asylum. As the next generation of midwives, it is important that students are educated in a way that prepares them to effectively care for these women. To understand how this can be achieved, it is important to explore what asylum seeking means to midwifery students. This article is the first of three parts and reports on one objective from a wider doctorate study. It identifies dominant discourses that influenced the perceptions of a group of midwifery students' about the pregnant asylum seeking woman. The study was designed from a social constructivist perspective, with contextual knowledge being constructed by groups of people, influenced by underpinning dominant discourses, depending on their social, cultural and historical positions in the world. In a United Kingdom University setting, during year two of a pre-registration midwifery programme, eleven midwifery students participated in the study. Two focus group interviews using a problem based learning scenario as a trigger for discussion were conducted. In addition, three students were individually interviewed to explore issues in more depth and two students' written reflections on practice were used to generate data. Following a critical discourse analysis, dominant discourses were identified which appeared to influence the way in which asylum seekers were perceived. The findings suggested an underpinning ideology around the asylum seeker being different and of a criminal persuasion. Although the pregnant woman seeking asylum was considered as deserving of care, the same discourses appeared to influence the way in which she was constructed. However, as the study progressed, through reading alternative sources of literature, some students appeared to question these discourses. These findings have implications for midwifery education in encouraging students to challenge negative discourses

  12. We're all in this together: Midwifery student peer mentoring.

    PubMed

    McKellar, Lois; Kempster, Cathy

    2017-05-01

    Many higher education institutions have adopted mentoring programs for students as a means of providing support, improve learning and enhance the student experience. The aim of this project was to improve midwifery students experience by offering a peer mentoring program to commencing students to assist with the transition to university life and the rigours of the midwifery program. This paper reports the evaluation of this specific mentoring program and the ongoing development and implementation of a sustainable program within an Australian University. A survey design was adopted to gather feedback from both mentees to evaluate if the peer mentoring program enhanced the first year midwifery student experience and ascertain how the program could be further developed. Fifty-five students engaged with the peer mentors and completed the questionnaire regarding the mentoring program. Specifically valuable was the positive impact that mentoring had on midwifery student confidence, managing the demands of the program and being motivated to keep going when the program requirements were challenging. The success of this program rested largely with mentoring students sharing their own experiences and providing reassurance that other students could also succeed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Addressing culture shock in first year midwifery students: Maximising the initial clinical experience.

    PubMed

    Cummins, Allison M; Catling, Christine; Hogan, Rosemarie; Homer, Caroline S E

    2014-12-01

    Many Bachelor of Midwifery students have not had any exposure to the hospital setting prior to their clinical placement. Students have reported their placements are foreign to them, with a specialised confusing 'language'. It is important to provide support to students to prevent culture shock that may lead to them leaving the course. To assist first year midwifery students with the transition into clinical practice by providing a preparatory workshop. An action research project developed resources for a workshop held prior to students' first clinical placement. Four phases were held: Phase one involved holding discussion groups with students returning from clinical practice; Phase two was the creation of vodcasts; Phase three was integration of resources into the clinical subject and phase four was the evaluation and reflection on the action research project. Evaluations of the workshops were undertaken through surveying the students after they returned from their clinical placement. A descriptive analysis of the evaluations was performed. Students rated the workshop, vodcasts and the simulated handover positively. Further recommendations were that complications of labour and birth be included in their first semester as students were unexpectedly exposed to this in their first clinical placement. The students evaluated the workshop positively in reducing the amount of culture shock experienced on the first clinical placement. In addition the students provided further recommendations of strategies that would assist with clinical placement. Copyright © 2014 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Midwifery students׳ experiences of an innovative clinical placement model embedded within midwifery continuity of care in Australia.

    PubMed

    Carter, Amanda G; Wilkes, Elizabeth; Gamble, Jenny; Sidebotham, Mary; Creedy, Debra K

    2015-08-01

    midwifery continuity of care experiences can provide high quality clinical learning for students but can be challenging to implement. The Rural and Private Midwifery Education Project (RPMEP) is a strategic government funded initiative to (1) grow the midwifery workforce within private midwifery practice and rural midwifery, by (2) better preparing new graduates to work in private midwifery and rural continuity of care models. this study evaluated midwifery students׳ experience of an innovative continuity of care clinical placement model in partnership with private midwifery practice and rural midwifery group practices. a descriptive cohort design was used. All students in the RPMEP were invited to complete an online survey about their experiences of clinical placement within midwifery continuity models of care. Responses were analysed using descriptive statistics. Correlations between total scale scores were examined. Open-ended responses were analysed using content analysis. Internal reliability of the scales was assessed using Cronbach׳s alpha. sixteen out of 17 completed surveys were received (94% response rate). Scales included in the survey demonstrated good internal reliability. The majority of students felt inspired by caseload approaches to care, expressed overall satisfaction with the mentoring received and reported a positive learning environment at their placement site. Some students reported stress related to course expectations and demands in the clinical environment (e.g. skill acquisition and hours required for continuity of care). There were significant correlations between scales on perceptions of caseload care and learning culture (r=.87 p<.001) and assessment (r=.87 p<.001). Scores on the clinical learning environment scale were significantly correlated with perceptions of the caseload model (rho=.86 p<.001), learning culture (rho=.94 p<.001) and assessment (rho=.65 p<.01) scales. embedding students within midwifery continuity of care models

  15. Evaluating a standardised clinical assessment tool for pre-registration midwifery students: A cross-sectional survey of midwifery students and midwives in Australia.

    PubMed

    Morrow, Jane; Biggs, Laura; Stelfox, Sara; Phillips, Diane; McKellar, Lois; McLachlan, Helen

    2016-02-01

    Assessment of clinical competence is a core component of midwifery education. Clinical assessment tools have been developed to help increase consistency and overcome subjectivity of assessment. The study had two main aims. The first was to explore midwifery students and educators/clinical midwives' views and experiences of a common clinical assessment tool used for all preregistration midwifery programmes in Victoria and the University of South Australia. The second was to assess the need for changes to the tool to align with developments in clinical practice and evidence-based care. A cross-sectional, web-based survey including Likert-type scales and open-ended questions was utilised. Students enrolled in all four entry pathways to midwifery at seven Victorian and one South Australian university and educators/clinical midwives across both states. One hundred and ninety-one midwifery students' and 86 educators/clinical midwives responded. Overall, students and educators/clinical midwives were positive about the Clinical Assessment Tool with over 90% reporting that it covered the necessary midwifery skills. Students and educators/clinical midwives reported high levels of satisfaction with the content of the learning tools. Only 4% of educators/clinical midwives and 6% of students rated the Clinical Assessment Tool as poor overall. Changes to some learning tools were necessary in order to reflect recent practice and evidence. A common clinical assessment tool for evaluating midwifery students' clinical practice may facilitate the provision of consistent, reliable and objective assessment of student skills and competency. Copyright © 2015 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Workplace culture and the practice experience of midwifery students: A meta-synthesis.

    PubMed

    Arundell, Fiona; Mannix, Judy; Sheehan, Athena; Peters, Kath

    2018-04-01

    To describe midwifery students' practice experience and to explore facilitators and barriers to positive clinical learning experiences. Practice experience is a vital component of every midwifery course. Course dissatisfaction and attrition of midwifery students has been attributed to sub-optimal practice experiences. Events or actions experienced by midwifery students that trigger dissatisfaction and attrition need to be identified. A meta-synthesis was based on that developed by Noblit and Hare. Students perceive workplaces as poorly prepared for their arrival and subsequent support. Students' experience in the practice setting is influenced by the existing workplace culture. Workplace culture influences institutional functioning and individuals within the culture. Enculturation of students into the midwifery culture and subsequent learning is affected by the support received. The practice experience of midwifery students was profoundly influenced by workplace culture. Students tended to have polarized accounts of their experience that were predominantly negative. To provide an optimal environment for midwifery students; midwifery managers and individual midwives need to be aware of the facilitators and barriers to midwifery student development in the practice setting. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Knowledge of and attitudes toward tuberculosis of Turkish nursing and midwifery students.

    PubMed

    Akin, Semiha; Gorak, Gulay; Unsar, Serap; Mollaoglu, Mukadder; Ozdilli, Kursad; Durna, Zehra

    2011-11-01

    The aim of the study was to describe the level of knowledge and the attitudes of Turkish nursing and midwifery students toward tuberculosis in an attempt to understand and determine whether there is a need for improvement in nursing and midwifery education regarding tuberculosis. The research is a descriptive study conducted at four nursing or midwifery schools in Turkey. The sample was composed of 615 students who were first-, second-, third-, or fourth-year nursing and midwifery students. Data were collected using the Knowledge and Attitudes toward Treatment and Control of Tuberculosis Questionnaire. The level of tuberculosis knowledge was poor [7.22±1.92 (range: 2-9)]. The attitudes of nursing and midwifery students toward tuberculosis were generally negative. Only 5.9% of the sample would prefer to care for patients with tuberculosis. Students who received tuberculosis lectures/education had higher levels of knowledge and more positive attitudes toward tuberculosis than their peers who did not receive such education. In order to fight effectively against tuberculosis, positive attitudes toward tuberculosis must be developed among health care teams, and awareness of tuberculosis via theoretical and practical education, starting from the initial semesters of the professional education, must be increased. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Midwifery students learning experiences in labor wards: a grounded theory.

    PubMed

    Brunstad, Anne; Hjälmhult, Esther

    2014-12-01

    The labor ward is an important and challenging learning area for midwifery students. It is there the students learn in authentic complex situations, in intimate situations, with potential risk for the life and health of mothers and their babies. The aim of this study was to explore the main concern expressed by midwifery students in labor wards and how they handled this concern. A longitudinal study based on grounded theory methodology was used. The participants were 10 postgraduate midwifery students, from a University College in Norway. Data were gathered and analyzed throughout the 2-year postgraduate program, in the students first, third and fourth semesters. Every student was interviewed three times in a total of 15 single and three focus-group sessions. The grounded theory of "building relationships" explains how students dealt with their main concern: "how to gain access to learning experiences". This theory consisted of three strategies; a) controlling vulnerability, b) cultivating trust and c) obtaining acceptance. Clarifying discussions involving midwives and students may facilitate the process of building relationships and contribute to confident learning. Students appreciate it when the midwives initiate discussions about acute situations and state that a novice may perceive labor and childbirth as more frightening than an experienced midwife would. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Measuring critical thinking in pre-registration midwifery students: A multi-method approach.

    PubMed

    Carter, Amanda G; Creedy, Debra K; Sidebotham, Mary

    2018-02-01

    Test the concurrent validity of three newly developed tools (student self-rating, preceptor rating, and reflective writing) that aim to measure critical thinking in midwifery practice. A descriptive matched cohort design was used. Australian research intensive university offering a three year Bachelor of Midwifery programme. Fifty-five undergraduate midwifery students. Students assessed their ability to apply critical thinking in midwifery practice using a 25-item tool and a 5-item subscale in Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. Clinical preceptors completed a 24-item tool assessing the students' application of critical thinking in practice. Reflective writing by students was assessed by midwifery academics using a 15-item tool. Internal reliability, and concurrent validity were assessed. Correlations, t-tests, multiple regression and confidence levels were calculated for the three scales and associations with student characteristics. The three scales achieved good internal reliability with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient between 0.93 and 0.97. Matched total scores for the three critical thinking scales were moderately correlated; student/preceptor (r=0.36, p<0.01); student/reflective writing (r=0.38, p<0.01); preceptor/reflective writing (r=0.30, p<0.05). All critical thinking mean scores were higher for students with a previous degree, but only significant for reflective writing (t (53)=-2.35, p=0.023). Preceptor ratings were predictive of GPA (beta=0.50, p<0.001, CI=0.10 to 0.30). Students' self-rating scores were predictive of year level (beta=0.32, p<0.05, CI=0.00 to 0.03). The student, preceptor, and reflective writing tools were found to be reliable and valid measures of critical thinking. The three tools can be used individually or in combination to provide students with various sources of feedback to improve their practice. The tools allow formative measurement of critical thinking over time. Further testing of the tools with larger, diverse

  20. Self-efficacy and relevance of bioscience for nursing, midwifery and healthcare students.

    PubMed

    Andrew, Sharon; McVicar, Andrew; Zanganeh, Mandana; Henderson, Nigel

    2015-10-01

    To examine nursing, midwifery and allied healthcare students' self-efficacy for science, perceived relevance of bioscience to their studies and expectations for academic success and the changes that occur after completing first-year introductory bioscience subjects. Bioscience is a foundation subject that underpins nursing, midwifery and other allied health courses. Bioscience subjects continue to be source of anxiety for students in those courses. Raising students' self-efficacy and perceptions of the importance and utility of bioscience to practice may be a way of ameliorating students' expectations and confidence in this subject area. A prospective correlational survey design. Students were surveyed in the first semester of first year and the commencement of the second year. Students were drawn from nursing, midwifery, public health and allied health courses. The surveys contained scales for self-efficacy for science, perceived relevance of bioscience to their course and personal expectations for success in their bioscience subject. Ninety-seven and 82 students completed survey 1 and 2 respectively. Twenty-six surveys could be matched. Self-efficacy increased from survey 1 to survey 2, but expectations for academic success and task value, a measure for relevance, were lower. This was statistically significant for the matched pair sample. Using a mean split, students with high self-efficacy valued science more and had higher expectations for success in their bioscience courses than those with low self-efficacy. Academic success in bioscience, confidence undertaking science tasks and perceiving bioscience as relevant to their course are interwoven concepts that are important for nursing, midwifery and applied healthcare students and ultimately for their professional practice. Literature indicates practitioners may not feel confident in their bioscience knowledge. Assisting undergraduate students to develop confidence in and perceive the relevance of bioscience to

  1. Midwifery students' experiences of simulation- and skills training.

    PubMed

    Lendahls, Lena; Oscarsson, Marie G

    2017-03-01

    In Sweden, simulation- and skills training are implemented in midwifery education in order to prepare students for clinical practice. Research regarding the use of both low to high levels of fidelity in simulation in midwifery programme is limited. The aim of this study was to explore midwifery students' experiences of simulation- and skills training. Midwifery students (n=61), at advanced level, were interviewed in 13 group interviews from 2011 to 2105. A semi-structured interview guide was used, and data were analysed by content analysis. The results are presented in four main categories: develops hands on skills and communication, power of collaborative learning, highly valued learning environment and facilitates clinical practice. The majority of students felt that the simulation- and skills training were necessary to become familiar with hands on skills. Having repetitive practices in a safe and secure environment was viewed as important, and students highly valued that mistakes could be made without fear of comprising patient safety. Student's collaboration, reflections and critical thinking increased learning ability. Simulation- and skills training created links between theory and practice, and the lecturer had an important role in providing instructions and feedback. Students felt prepared and confident before their clinical practice, and simulation- and skills training increased safety for all involved, resulting in students being more confident, as patients in clinical practice became less exposed. Furthermore, mentors were satisfied with students' basic skills. Simulation- and skills training support the development of midwifery skills. It creates links between theory and practice, which facilitates students' learning ability. Training needs to include reflections and critical thinking in order to develop their learning. The lecturer has an important role in encouraging time for reflections and creating safe environment during the skills and simulation

  2. The 'values journey' of nursing and midwifery students selected using multiple mini interviews; Year One findings.

    PubMed

    Callwood, Alison; Bolger, Sarah; Allan, Helen T

    2018-05-01

    To explore how adult, child and mental health nursing and midwifery students, selected using multiple mini interviews, describe their 'values journey' following exposure to the clinical practice environment. Values based recruitment (VBR) incorporates assessment of healthcare students' personal values using approaches like multiple mini interviews. Students' experience of adjustment to their values during their programme is conceptualized as a 'values journey'. The impact of VBR in alleviating erosion of personal values remains unclear. A cross-professional longitudinal cohort study was commenced at one university in England in 2016 with data collection points at the end of years one, two and three. Non-probability consecutive sampling resulted in 42 healthcare students (8 adult, 8 child and 9 mental health nursing and 17 midwifery students) taking part. Six semi-structured focus groups were conducted at the end of participants' Year One (DC1). Data analysis incorporated inductive and deductive approaches in a hybrid synthesis. Participants described a 'values journey' where their values, particularly communication, courage and wanting to make a difference, were both challenged and retained. Participants personal journeys also acknowledged the: 'courage it takes to use values'; 'reality of values in practice' and 'need for self-reflection on values'. A 'values journey' may begin early in a healthcare student's education programme. This is important to recognize so that appropriate interventions designed to support students in higher education and clinical practice can be implemented. The values incorporated in VBR should be continually evaluated for fitness for purpose. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Culturally capable and culturally safe: Caseload care for Indigenous women by Indigenous midwifery students.

    PubMed

    West, R; Gamble, J; Kelly, J; Milne, T; Duffy, E; Sidebotham, M

    2016-12-01

    Evidence is emerging of the benefits to students of providing continuity of midwifery care as a learning strategy in midwifery education, however little is known about the value of this strategy for midwifery students. To explore Indigenous students' perceptions of providing continuity of midwifery care to Indigenous women whilst undertaking a Bachelor of Midwifery. Indigenous Bachelor of Midwifery students' experiences of providing continuity of midwifery care to Indigenous childbearing women were explored within an Indigenous research approach using a narrative inquiry framework. Participants were three Indigenous midwifery students who provided continuity of care to Indigenous women. Three interconnected themes; facilitating connection, being connected, and journeying with the woman. These themes contribute to the overarching finding that the experience of providing continuity of care for Indigenous women creates a sense of personal affirmation, purpose and a validation of cultural identity in Indigenous students. Midwifery philosophy aligns strongly with the Indigenous health philosophy and this provides a learning platform for Indigenous student midwives. Privileging Indigenous culture within midwifery education programs assists students develop a sense of purpose and affirms them in their emerging professional role and within their community. The findings from this study illustrate the demand for, and pertinence of, continuity of care midwifery experiences with Indigenous women as fundamental to increasing the Indigenous midwifery workforce in Australia. Australian universities should provide this experience for Indigenous student midwives. Copyright © 2016 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Knowledge and reported confidence of final year midwifery students regarding giving advice on contraception and sexual health.

    PubMed

    Walker, Susan H; Davis, Geraldine

    2014-05-01

    this study explored the views of three cohorts of final year midwifery students, regarding their confidence in giving advice to women on contraception and sexual health in the postnatal period. The project also investigated knowledge of contraception using a factual quiz, based on clinical scenarios regarding contraception and sexual health in the postpartum period. a mixed method design using qualitative data from focus groups, and mixed qualitative and quantitative data from a paper based questionnaire was used. the project was carried out in one higher educational institution in England. findings demonstrate that expressed confidence varies according to contraceptive method, with most confidence being reported when advising on the male condom. The findings of the factual quiz indicate that students applied theoretical knowledge poorly in a practically oriented context. These findings also indicated that most students limited advice to general advice. the paper concludes that midwifery students need more practically oriented education in contraception and sexual health, and that the role of mentors is very important in helping students feel confident when giving advice in this area. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Public health education for midwives and midwifery students: a mixed methods study.

    PubMed

    McNeill, Jenny; Doran, Jackie; Lynn, Fiona; Anderson, Gail; Alderdice, Fiona

    2012-12-07

    Current national and international maternity policy supports the importance of addressing public health goals and investing in early years. Health care providers for women during the reproductive and early postnatal period have the opportunity to encourage women to make choices that will impact positively on maternal and fetal health. Midwives are in a unique position, given the emphasis of the philosophy of midwifery care on building relationships and incorporating a holistic approach, to support women to make healthy choices with the aim of promoting health and preventing ill health. However, exploration of the educational preparation of midwives to facilitate public health interventions has been relatively limited. The aim of the study was to identify the scope of current midwifery pre registration educational provision in relation to public health and to explore the perspectives of midwives and midwifery students about the public health role of the midwife. This was a mixed methods study incorporating a survey of Higher Educational Institutions providing pre registration midwifery education across the UK and focus groups with midwifery students and registered midwives. Twenty nine institutions (53% response) participated in the survey and nine focus groups were conducted (59 participants). Public health education was generally integrated into pre registration midwifery curricula as opposed to taught as a discrete subject. There was considerable variation in the provision of public health topics within midwifery curricula and the hours of teaching allocated to them. Focus group data indicated that it was consistently difficult for both midwifery students and midwives to articulate clearly their understanding and definition of public health in relation to midwifery. There is a unique opportunity to impact on maternal and infant health throughout the reproductive period; however the current approach to public health within midwifery education should be reviewed to

  6. Chilean midwives and midwifery students' views of women's midlife health-care needs.

    PubMed

    Binfa, Lorena; Pantoja, Loreto; Gonzalez, Hilda; Ransjö-Arvidson, Anna-Berit; Robertson, Eva

    2011-08-01

    to determine Chilean midwives' views with regard to Chilean women's health-care needs in midlife. The aim was also to explore Chilean midwifery students' views on the clinical care provided to women in midlife. a qualitative study using focus group discussions and narratives which were analysed using thematic manifest and latent content analysis. 10 different primary health care (PHC) centres in Santiago, Chile. 22 midwives, working in PHC clinics and 13 (n = 13) midwifery students with PHC clinical experience, attending their fourth or fifth year of midwifery education at the School of Midwifery in Santiago. the midwives felt that women in midlife have special health-care service needs. They also considered themselves to be the most appropriate health staff to provide health care for women in midlife, but recognised that they lacked competence in attending psychological and social health-care needs of women in midlife such as violence, abuse and sexuality issues. The midwifery students remarked that many midwives focused their attention on fulfilling the biomedical requirements. Even if the midwives had knowledge about recent research on menopause, they had difficulties in approaching this issue and including it in their counselling. Some students also questioned the sometimes disrespectful attitude shown, especially towards Peruvian immigrants and women with psychosocial problems. the findings suggest that midwives need more education about women's health-care needs in midlife, and that more focus should be placed on the psychosocial aspects of midwifery. More reflections about the quality of the client-provider relationship in clinical practice are needed. Gender issues, the structure of power relationships, and empowerment should be incorporated and critically discussed during midwifery education and training, and also in clinics. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Relationships between work-related characteristics, needs satisfaction, motivation and mental health in midwifery students.

    PubMed

    Ferrand, Claude; Courtois, Robert; Martinent, Guillaume; Rivière, Michèle; Rusch, Emmanuel

    2017-07-01

    The present study examined the relationships between work-related characteristics in internships, psychological needs satisfaction, motivation and mental health using a partial least squares path modeling. Midwifery students (N = 214; M age = 22.8 years) from three French schools completed different questionnaires online. Results showed (1) the importance of work resources (work control and social support) as protective factors of psychological needs satisfaction; and (2) the role of competence need satisfaction through motivation in the relationships between work resources and mental health. Midwifery schools should pay more attention to these two results, and take them into account in midwifery students' training.

  8. Assertiveness training for undergraduate midwifery students.

    PubMed

    Warland, Jane; McKellar, Lois; Diaz, Monica

    2014-11-01

    Assertiveness can be defined as an interpersonal behaviour that promotes the fact all people in a relationship are equally important. All health professionals including midwives must work with and care for people. At times this will include facilitating interactions that require skilful negotiation and assertiveness. Yet embedding assertiveness education into undergraduate midwifery curricula has not been widely adopted. This paper explores one method of delivering assertiveness training in an undergraduate midwifery course and provides comment on the effectiveness of this strategy in developing assertiveness skills in a cohort of undergraduate midwifery students. We used an assertiveness survey which was administered immediately before and 3-4 months after an assertiveness training workshop. All students (n = 55) attending the training day were invited to participate. Of these 41 (77% response) chose to participate in the pre intervention survey and 32 participated (9 students lost to follow-up) in the follow up survey. There was an overall improvement in self-perceived assertiveness scores following the assertiveness training workshop. These findings provide encouraging evidence that educational institutions that offer specific and targeted assertiveness education will be rewarded with more assertive graduates. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Development and evaluation of a simulation exercise to prepare midwifery students for neonatal resuscitation.

    PubMed

    Carolan-Olah, Mary; Kruger, Gina; Brown, Vera; Lawton, Felicity; Mazzarino, Melissa

    2016-01-01

    Simulation provides opportunities for midwifery students to enhance their performance in emergency situations. Neonatal resuscitation is one such emergency and its management is a major concern for midwifery students. This project aimed to develop and evaluate a simulation exercise, for neonatal resuscitation, for 3rd year midwifery students. A quantitative survey design was employed using questions from two previously validated questionnaires: (1.) Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning and (2.) the Clinical Teamwork Scale (CTS). Australian university. 40 final year midwifery students were invited to participate and 36 agreed to take part in the project. In pre-simulation questionnaires, students reported low levels of confidence in initiating care of an infant requiring resuscitation. Most anticipated that the simulation exercise would be useful to better prepare them respond to a neonatal emergency. Post-simulation questionnaires reported an increase in student confidence, with 30 of 36 students agreeing/ strongly agreeing that their confidence levels had improved. Nonetheless, an unexpected number of students reported a lack of familiarity with the equipment. The single simulation exercise evaluated in this project resulted in improved student confidence and greater knowledge and skills in neonatal resuscitation. However, deficits in handling emergency equipment, and in understanding the role of the student midwife/midwife in neonatal resuscitation, were also noted. For the future, the development and evaluation of a programme of simulation exercises, over a longer period, is warranted. This approach may reduce stress and better address student learning needs. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  10. Capacity building of midwifery faculty to implement a 3-years midwifery diploma curriculum in Bangladesh: A process evaluation of a mentorship programme.

    PubMed

    Erlandsson, Kerstin; Doraiswamy, Sathyanarayanan; Wallin, Lars; Bogren, Malin

    2018-03-01

    When a midwifery diploma-level programme was introduced in 2010 in Bangladesh, only a few nursing faculty staff members had received midwifery diploma-level. The consequences were an inconsistency in interpretation and implementation of the midwifery curriculum in the midwifery programme. To ensure that midwifery faculty staff members were adequately prepared to deliver the national midwifery curriculum, a mentorship programme was developed. The aim of this study was to examine feasibility and adherence to a mentorship programme among 19 midwifery faculty staff members who were lecturing the three years midwifery diploma-level programme at ten institutes/colleges in Bangladesh. The mentorship programme was evaluated using a process evaluation framework: (implementation, context, mechanisms of impact and outcomes). An online and face-to-face blended mentorship programme delivered by Swedish midwifery faculty staff members was found to be feasible, and it motivated the faculty staff members in Bangladesh both to deliver the national midwifery diploma curriculum as well as to carry out supportive supervision for midwifery students in clinical placement. First, the Swedish midwifery faculty staff members visited Bangladesh and provided a two-days on-site visit prior to the initiation of the online part of the mentorship programme. The second on-site visit was five-days long and took place at the end of the programme, that being six to eight months from the first visit. Building on the faculty staff members' response to feasibility and adherence to the mentorship programme, the findings indicate opportunities for future scale-up to all institutes/collages providing midwifery education in Bangladesh. It has been proposed that a blended online and face-to-face mentorship programme may be a means to improving national midwifery programmes in countries where midwifery has only recently been introduced. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  11. Using root cause analysis to promote critical thinking in final year Bachelor of Midwifery students.

    PubMed

    Carter, Amanda G; Sidebotham, Mary; Creedy, Debra K; Fenwick, Jennifer; Gamble, Jenny

    2014-06-01

    Midwives require well developed critical thinking to practice autonomously. However, multiple factors impinge on students' deep learning in the clinical context. Analysis of actual case scenarios using root cause analysis may foster students' critical thinking and application of 'best practice' principles in complex clinical situations. To examine the effectiveness of an innovative teaching strategy involving root cause analysis to develop students' perceptions of their critical thinking abilities. A descriptive, mixed methods design was used. Final 3rd year undergraduate midwifery students (n=22) worked in teams to complete and present an assessment item based on root cause analysis. The cases were adapted from coroners' reports. After graduation, 17 (77%) students evaluated the course using a standard university assessment tool. In addition 12 (54%) students provided specific feedback on the teaching strategy using a 16-item survey tool based on the domain concepts of Educational Acceptability, Educational Impact, and Preparation for Practice. Survey responses were on a 5-point Likert scale and analysed using descriptive statistics. Open-ended responses were analysed using content analysis. The majority of students perceived the course and this teaching strategy positively. The domain mean scores were high for Educational Acceptability (mean=4.3, SD=.49) and Educational Impact (mean=4.19, SD=.75) but slightly lower for Preparation for Practice (mean=3.7, SD=.77). Overall student responses to each item were positive with no item mean less than 3.42. Students found the root cause analysis challenging and time consuming but reported development of critical thinking skills about the complexity of practice, clinical governance and risk management principles. Analysing complex real life clinical cases to determine a root cause enhanced midwifery students' perceptions of their critical thinking. Teaching and assessment strategies to promote critical thinking need to be

  12. Coping with stressful events: A pre-post-test of a psycho-educational intervention for undergraduate nursing and midwifery students.

    PubMed

    McCarthy, Bridie; Trace, Anna; O'Donovan, Moira; O'Regan, Patricia; Brady-Nevin, Caroline; O'Shea, Maria; Martin, Ann-Marie; Murphy, Margaret

    2018-02-01

    Knowledge of coping mechanisms is important for nursing and midwifery students to cope with stressful events during undergraduate education. To evaluate the impact of a psycho-educational intervention "Coping with Stressful Events" with first year undergraduate nursing and midwifery students. A quasi-experimental, one-group pre-post-test. One school of nursing/midwifery in one university in Ireland. A convenience sample of all first year undergraduate nursing and midwifery students (n=197). Of these 166 completed the pretest and 138 students completed the post test. Using the COPE Inventory questionnaire (Carver et al., 1989) data was collected pre and post-delivery of the psycho-educational intervention "Coping with Stressful Events" by two research assistants. Data were analysed using the IBM SPSS Statistics version 22 (NY, USA). Results demonstrated improved coping skills by students. There were statistically significant differences between pre and post intervention for some coping subscales. For example, the mean subscale scores were lower post-intervention for restraint and mental disengagement, and higher for use of emotional and instrumental social support indicating improved coping strategies. This intervention has the potential to influence undergraduate nursing and midwifery students coping skills during their first year of an undergraduate programme. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Exploring resilience in nursing and midwifery students: a literature review.

    PubMed

    McGowan, Jennifer E; Murray, Karen

    2016-10-01

    The aim of this study was to explore the concepts of 'resilience' and 'hardiness' in nursing and midwifery students in educational settings and to identify educational interventions to promote resilience. Resilience in healthcare professionals has gained increasing attention globally, yet to date resilience and resilience education in nursing and midwifery students remain largely under-researched. An integrative literature review was planned, however, only quantitative evidence was identified therefore, a review of quantitative studies was undertaken using a systematic approach. A comprehensive search was undertaken using Medline, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO and Maternity and Infant Care databases January 1980-February 2015. Data were extracted using a specifically designed form and quality assessed using an appropriate checklist. A narrative summary of findings and statistical outcomes was undertaken. Eight quantitative studies were included. Research relating to resilience and resilience education in nursing and midwifery students is sparse. There is a weak evidence that resilience and hardiness is associated with slightly improved academic performance and decreased burnout. However, studies were heterogeneous in design and limited by poor methodological quality. No study specifically considered student midwives. A greater understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of resilience in nursing and midwifery students is essential for the development of educational resources. It is imperative that future research considers both nursing and midwifery training cohorts and should be of strong methodological quality. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Factors that influence midwifery students in Ghana when deciding where to practice: a discrete choice experiment.

    PubMed

    Ageyi-Baffour, Peter; Rominski, Sarah; Nakua, Emmanuel; Gyakobo, Mawuli; Lori, Jody R

    2013-05-04

    Mal-distribution of the health workforce with a strong bias for urban living is a major constraint to expanding midwifery services in Ghana. According to the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG) report, the high risk of dying in pregnancy or childbirth continues in Africa. Maternal death is currently estimated at 350 per 100,000, partially a reflection of the low rates of professional support during birth. Many women in rural areas of Ghana give birth alone or with a non-skilled attendant. Midwives are key healthcare providers in achieving the MDGs, specifically in reducing maternal mortality by three-quarters and reducing by two-thirds the under 5 child mortality rate by 2015. This quantitative research study used a computerized structured survey containing a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to quantify the importance of different incentives and policies to encourage service to deprived, rural and remote areas by upper-year midwifery students following graduation. Using a hierarchical Bayes procedure we estimated individual and mean utility parameters for two hundred and ninety eight third year midwifery students from two of the largest midwifery training schools in Ghana. Midwifery students in our sample identified: 1) study leave after two years of rural service; 2) an advanced work environment with reliable electricity, appropriate technology and a constant drug supply; and 3) superior housing (2 bedroom, 1 bathroom, kitchen, living room, not shared) as the top three motivating factors to accept a rural posting. Addressing the motivating factors for rural postings among midwifery students who are about to graduate and enter the workforce could significantly contribute to the current mal-distribution of the health workforce.

  15. Facilitating a midwifery book club.

    PubMed

    Chenery-Morris, Samantha

    2012-03-01

    A midwifery student book club was set up at University Campus Suffolk (UCS) with the aim of engaging students in alternative forms of literature relevant to their studies and to enhance their university experience. The book club was well attended by first and second year midwifery students, but less so by third years. There was evidence of informal student engagement with the lecturer through follow up emails about the meetings. Most of the books reviewed were enjoyed, but the responsibility of suggesting a book for their peers to review was deemed too much by some students.

  16. Women's experiences of having a Bachelor of Midwifery student provide continuity of care.

    PubMed

    Tickle, N; Sidebotham, M; Fenwick, J; Gamble, J

    2016-06-01

    The Australian national midwifery education standards require students to complete a number of continuity of care (COC) experiences. There is increasing evidence outlining the value of this experience to the student, but there is limited research examining women's experiences of having a COC midwifery student. This study aimed to investigates the woman's experiences. A retrospective descriptive cohort design was used. A paper-based survey was posted to all women cared for by a midwifery student in 2013 (n=698). Descriptive statistics were used to explore the proportion, mean score, standard deviation and range of the variables. Construct validity of the Satisfaction and Respect Scales was tested using exploratory factor analysis. Free text responses were analysed using latent content analysis. One-third of women returned a completed survey (n=237/698, 34%). There was a significant positive correlation (p<0.05) between the number of AN/PN visits a midwifery student attended and women's levels of satisfaction. Women were very satisfied with having a student midwife provide continuity. The qualitative data provided additional insight demonstrating that most women had a positive relationship with the midwifery student that enhanced their childbearing experience. The women in this study valued continuity of midwifery care and were able to form meaningful relationships with their midwifery student. Programs leading to registration as a midwife should privilege continuity of care experiences. Not only does this benefit women but provides the future midwifery workforce with a clear understanding of models that best meet women's individual and the benefits of working in these models. Copyright © 2015 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Emergency contraception: knowledge and attitudes of Turkish nursing and midwifery students.

    PubMed

    Celik, Mustafa; Ekerbicer, Hasan Cetin; Ergun, Ufuk Guney; Tekin, Nermin

    2007-03-01

    To assess the knowledge and attitudes of emergency contraception (EC) among nursing and midwifery students of a university in the Eastern-Mediterranean region of Turkey. The survey was conducted among 210 nursing and midwifery students. One hundred and twenty-five participants (59.5%) knew at least one method of EC. One hundred and fourteen participants (54.3%) had heard about emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs), but only 17 (8.1%) knew what they contained. Rates of hearing about ECPs were statistically higher in third and fourth classes than first and second classes, and in midwifery students than in nursing students (P < 0.001). In spite of their very unsatisfactory level of knowledge, 166 students (79.0%) thought that ECPs should be sold in pharmacies. The nursing and midwifery students we assessed have a very insufficient knowledge of EC. Probably therefore, many are prejudiced against it. They should be much better acquainted with this modality of contraception since, after graduation, they will play an important role in the dissemination of information about EC in the population.

  18. Predicting stress in pre-registration midwifery students attending a university in Northern England.

    PubMed

    Pryjmachuk, Steven; Richards, David A

    2008-03-01

    to determine which variables predict stress (psychological distress) in pre-registration midwifery students. a cross-sectional survey, using a range of self-report measures bound together in a 'questionnaire pack'. the study reported here is taken from a wider investigation into stress among nursing and midwifery students, undertaken in the nursing and midwifery department of a large university in Northern England. 120 pre-registration midwifery students pursuing one of three diploma programmes: 'standard', 'enhanced' and 'short'. multivariate logistic regression was used as the analytical technique. The variables used in the analyses undertaken were all derived from formal and study-specific, self-report measures included in the questionnaire pack. 'Stress' (whether a participant was psychologically distressed or not) was obtained via the General Health Questionnaire. Potential predictors of stress were collected from two formal measures (the Student Nurse Stress Index and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations) and from questions in the questionnaire pack designed to elicit demographic data and data of specific interest to nurse and midwife educators. 102 questionnaire packs (85%) were returned. The prevalence of stress among participants was over 40%. A series of logistic regression analyses resulted in five competing regression models. Through a systematic selection process, two of these models were chosen for discussion. These models suggested that the key predictors of psychological distress in the population studied were self-report of stress levels, the type of midwifery programme being pursued, the use of 'task-oriented' coping and, possibly, whether or not a student smokes cigarettes. despite the prevalence rate of 40%, the prevalence of stress among midwifery students is generally no better or worse than that of other students or of qualified health-care professionals. Those involved in midwifery education need to know how to manage student stress

  19. Students' perceptions of the use of eportfolios in nursing and midwifery education.

    PubMed

    Birks, Melanie; Hartin, Peter; Woods, Cindy; Emmanuel, Elizabeth; Hitchins, Marnie

    2016-05-01

    ePortfolios have been introduced into many higher education degrees in the past decade in an effort to help students to link theory, practice and personal experiences. This pilot study used a survey to examine ePortfolio use from the perspective of undergraduate nursing and postgraduate midwifery students. Fifty-seven students from a regional Australian university completed an online questionnaire which contained questions about the following areas of ePortfolio use: understanding of the tool; psychological perceptions; challenges around use; assessment; outcomes of use; benefits; maintenance of the ePortfolio; and enhanced learning. The majority of respondents were female, undergraduate students, aged 21-30 years. Results indicated that many students found ePortfolio use frustrating; in particular, technological and logistical challenges in using ePortfolios were highlighted. Most students, however, noted ePortfolios could be useful repositories for documents, reflections and learning experiences. Undergraduate students were more likely than postgraduate students to see the positive potential of ePortfolio use. The findings, coupled with the literature, raise questions about the effectiveness of ePortfolio use in nursing and midwifery education and, particularly, whether ePortfolios have been implemented with misguided and misinformed good intention. Further research is required to better understand the logistical and technological aspects of successful implementation of ePortfolios and fully capitalise on their benefits for nursing and midwifery education. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Perception of mobbing during the study: results of a national quantitative research among Slovenian midwifery students.

    PubMed

    Došler, Anita Jug; Skubic, Metka; Mivšek, Ana Polona

    2014-09-01

    Mobbing, defined as sustained harassment among workers, in particular towards subordinates, merits investigation. This study aims to investigate Slovenian midwifery students' (2nd and 3rd year students of midwifery at the Faculty for Health Studies Ljubljana; the single educational institution for midwives in Slovenia) perception of mobbing, since management of acceptable behavioural interrelationships in midwifery profession forms already during the study, through professional socialization. Descriptive and causal-nonexperimental method with questionnaire was used. Basic descriptive statistics and measures for calculating statistical significance were carried out with SPSS 20.0 software version. All necessary ethical measures were taken into the consideration during the study to protect participants. The re- sults revealed that several participants experienced mobbing during the study (82.3%); 58.8% of them during their practical training and 23.5% from midwifery teachers. Students are often anxious and nervous in face of clinical settings (60.8%) or before faculty commitments (exams, presentations etc.) (41.2%). A lot of them (40.4%) estimate that mobbing affected their health. They did not show effective strategies to solve relationship problems. According to the findings, everyone involved in midwifery education, but above all students, should be provided with more knowledge and skills on successful management of conflict situations.

  1. Australian midwifery students and the continuity of care experience--getting it right.

    PubMed

    Sidebotham, Mary

    2014-09-01

    The evidence base supporting the value to be gained by women and babies from receiving continuity of care from a known midwife is growing; it is essential, therefore, that we nurture the future workforce to work within this model of care. The Australian National Midwifery Education Standards mandate that midwifery students provide continuity of care to 20 women as part of their practice requirements. The educational value to students and the degree of preparation this provides for future work patterns is well acknowledged. There is also growing evidence that women, too, benefit from having a student follow them through the pregnancy journey. This paper examines the experience of some students working within this model and comments on the importance of providing a flexible programme delivery model and supportive midwifery educators in order to sustain and develop this innovative approach to completing clinical practice requirements within a midwifery education programme.

  2. Using the Five Senses of Success framework to understand the experiences of midwifery students enroled in an undergraduate degree program.

    PubMed

    Sidebotham, M; Fenwick, J; Carter, A; Gamble, J

    2015-01-01

    developing a student's sense of capability, purpose, resourcefulness, identity and connectedness (five-senses of success) are key factors that may be important in predicting student satisfaction and progression within their university program. the study aimed to examine the expectations and experiences of second and third year midwifery students enroled in a Bachelor of Midwifery program and identify barriers and enablers to success. a descriptive exploratory qualitative design was used. Fifty-six students enroled in either year 2 or 3 of the Bachelor of Midwifery program in SE Queensland participated in an anonymous survey using open-ended questions. In addition, 16 students participated in two year-level focus groups. Template analysis, using the Five Senses Framework, was used to analyse the data set. early exposure to 'hands on' clinical midwifery practice as well as continuity of care experiences provided students with an opportunity to link theory to practice and increased their perception of capability as they transitioned through the program. Students' sense of identity, purpose, resourcefulness, and capability was strongly influenced by the programs embedded meta-values, including a 'woman centred' approach. In addition, a student's ability to form strong positive relationships with women, peers, lecturers and supportive clinicians was central to developing connections and ultimately a sense of success. A sense of connection not only fostered an ongoing belief that challenges could be overcome but that students themselves could initiate or influence change. the five senses framework provided a useful lens through which to analyse the student experience. Key factors to student satisfaction and retention within a Bachelor of Midwifery program include: a clearly articulated midwifery philosophy, strategies to promote student connectedness including the use of social media, and further development of clinicians' skills in preceptorship, clinical teaching and

  3. Faculty members' use of power: midwifery students' perceptions and expectations.

    PubMed

    Kantek, Filiz; Gezer, Nurdan

    2010-08-01

    the power dynamics of relationships/interactions between faculty members and students are of crucial importance for positive student outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the perceptions and expectations of midwifery students in relation to the use of power by faculty members and bases of power. descriptive, quantitative study. a school for health sciences in Turkey. 122 midwifery students at the school. data were collected using a perceived leadership power survey, and analysed by frequency distribution, arithmetic mean, variance analysis and Cronbach's alpha. the students perceived that faculty members used coercive power most often and used reward power least often. Students expected their instructors to use expert power. In addition, in the examination of relationships between power bases, it was determined that there were positive correlations between legitimate, referent, reward and expert power, but coercive power was only positively correlated with legitimate power. this study found that students expect faculty members to use expert power, and faculty members need to reconsider their power bases. The factors affecting the perceptions of midwifery students regarding the use of power should be analysed in more detail. Copyright 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. The iPad: tablet technology to support nursing and midwifery student learning: an evaluation in practice.

    PubMed

    Brown, Janie; McCrorie, Pamela

    2015-03-01

    This research explored the impact of tablet technology, in the form of Apple iPads, on undergraduate nursing and midwifery students' learning outcomes. In simulated clinical learning environments, first-year nursing students (n = 30) accessed apps and reference materials on iPads. Third-year nursing students (n = 88) referred to clinical guidelines to aid their decision making when problem solving. First-year midwifery students (n = 25) filmed themselves undertaking a skill and then immediately played back the video file. A total of 45 students completed an online questionnaire that allowed for qualitative comments. Students reported finding the use of iPads easy and that iPads provided point-of-care access to resources, ensuring an evidence-based approach to clinical decision making. iPads reportedly improved student efficiency and time management, while improving their ability to provide patient education. Students who used iPads for the purpose of formative self-assessment appreciated the immediate feedback and opportunity to develop clinical skills.

  5. A Framework for Web-Based Interprofessional Education for Midwifery and Medical Students.

    PubMed

    Reis, Pamela J; Faser, Karl; Davis, Marquietta

    2015-01-01

    Scheduling interprofessional team-based activities for health sciences students who are geographically dispersed, with divergent and often competing schedules, can be challenging. The use of Web-based technologies such as 3-dimensional (3D) virtual learning environments in interprofessional education is a relatively new phenomenon, which offers promise in helping students come together in online teams when face-to-face encounters are not possible. The purpose of this article is to present the experience of a nurse-midwifery education program in a Southeastern US university in delivering Web-based interprofessional education for nurse-midwifery and third-year medical students utilizing the Virtual Community Clinic Learning Environment (VCCLE). The VCCLE is a 3D, Web-based, asynchronous, immersive clinic environment into which students enter to meet and interact with instructor-controlled virtual patient and virtual preceptor avatars and then move through a classic diagnostic sequence in arriving at a plan of care for women throughout the lifespan. By participating in the problem-based management of virtual patients within the VCCLE, students learn both clinical competencies and competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice, as described by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative Core Competencies for Interprofessional Collaborative Practice. This article is part of a special series of articles that address midwifery innovations in clinical practice, education, interprofessional collaboration, health policy, and global health. © 2015 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  6. Effects of limited midwifery clinical education and practice standardisation of student preparedness.

    PubMed

    Vuso, Zanyiwe; James, Sindiwe

    2017-08-01

    To explore the perceptions of midwifery educators regarding effects of limited standardisation of midwifery clinical education and practice on clinical preparedness of midwifery students. Investigation of levels of clinical competency of students is a critical need in the current era. Such competency levels are especially important in midwifery practice in South Africa as there is a significant increase of maternal deaths and litigations in the country. Most of the deaths are in the primary healthcare level maternity units where the newly qualified midwives practise. These areas are mainly run by midwives only. The current article seeks to report the findings of the study that was conducted to investigate how midwifery educators prepare students adequately for clinical readiness. The study was conducted amongst midwifery nurse educators on three campuses of the Nursing College in the Eastern Cape. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual research design was used for the study. Seventeen purposively selected midwifery educators, with the researcher using set criteria, from a Nursing college in the Eastern Cape, were the participants in the study. Data was collected using focus-group interviews that were captured by means of an audio-voice recorder. Tesch's data-analysis method was used to develop themes and sub-themes. Trustworthiness of the study was ensured using the criteria of credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. Inconsistent clinical practice amongst midwifery educators in their clinical teaching and assessment were found to be the major factors resulting from limited standardisation. The inconsistent clinical practice and assessments of midwifery educators was found to lead to loss of the necessary skills required by the students which led them to perform poorly in their final clinical assessments. There are some barriers in the current clinical teaching and education strategy used in this college that prohibit the

  7. Exploring undergraduate midwifery students' readiness to deliver culturally secure care for pregnant and birthing Aboriginal women.

    PubMed

    Thackrah, Rosalie D; Thompson, Sandra C; Durey, Angela

    2015-04-16

    Culturally secure health care settings enhance accessibility by Aboriginal Australians and improve their satisfaction with service delivery. A culturally secure health service recognises and responds to the legitimate cultural rights of the recipients of care. Focus is upon the health care system as well as the practice and behaviours of the individuals within it. In an attempt to produce culturally secure practitioners, the inclusion of Aboriginal content in health professional programs at Australian universities is now widespread. Studies of medical students have identified the positive impact of this content on knowledge and attitudes towards Aboriginal people but relatively little is known about the responses of students in other health professional education programs. This study explored undergraduate midwifery students' knowledge and attitudes towards Aboriginal people, and the impact of Aboriginal content in their program. The study surveyed 44 students who were in their first, second and third years of a direct entry, undergraduate midwifery program at a Western Australian (WA) university. The first year students were surveyed before and after completion of a compulsory Aboriginal health unit. Second and third year students who had already completed the unit were surveyed at the end of their academic year. Pre- and post-unit responses revealed a positive shift in first year students' knowledge and attitudes towards Aboriginal people and evidence that teaching in the unit was largely responsible for this shift. A comparison of post-unit responses with those from students in subsequent years of their program revealed a significant decline in knowledge about Aboriginal issues, attitudes towards Aboriginal people and the influence of the unit on their views. Despite this, all students indicated a strong interest in more clinical exposure to Aboriginal settings. The inclusion of a unit on Aboriginal health in an undergraduate midwifery program has been shown to

  8. Midwifery students experience of teamwork projects involving mark-related peer feedback.

    PubMed

    Hastie, Carolyn R; Fahy, Kathleen M; Parratt, Jenny A; Grace, Sandra

    2016-06-01

    Lack of teamwork skills among health care professionals endangers patients and enables workplace bullying. Individual teamwork skills are increasingly being assessed in the undergraduate health courses but rarely defined, made explicit or taught. To remedy these deficiencies we introduced a longitudinal educational strategy across all three years of the Bachelor of Midwifery program. To report on students' experiences of engaging in team based assignments which involved mark-related peer feedback. Stories of midwifery students' experiences were collected from 17 participants across the three years of the degree. These were transcribed and analysed thematically and interpreted using feminist collaborative conversations. Most participants reported being in well-functioning teams and enjoyed the experience; they spoke of 'we' and said 'Everyone was on Board'. Students in poorly functioning teams spoke of 'I' and 'they'. These students complained about the poor performance of others but they didn't speak up because they 'didn't want to make waves' and they didn't have the skills to be able to confidently manage conflict. All participants agreed 'Peer-related marks cause mayhem'. Teamwork skills should be specifically taught and assessed. These skills take time to develop. Students, therefore, should be engaged in a teamwork assignment in each semester of the entire program. Peer feedback should be moderated by the teacher and not directly related to marks. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Nursing and midwifery students' perceptions of instructors' unethical behaviors.

    PubMed

    Rafiee, Ghazanfar; Moattari, Marzieh

    2013-05-01

    Although nursing faculties may believe that they possess a core of knowledge about ethical interactions with students, they may unwittingly risk crossing an ethical boundary in the learning environment. The ethical dimension in education exists because the instructor has authority to contribute to or impede the students' acquisition of knowledge. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the views of Iranian baccalaureate nursing and midwifery students regarding the occurrence rate of their faculties' unethical behaviors. In this study, 115 subjects, including 61 nursing and 54 midwifery students, completed a questionnaire (response rate = 67.6%). The questionnaire consisted of demographic data and 27 short statements which described the faculties' unethical behaviors. Reliability of instrument was confirmed (0.92) using Cronbach-Alpha. Delaying in announcing the exam results (40%), lack of a positive learning environment (35.7%), failure to keep regularly scheduled office appointments (35.7%), and failure to update lecture notes when teaching a course (31.3%) were reported by the students as the main faculties' unethical behaviors. Data analysis confirmed that there were no statistically significant differences between nursing and midwifery students' responses (the two-tailed t-test was not significant at alpha 0.05 levels; P > 0.05). The study findings suggest that more emphasis should be put on faculties being accessible for consultation out of class time, announcing the exam results in a timely manner, and creating a positive learning environment.

  10. Midwifery students' experiences of learning clinical skills in Iran: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Ahmadi, Golnoosh; Shahriari, Mohsen; Keyvanara, Mahmood; Kohan, Shahnaz

    2018-03-09

    A qualitative study was used. Midwifery students from three universities in Iran participated. The study used a convenience sample of eighteen students. Data for this study was collected using semi-structured interviews (N=12) and focus groups (N=6). Data were recorded on a digital audio recorder and then transcribed. The qualitative data were analyzed using a content analysis approach. Six broad themes emerged from the analysis: Limited opportunities to experience skills, difficulties with course plan gaps, need for creating a supportive clinical environment, learning drives, confusion between different methods, and stress in the clinical setting. Short verbatim quotations from the participants were presented to provide evidence for the interpretation of data. The findings of this study have provided a clear picture of the factors and mechanisms involved in learning clinical skills by midwifery students. This study showed that students had some difficulties and concerns during learning of clinical midwifery skills. The findings of this study suggest that midwifery educators conduct further studies to tackle these issues in clinical skills learning. The findings of this study are subject to some limitations which are discussed.

  11. The barriers and motivators to learning infection control in clinical placements: interviews with midwifery students.

    PubMed

    Ward, Deborah J

    2013-05-01

    To investigate the barriers to and motivators for learning infection prevention and control as identified by midwifery students. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 15 undergraduate midwifery students within one large university. Data were analysed using Framework Analysis. Barriers to good clinical practice were identified by students which were concordant with previous literature related to reasons for non-compliance with infection control precautions. Issues such as competing demands specific to midwifery were also identified. Factors which act as barriers to learning good practice in placements included conflicting information and practices from different staff and placement areas and staff attitudes towards students who tried to comply with precautions. Motivators to good practice included the perceived vulnerability of infants to infection, the role modelling of good practice to new mothers and the monitoring of practice. This study demonstrated that midwifery students perceive barriers and motivators to learning infection prevention and control in their clinical placements. Many of the barriers identified are related to the attitudes and practices of qualified staff. Some of the motivators are related specifically to midwifery practice. Midwives need to be aware of the effects of what is observed in practice on midwifery students and how their practices and attitudes can influence learning both positively and negatively. As healthcare-associated infection and poor compliance with precautions are a global problem, this research should be of benefit to midwives and midwifery educators worldwide in terms of addressing barriers and ensuring better clinical education. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Students' and lecturers' perceptions of support in a UK pre-registration midwifery programme.

    PubMed

    McIntosh, Annette Elizabeth; Gidman, Janice; McLaughlin, Andrea

    2013-11-01

    This paper reports on a study that explored the perceptions of students and lecturers regarding support within a pre-registration midwifery programme in one Higher Education Institution in England. A mixed method design was used: questionnaires were completed by first year and third year students and lecturers, complemented by focus groups with each of the three sets of participants. The findings showed that there are multi-focal challenges for student midwives in undertaking their programme of study. The main theme that emerged was of the difficulties involved in maintaining an appropriate work-life balance, especially within what was seen as a relatively inflexible programme structure. The value of peer support was also highlighted as a key factor in helping the students succeed in their studies. There were a number of implications for midwifery educators to consider in optimising support for students. These include ensuring that students have realistic expectations at the outset of their studies, formalising peer support mechanisms and reviewing programmes to provide more flexibility to better underpin the maintenance of an appropriate work-life balance. Further study is warranted to explore perceptions of support in practice and to identify the factors that help students to persevere in their studies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Critical thinking skills in midwifery practice: Development of a self-assessment tool for students.

    PubMed

    Carter, Amanda G; Creedy, Debra K; Sidebotham, Mary

    2017-07-01

    Develop and test a tool designed for use by pre-registration midwifery students to self-appraise their critical thinking in practice. A descriptive cohort design was used. All students (n=164) enrolled in a three-year Bachelor of Midwifery program in Queensland, Australia. The staged model for tool development involved item generation, mapping draft items to critical thinking concepts and expert review to test content validity, pilot testing of the tool to a convenience sample of students, and psychometric testing. Students (n=126, 76.8% response rate) provided demographic details, completed the new tool, and five questions from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) via an online platform or paper version. A high content validity index score of 0.97 was achieved through expert review. Construct validity via factor analysis revealed four factors: seeks information, reflects on practice, facilitates shared decision making, and evaluates practice. The mean total score for the tool was 124.98 (SD=12.58). Total and subscale scores correlated significantly. The scale achieved good internal reliability with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.92. Concurrent validity with the MSLQ subscale was 0.35 (p<0.001). This study established the reliability and validity of the CACTiM - student version for use by pre-registration midwifery students to self-assess critical thinking in practice. Critical thinking skills are vital for safe and effective midwifery practice. Students' assessment of their critical thinking development throughout their pre-registration programme makes these skills explicit, and could guide teaching innovation to address identified deficits. The availability of a reliable and valid tool assists research into the development of critical thinking in education and practice. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Correlation between Students' Self-Efficacy and Teachers' Educational Leadership Style in Iranian Midwifery Students.

    PubMed

    Sohrabi, Zohreh; Kheirkhah, Masoomeh; Sahebzad, Elahe Sadegi; Rasoulighasemlouei, Seyedehsahel; Khavandi, Siamak

    2015-12-18

    Self-efficacy is believe in and feeling of ability to complete work. One of these factors is educational teachers ' role. This study aimed to determine relationship between teachers' leadership style and students' self-efficacy in midwifery students. This Study is a cross sectional correlation study. Sampling was conducted in midwifery students in Bachelor Science degree in 2013. Data collection tools were multi leadership questionnaire and self-efficacy clinical performance. After explaining the goals of study, 97 students completed the questionnaire. Scoring the questionnaire was based on a Liker's scale (0-5).Data were analyzed by SPSS 16. Correlation coefficient test was adopted to investigate the relationship and p value was considered 0.05. Mean of self-efficacy scores were 116.12 (24.66.). In 53.3% of the cases, self-efficacy was good, in 42.2% moderate and in 4.3%, it was bad. The majority of the students (88.9%) reported that their teachers had an idealized style in leadership. About 94.6% of the students with good self- efficacy believed that their teachers' leadership style was transformational style. There was a significant correlation between self- efficacy and leadership style (p<0.05). Results showed that transformational style is appropriate for midwifery teachers.

  15. Incorporating Nurse-Midwifery Students into Graduate Medical Education: Lessons Learned in Interprofessional Education.

    PubMed

    Kaplan, Rebekah; Shaw-Battista, Jenna; Stotland, Naomi Ellen

    2015-01-01

    There is a current emphasis on interprofessional education in health care with the aim to improve teamwork and ultimately the quality and safety of care. As part of a Health Resources and Services Administration Advanced Nursing Education project, an interprofessional faculty and student team planned and implemented the first didactic coursework for nurse-midwifery and medical students at the University of California, San Francisco and responded to formative feedback in order to create a more meaningful educational experience for future combined cohorts. This article describes the process of including advanced nurse-midwifery students into 2 classes previously offered solely to medical students: 1) an elective in which students are matched with a pregnant woman to observe care that she receives before, during, and after giving birth; and 2) a required course on basic clinical care across the human lifespan. The development of these interprofessional courses, obstacles to success, feedback from students, and responses to course evaluations are reviewed. Themes identified in student course evaluations included uncertainty about interprofessional roles, disparity in clinical knowledge among learners, scheduling difficulties, and desire for more interprofessional education opportunities and additional time for facilitated interprofessional discussion. As a result of this feedback, more class time was designated for interprofessional exchange; less experienced rather than advanced midwifery students were included in both classes; and more interdisciplinary panel presentations were provided, along with clearer communication about student and clinician roles. Early project activities indicated nurse-midwifery students can be effectively included in existing medical student courses with revised curriculum and highlighted challenges that should be considered in the planning phase of similar projects in the future. This article is part of a special series of articles that

  16. iMidwife: midwifery students' use of smartphone technology as a mediated educational tool in clinical environments.

    PubMed

    DeLeo, Annemarie; Geraghty, Sadie

    2017-12-18

    The increasing use of smartphone technology in health care provides midwifery students with unprecedented access to online resources that facilitates the optimal care of women and supports ongoing learning. A small pilot study was conducted in Western Australia, with 29 undergraduate and postgraduate midwifery students to explore the use of smartphone technology whilst in clinical practice. This study aimed to define the impact of smartphones in clinical decision-making and learning whilst in clinical areas, by midwifery students at the point of care. An online survey was used to collect data. Five consistent themes were identified from the results. Smartphone technology encourages self-directed learning, consolidation of theory, engagement through blended learning, complements online education in clinical practice and is a trend in the future of midwifery curriculum. Smartphones enhance the learning and mobility of supportive resources that consolidate midwifery students' clinical experience in workplace environments.

  17. Health Beliefs of Midwifery Students at Istanbul University about Breast Cancer and Breast Self-Examination Acknowledgements.

    PubMed

    Gençtürk, Nuran; Demirezen, Esma; Ay, Fatma

    2017-12-01

    Knowing the attitudes and beliefs of midwifery students toward breast cancer and breast self-examination (BSE) practice may reduce breast cancer-related deaths by increasing breast cancer awareness. This study was conducted to examine the attitudes and beliefs of midwifery students toward breast cancer and the BSE practice. The study was conducted with 160 midwifery students at Istanbul University as a descriptive, cross-sectional study. Data were collected by a part of Champion's Health Belief Model Scale and a self-administered questionnaire. The descriptive characteristics were given as frequencies and percentages. The evaluation was done with Kruskal-Wallis test, a non-parametric test. It has been observed 70.0 % among midwifery students have knowledge of breast cancer. 90.0 % of midwifery students know about BSE, however only 14.4 % among them practice BSE regularly every month. The benefit, barrier and confidence sub-dimension scores were positively associated with BSE practice regularity (p ≤ 0.05). It has been determined that more than half of midwifery students have knowledge about breast cancer and BSE, and that only a fraction of those with knowledge about BSE practice BSE regularly every month. The perceived seriousness of breast cancer and knowledge about breast cancer affect the ability of individuals to perform BSE, initiating BSE and continuing to practice BSE for early diagnosis of breast cancer. The results from the study provide the midwifery students awareness of breast cancer and BSE both for themselves and for the women for whom they take responsibility.

  18. 'TeamUP': An approach to developing teamwork skills in undergraduate midwifery students.

    PubMed

    Hastie, Carolyn Ruth

    2018-03-01

    to develop an effective model to enable educators to teach, develop and assess the development of midwifery students' teamwork skills DESIGN: an action research project involving participant interviews and academic feedback. a regional university PARTICIPANTS: midwifery students (n = 21) and new graduate midwives (n = 20) INTERVENTIONS: a whole of course program using a rubric, with five teamwork domains and behavioural descriptors, to provide a framework for teaching and assessment. Students self and peer assess. Lectures, tutorials and eight different groupwork assignments of increasing difficulty, spread over the three years of the undergraduate degree are incorporated into the TeamUP model. the assignments provide students with the opportunity to practice and develop their teamwork skills in a safe, supported environment. the social, emotional and practical behaviours required for effective teamwork can be taught and developed in undergraduate health students. students require a clear overview of the TeamUP model at the beginning of the degree. They need to be informed of the skills and behaviours that the TeamUP model is designed to help develop and why they are important. The success of the model depends upon the educator's commitment to supporting students to learn teamwork skills. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Midwifery student exposure to workplace violence in clinical settings: An exploratory study.

    PubMed

    McKenna, Lisa; Boyle, Malcolm

    2016-03-01

    Evidence indicates that nurses regularly experience bullying within the workplace which has the potential for health and social effects, as well as worker attrition. Literature suggests that nursing students are exposed to workplace violence during clinical placements including from health professionals and mentors, however little is known about midwifery students. This study sought to examine undergraduate midwifery students' experiences of workplace violence during clinical placements. A cross-sectional approach using a paper-based survey, the Paramedic Workplace Questionnaire, was used to solicit the information. Students were exposed to workplace violence with the main act being intimidation (30%), verbal abuse (17%), physical abuse (3%), and sexual harassment (3%). In more than three-quarters of the incidents the students had some level of apprehension or were frightened as a result of the violence. Students responded to the acts of violence with changes to emotions, self-confidence, and a desire to "give up". This paper demonstrates ways in which midwifery students are vulnerable to potential workplace violence from various sources. Support mechanisms need to be developed to ensure this can be minimised. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Promoting women's health in remote Aboriginal settings: Midwifery students' insights for practice.

    PubMed

    Thackrah, Rosalie D; Thompson, Sandra C; Durey, Angela

    2015-12-01

    To describe midwifery students' insights on promoting health to Aboriginal women in remote Australia following a supervised clinical placement. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with all midwifery students who undertook the placement between 2010 and 2013. Aboriginal communities on the Ngaanyatjarra Lands, Western Australia. Undergraduate and postgraduate midwifery students from a Western Australian university. Remote cultural immersion clinical placement. Student learning related to culturally respectful health care delivery and promotion of health. Students observed that, despite vast distances, high rates of participation in a breast screening program were achieved due to the informal provision of culturally relevant information and support. Opportunistic encounters in communities also enabled sexual health messages to be delivered more widely and in less formal settings. The role played by Aboriginal Health Workers and female family members was vital. The importance of culturally respectful approaches to sensitive women's business, including discretion, the use of local language and pictorial representations of information, was recognised as was the socio-cultural context and its impact on the health and well-being of the community. Although short in duration, the Ngaanyatjarra Lands clinical placement provided midwifery students with a rare opportunity to observe the importance of local contexts and cultural protocols in Aboriginal communities, and to adapt health promotion strategies to meet local needs and ways of doing things. These strategies embraced the strengths, assets and capacities of communities, yet students also witnessed challenges associated with access, delivery and acceptance of health care in remote settings. © 2015 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

  1. Development and implementation of a clinical needs assessment to support nursing and midwifery students with a disability in clinical practice: part 1.

    PubMed

    Howlin, Frances; Halligan, Phil; O'Toole, Sinead

    2014-09-01

    Equality and disability legislation, coupled with increasing numbers of students with a disability, and inadequate supports in clinical practice, acted as catalysts to explore how best to support undergraduate nursing and midwifery students on clinical placements. Historically, higher education institutions provide reasonable accommodations for theoretical rather than clinical modules for practice placements. This paper describes the development and implementation of a Clinical Needs Assessment designed to identify the necessary supports or reasonable accommodations for nursing and midwifery students with a disability undertaking work placements in clinical practice. The existing literature, and consultation with an expert panel, revealed that needs assessments should be competency based and clearly identify the core skills or elements of practice that the student must attain to achieve proficiency and competence. The five Domains of Competence, advocated by An Bord Altranais, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, formed the framework for the Clinical Needs Assessment. A panel of experts generated performance indicators to enable the identification of individualised reasonable accommodations for year 1 nursing and midwifery students in one Irish University. Development and implementation of the Clinical Needs Assessment promoted equality, inclusion and a level playing field for nursing and midwifery students with a disability in clinical practice. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. How well does midwifery education prepare for clinical practice? Exploring the views of Swedish students, midwives and obstetricians.

    PubMed

    Schytt, Erica; Waldenström, Ulla

    2013-02-01

    midwifery education in many countries has been adapted to the academic system by a stronger focus on research methodology and scientific evidence. This development has often taken place without extending the programs. We were interested in exploring views about current content of midwifery education in Sweden with a focus on clinical competencies and the new research components. to investigate views about Swedish midwifery education held by students prior to graduation and after 1 year of practice, and by experienced midwives and obstetricians, with special focus on clinical competency. nationwide surveys conducted between June 2007 and January 2008, and 1 year later (follow-up of students). self-administered questionnaires completed by 171 (83%) students and 121 (59%) of these participants after 1 year of midwifery practice, and by 162 (54%) midwives and 108 (40%) obstetricians with at least 5 years of clinical experience. The responders were asked to assess predefined intrapartum competencies, which components of the education were allocated too little and too much time, and how well the education prepared for clinical practise overall. Content analysis of open-ended questions and descriptive analyses was used. most students, midwives and obstetricians were 'very' or 'fairly' satisfied with how the education prepared midwives for clinical practice and 1.8%, 4.7% and 17.6%, respectively, were dissatisfied. About half of the obstetricians and one-third of the experienced midwives rated new midwives' ability to identify deviations from normal progress as low or lacking, compared with 10% of the students. A majority found that too little time, of the 60 weeks programme, was allocated to intrapartum care and medical complications and too much time to research and writing a minor thesis. although few were dissatisfied with how midwifery education prepared for clinical practice in general, the majority of participants would have liked more time for medical complications

  3. 'Asking the hard questions': Improving midwifery students' confidence with domestic violence screening in pregnancy.

    PubMed

    Smith, Rachel; Wight, Raechel; Homer, Caroline S E

    2018-01-01

    Domestic violence is a global public health issue. Midwives are ideally placed to screen for, and respond to, disclosure of domestic violence. Qualified midwives and midwifery students report a lack of preparedness and low levels of confidence in working with women who disclose domestic violence. This paper reports the findings from an education intervention designed to increase midwifery students' confidence in working with pregnant women who disclose domestic violence. An authentic practice video and associated interactive workshop was developed to bring the 'woman' into the classroom and to provide role-modelling of exemplary midwifery practice in screening for and responding to disclosure of domestic violence. The findings demonstrated that students' confidence increased in a number of target areas, such as responding appropriately to disclosure and assisting women with access to support. Students' confidence increased in areas where responses needed to be individualised as opposed to being able to be scripted. Students appreciated visual demonstration (video of authentic practice) and having the opportunity to practise responding to disclosures through experiential learning. Given the general lack of confidence reported by both midwives and students of midwifery in this area of practice, this strategy may be useful in supporting midwives, students and other health professionals in increasing confidence in working with women who are experiencing domestic violence. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Innovation in preregistration midwifery education: Web based interactive storytelling learning.

    PubMed

    Scamell, Mandie; Hanley, Thomas

    2017-07-01

    through a critical description of the implementation of a web based interactive storytelling learning activity introduced into an undergraduate, preregistration midwifery education programme, this paper will explore how low-cost, low-fidelity online storytelling, designed using Moodle, can be used to enhance students' understanding of compassion and empathy in practice. cross sectional sample of first year undergraduate Midwifery students (n111) METHOD: drawing from both research and audit data collected in an Higher Education Institution in London England, the paper presents the case for using web based technology to create a sustainable model for midwifery education. initial results indicate that it is both the low cost and positive student evaluations of web based interactive storytelling, which make this approach to preregistration midwifery education which suggests that this approach has significant potential for learning and teaching in midwifery education in diverse settings around the world. Or how about: global relevance? . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Knowledge levels about Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever among midwifery and nursing students in Kahramanmaras, Turkey.

    PubMed

    Ozer, Ali; Miraloglu, Meral; Ekerbicer, Hasan Cetin; Cevik, Firdevs; Aloglu, Nihal

    2010-01-01

    The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge levels of students in the Midwifery and Nursing Departments of the School of Health Sciences in Kahramanmaras Sutcuimam University (KSU) about Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) and to examine the factors influencing those knowledge levels. The study was conducted between April-June 2009 in the School of Health Sciences, KSU, Turkey. All the midwifery and nursing students in the School of Health Sciences at that time, 296 individuals, were included in the study. Questionnaire forms, developed from literature data and comprised of 66 questions, were given to the students, and they were asked to fill them out. Twenty-four point seven percent of the students were not available, thus 223 students(75.3%) were included in the study. Seventy-five point three percent of students stated a viruse was the cause for CCHF, 78.9% stated CCHF is seen between April and September in Turkey, and 80.7% stated there was no vaccine avaiable against it. Ninety-three point three percent of the study group stated that CCHF was transmitted by tick bite, 75.8% and 53.4% stated CCHF can be transmitted by exposure to blood of an infected animal or direct contact with an acutely infected animal, respectively. Thirty-three point two percent of students stated CCHF had no specific treatment. The mean knowledge score of students regarding CCHF was 54.6 +/- 14.8. The CCHF scores of the nursing students were significantly higher than those of the midwifery students. The CCHF knowledge scores did not vary by age or college year.

  6. Narrative pedagogy in midwifery education.

    PubMed

    Gilkison, Andrea

    2013-09-01

    Narrative pedagogy is an approach to midwifery education which can promote strategies for teaching and learning which effectively prepare graduates for the complex nature of midwifery practice. Knowledge and skills are fundamental to midwifery practice, but knowing about how to use them is the art of practice. Teaching and learning midwifery skills and competencies is straight forward in comparison to teaching and learning about the art of midwifery, yet both are essential for safe practice. Narrative pedagogy may be one way that enhances undergraduate midwifery students' learning about the art of practice.

  7. Establishing a volunteer doula program within a nurse-midwifery education program: a winning situation for both clients and students.

    PubMed

    Munoz, Elizabeth G; Collins, Michelle

    2015-01-01

    The use of labor doulas is beneficial for mothers and newborns, but availability and cost can be barriers. The Nashville Volunteer Doula Program was formed to provide labor support to clients of a faculty nurse-midwifery practice. The volunteer doula pool is comprised of both nurse-midwifery students who have trained as doulas and community doulas. Training and coordination of volunteers are managed by nurse-midwifery students with faculty support. Students gain valuable exposure to providing supportive care during labor and birth, which augments their nurse-midwifery education. This novel program operates at a low cost and offers benefits to students as well as women who use the doula service. This article is part of a special series of articles that address midwifery innovations in clinical practice, education, interprofessional collaboration, health policy, and global health. © 2015 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  8. Exploring factors that influence students' attitudes toward midwifery in Jordan: Measuring psychometric properties of a newly developed tool.

    PubMed

    Al Hadid, Lourance A; Al-Rajabi, Omaymah; AlBarmawi, Marwa; Yousef Sayyah, Najah Sayyah; Toqan, Lwiza Moh'd

    2018-03-01

    Students' professional choice to proceed in midwifery is influenced by many factors. This study validated an instrument developed to assess students' attitudes toward midwifery in Jordan. It also addressed the motivating and de-motivating factors influencing students' decision concerning joining and continuing in midwifery. A descriptive, cross-section study was conducted on a convenience sample of 374 midwifery students representing private, governmental, and military midwifery colleges. The researchers developed the study questionnaire through conducting a comprehensive literature review, organizing common themes and consulting experts. Exploratory factor analysis and tests of normality and reliability, including Cronbach's Alpha and Bartlett's test, were used in the analysis. The result was three factors were explained by 23 items. They were as follows: professional knowledge, professional motivation factors, and de-motivating professional factors. The first 8 items explained nearly 61% of the variance. Cronbach's Alpha was 0.834 with a range of 0.835-0.839. The Spearman-Brown coefficient was 0.81 and Guttman Split-Half coefficient was 0.83. Issues of reliability and validity require a repetitive process of testing under a range of circumstances to ensure both stability and representation of the construct. However, addressing factors found to have impact of students' decisions is crucial to improve retention of high quality students. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  9. Evaluation of strategies designed to enhance student engagement and success of indigenous midwifery students in an Away-From-Base Bachelor of Midwifery Program in Australia: A qualitative research study.

    PubMed

    Schulz, Paula M; Dunne, Carmel L; Burdett-Jones, Denise; Gamble, Natalie S; Kosiak, Machellee M; Neal, Joclyn M; Baker, Gail E

    2018-04-01

    A strategy to close the gap in relation to Indigenous health is the employment of more Indigenous health professionals. However, despite government reviews, research studies and educational initiatives, Indigenous students' retention and completion rates of tertiary education remains below those of non-Indigenous Australians. To evaluate two enhancements to an Away-from-Base Bachelor of Midwifery program for Indigenous students, namely the appointment of an Indigenous Academic Liaison Midwife to provide academic and cultural support and an additional clinical placement in a high-volume tertiary hospital. In this qualitative study, 10 Indigenous students enrolled in the Away-from-Base Bachelor of Midwifery program participated in one of two focus groups. Focus group transcriptions were subjected to a manual thematic analysis, and key themes were identified and explored. The role of the Indigenous Academic Liaison Midwife was highly valued as students had access to a resource who provided cultural and academic support, and who encouraged and advocated for them. Regular contact with the Indigenous Academic Liaison Midwife enabled students to stay connected with and focussed on their study. Students were overwhelmingly positive about the opportunity to undertake the additional clinical placement, as it exposed them to complex clinical cases they may not have seen in their home communities. The introduction of an Indigenous Academic Liaison Midwife and an additional clinical placement in a high-volume tertiary hospital were perceived as valuable additions to the range of support mechanisms already in place for Indigenous Away-from-Base Bachelor of Midwifery students. These interventions have had a direct impact on retention, course progression and completion rates for Indigenous students. Students expressed enhanced clinical learning and knowledge retention as a result of the additional clinical placement, and the Indigenous Academic Liaison Midwife provided culturally

  10. Correlation between Students’ Self-Efficacy and Teachers’ Educational Leadership Style in Iranian Midwifery Students

    PubMed Central

    Sohrabi, Zohreh; Kheirkhah, Masoomeh; Sahebzad, Elahe Sadegi; Rasoulighasemlouei, Seyedehsahel; Khavandi, Siamak

    2016-01-01

    Background: Self-efficacy is believe in and feeling of ability to complete work. One of these factors is educational teachers’ role. This study aimed to determine relationship between teachers’ leadership style and students’ self-efficacy in midwifery students. Method: This Study is a cross sectional correlation study. Sampling was conducted in midwifery students in Bachelor Science degree in 2013. Data collection tools were multi leadership questionnaire and self-efficacy clinical performance. After explaining the goals of study, 97 students completed the questionnaire. Scoring the questionnaire was based on a Liker’s scale (0-5). Data were analyzed by SPSS 16. Correlation coefficient test was adopted to investigate the relationship and p value was considered 0.05. Result: Mean of self-efficacy scores were 116.12 (24.66.). In 53.3% of the cases, self-efficacy was good, in 42.2% moderate and in 4.3%, it was bad. The majority of the students (88.9%) reported that their teachers had an idealized style in leadership. About 94.6% of the students with good self- efficacy believed that their teachers’ leadership style was transformational style. There was a significant correlation between self- efficacy and leadership style (p<0.05). Conclusions: Results showed that transformational style is appropriate for midwifery teachers. PMID:26925916

  11. Interprofessional education: merging nursing, midwifery and CAM.

    PubMed

    Netherwood, Maggie; Derham, Ruth

    To ascertain the value of bringing together undergraduate students from nursing, midwifery, and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to determine what they could learn from each other. Interprofessional education (IPE) is a growing field promoting interaction between professional groups, collaborative working and quality of health. In conventional health, IPE has a role to play in undergraduate education. No studies have been undertaken to investigate the integration of CAM students and conventional undergraduate healthcare students. In a mixed-method study, in 2010, a sample of third-year students enrolled on adult nursing, midwifery, homeopathy and complementary therapies degree courses took part in two workshops and a focus-group discussion. Six themes were identified from qualitative data analysis: interaction; breaking down prejudices; knowledge of self; knowledge of others; common aims; and organisational limitations. The common aim of patient-centred care allowed students to recognise the benefits of a more integrated health system.

  12. Basic educational needs of midwifery students for taking the role of an assistance in disaster situations: A cross-sectional study in Iran.

    PubMed

    Taghizadeh, Z; Khoshnam Rad, M; Montazeri, A

    2017-04-01

    After disasters, the disaster medical assistance team composed of skilful healthcare staff should be available at the disaster site for providing care to disaster's victims. It is believed that midwives are at the front line of the disaster management team and should be prepared for providing care to mothers and children. To investigate the midwifery students' basic educational needs for taking the role of an assistant in disaster situations. A cross-sectional study was conducted in an urban area of Iran, in year 2015. Two hundred and thirty-one final-year midwifery students with bachelor and master degrees in midwifery participated in this study. The samples were chosen using a census method from four nursing and midwifery schools affiliated with four medical sciences universities in Tehran, Iran. The informed consent form was signed by the samples before data collection. The samples were asked to fill out the researcher's made questionnaires consisting of the demographic data form and the basic educational needs for taking the role of an assistant in disaster situations. The later was consisted of two parts: 'coping with disaster situations' and 'performing the triage'. The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics via the SPSS software for Windows. The mean score of coping with disaster situations was 31.3±8.2 (out of 45). Also, the mean score of performing the triage was 14.6±11.8 (out of 20). It was found that 68.8 and 74% of the students in coping with disaster situations and performing the triage, respectively had high and very high educational needs. The highest educational need was reported in the areas of 'time management' and 'the use of equipment in disaster situations'. About 86.8% of the students declared that academic education did not prepared them for taking roles in disaster situations. Only 10.6% passed educational courses about disasters before and 11.5% had the work experience in disaster situations. There was a

  13. Nursing and midwifery students' perceptions of spirituality, spiritual care, and spiritual care competency: A prospective, longitudinal, correlational European study.

    PubMed

    Ross, Linda; McSherry, Wilfred; Giske, Tove; van Leeuwen, René; Schep-Akkerman, Annemiek; Koslander, Tiburtius; Hall, Jenny; Steenfeldt, Vibeke Østergaard; Jarvis, Paul

    2018-08-01

    Nurses and midwives care for people at some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives, so it is essential that they have the skills to give care which is compassionate, dignified, holistic and person-centred. Holistic care includes spiritual care which is concerned with helping people whose beliefs, values and sense of meaning, purpose and connection is challenged by birth, illness or death. Spiritual care is expected of nurses/midwives but they feel least prepared for this part of their role. How nursing and midwifery students can be prepared for spiritual care is the focus of this study. 1. To describe undergraduate nursing and midwifery student's perceptions of spirituality/spiritual care, their perceived competence in giving spiritual care and how these perceptions change over time. 2. To explore factors contributing to development of spiritual care competency. Prospective, longitudinal, multinational, correlational survey design. A convenience sample of 2193 undergraduate nursing and midwifery students (69% response rate, dropping to 33%) enrolled at 21 universities in eight countries completed questionnaires capturing demographic data (purpose designed questionnaire) and measuring perception of spirituality/spiritual care (SSCRS), spiritual care competency (SCCS), spiritual wellbeing (JAREL) and spiritual attitude and involvement (SAIL) on 4 occasions (start of course n = 2193, year 2 n = 1182, year 3 n = 736, end of course n = 595) between 2011 and 2015. Data were analysed using descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analyses as appropriate. Perceived competency increased significantly over the course of students' study which they attributed to caring for patients, events in their own lives and teaching/discussion in university. Two factors were significantly correlated with perceived spiritual care competency: perception of spirituality/spiritual care, where a broad view was preferable, and personal spirituality, where high spiritual

  14. The Effect of New Model PREPARED on Obtaining Informed Consent Skill in Midwifery Students of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences

    PubMed Central

    Farajkhoda, Tahmineh; Bokaie, Mahshid; Abbasi, Mahmoud; NajafiHedeshi, Saeedeh; Alavi, Zahra; Rahimdel, Mahin

    2017-01-01

    Background: Professional ethics culture should be taught to students appropriately. Studies have shown that midwifery students are not entirely familiar with the skill of obtaining informed consent. Using a new and applicable model to teach this skill to midwifery students is necessary. This study was conducted to determine the effect of a new standard model, PREPARED, on the skill of obtaining informed consent in midwifery students of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This interventional study was conducted on 37 5th semester midwifery students through a census method. After determining psychometric indices, in two phases with a 4-week interval (before and after the training), the PREPARED checklist was completed by the professors of the research team in the presence of students in the delivery room while they were performing midwifery care considering their compliance to the checklist. Descriptive statistics paired t-test were used for data analysis. Results: The lowest mean score before the training belonged to alternative methods (1.00) and treatment expenses (1.00). After the training, treatment plan had the highest mean score (3.54 (0.69)). The mean and standard deviation of scores before and after training the students were 9.12 (2.00) and 30.6824 (5.25), respectively. Based on the results of the paired t-test (P = 0.001), the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: Results showed that the implementation of the new model of PREPARED would increase the skill of obtaining informed consent in midwifery students and could be applied for educating students of other medical majors in Iran. PMID:28904537

  15. Group marking and peer assessment during a group poster presentation: the experiences and views of midwifery students.

    PubMed

    Ohaja, Magdalena; Dunlea, Margaret; Muldoon, Kathryn

    2013-09-01

    Traditionally, written examination and clinical practice assessments are the main ways of deeming midwifery students fit and competent for practice. Contemporary academics in an effort to engage the students in the learning process have employed alternative teaching and assessment strategies. Among the alternative strategies are group projects after which members of the group are awarded the same grade, and peer assessment. With the purpose of informing the midwifery curricular, we utilised a qualitative descriptive approach to explore midwifery students' experiences and views on the use of group poster presentation for learning and assessment. The participants consisted of a purposive sample of 14 higher diploma midwifery students who were registered in a third level institution in Ireland. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted following the completion of the poster presentation assessment. Permission to undertake the study was obtained from the college ethics committee. In this paper, we focus on the participants' views of group marking and peer assessment which are among the key elements that emerged in this study. While awarding a group mark was overall accepted, peer assessment proved a more contentious issue. Most of the participants found it challenging marking their friends. Reactions to group marks were very much influenced by the group dynamics. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Midwifery students attribute different quantitative meanings to hurt, ache and pain: a cross-sectional survey.

    PubMed

    Bergh, Ingrid H E; Ek, Kristina; Mårtensson, Lena B

    2013-06-01

    Assessment of women's labor pain is seldom acknowledged in clinical practice or research. The words "aching" and "hurting" are frequently used by women to describe childbirth pain. The aim of this study was to determine the quantitative meanings midwifery students attribute to the terms "hurt", "ache" and "pain". Data was collected by self-administered questionnaire from students at seven Swedish midwifery programs. A total of 230 filled out and returned a completed questionnaire requesting them to rate, on a visual analog scale, the intensity of "hurt", "ache" or "pain" in the back, as reported by a fictitious parturient. The midwifery students attributed, with substantial individual variation, different quantitative meanings to the studied pain descriptors. To be able to communicate about pain with a woman in labor, it is essential that the midwife be familiar with the value of different words and what they mean to her as this may affect her assessment when the woman describes her pain. Copyright © 2012 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Administration of medicines. Midwifery basics.

    PubMed

    Baston, Helen

    2002-04-01

    Midwifery Basics is a series of articles that cover the main clinical skills underpinning midwifery practice. The series uses National Occupational Standards (Care Sector Consortium 1998) as a framework to identify the areas of competence that students need to achieve in order to master clinical skills. This format is combined with the use of 'triggers' to prompt the student to identify what she needs to know in order to care for a client in such a situation. The information that follows then enables the student to fill in the gaps in her knowledge.

  18. The facilitators and impediment factors of midwifery student's empowerment in pregnancy and delivery care: A qualitative study

    PubMed Central

    Janighorban, Mojgan; Yamani, Nikoo; Yousefi, Hojatollah

    2016-01-01

    Background: The organizational environment and its existing context may deeply affect on empowerment of individuals. In educational institutions as well as other organizations, students are going to be powerful when opportunities for growth and achievement of power are provided for them in learning and educational environments. This study has been carried out to explain the facilitators and impediment factors of midwifery student's empowerment in pregnancy and delivery care. Materials and Methods: The current qualitative study has been conducted with participation of 15 midwifery senior students, 10 midwifery academic teachers, and 2 employed midwives in educational hospitals. The given data were collected through individual and group semi-structured interviews, and there were analyzed using directed content analysis method. Results: Three main categories of opportunity for acquisition of knowledge, opportunity for acquisition of clinical skills and opportunity for acquisition of clinical experiences formed structure of access to opportunity in the course of an explanation of facilitators and impediment factors for midwifery student's empowerment in pregnancy and delivery care. Conclusion: To prepare and train the skilled midwives for giving care services to mothers during pregnancy and on delivery and after this period, the academic teachers and clinical instructors should pay due attention to providing the needed opportunities to acquire the applied knowledge and proficiency in the required skills for clinical work and the necessary clinical experiences in these individuals during college period. PMID:27904613

  19. Developing nursing and midwifery students' capacity for coping with bullying and aggression in clinical settings: Students' evaluation of a learning resource.

    PubMed

    Hogan, Rosemarie; Orr, Fiona; Fox, Deborah; Cummins, Allison; Foureur, Maralyn

    2018-03-01

    An innovative blended learning resource for undergraduate nursing and midwifery students was developed in a large urban Australian university, following a number of concerning reports by students on their experiences of bullying and aggression in clinical settings. The blended learning resource included interactive online learning modules, comprising film clips of realistic clinical scenarios, related readings, and reflective questions, followed by in-class role-play practice of effective responses to bullying and aggression. On completion of the blended learning resource 210 participants completed an anonymous survey (65.2% response rate). Qualitative data was collected and a thematic analysis of the participants' responses revealed the following themes: 'Engaging with the blended learning resource'; 'Responding to bullying' and 'Responding to aggression'. We assert that developing nursing and midwifery students' capacity to effectively respond to aggression and bullying, using a self-paced blended learning resource, provides a solution to managing some of the demands of the clinical setting. The blended learning resource, whereby nursing and midwifery students were introduced to realistic portrayals of bullying and aggression in clinical settings, developed their repertoire of effective responding and coping skills for use in their professional practice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Predictors of health of pre-registration nursing and midwifery students: Findings from a cross-sectional survey.

    PubMed

    Deasy, Christine; Coughlan, Barry; Pironom, Julie; Jourdan, Didier; Mannix-McNamara, Patricia

    2016-01-01

    Student nurses/midwives evidence less than exemplary lifestyle habits and poor emotional health, despite exposure to health education/promotion during their educational preparation. Knowledge of the factors that predict nursing/midwifery students' health could inform strategies to enhance their health and increase their credibility as future health promoters/educators. To establish the predictors of nursing/midwifery student emotional health. Cross-sectional survey. The research took place at a university in Ireland. We involved a total sample (n=473) student nurses/midwives. Participants completed the General Health Questionnaire, Lifestyle Behaviour Questionnaire and Ways of Coping Questionnaire to determine their self-reported emotional health, lifestyle behaviour and coping processes. Multivariate regression was performed to identify the predictors of student emotional health (dependent variable). The independent variables were demographics, coping, lifestyle behaviour and students' perceptions of determinants of their health. Many respondents reported significant emotional distress (48.71%) and unhealthy lifestyle behaviours including smoking (27.94%), physical inactivity (34.29%), alcohol consumption (91.7%) and unhealthy diet (28.05%). Multivariate regressions indicated that the predictors of emotional distress included gender, year of study, smoking, passive coping and beliefs that their student life was stressful or/and that worry stress and boredom adversely impacted their diet. Targeting student's beliefs regarding influences upon their health, promotion of positive lifestyles and adaptive coping is necessary to facilitate health gain of future health professionals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Embedding assessment in a simulation skills training program for medical and midwifery students: A pre- and post-intervention evaluation.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Arunaz; Nestel, Debra; East, Christine; Hay, Margaret; Lichtwark, Irene; McLelland, Gayle; Bentley, Deidre; Hall, Helen; Fernando, Shavi; Hobson, Sebastian; Larmour, Luke; Dekoninck, Philip; Wallace, Euan M

    2018-02-01

    Simulation-based programs are increasingly being used to teach obstetrics and gynaecology examinations, but it is difficult to establish student learning acquired through them. Assessment may test student learning but its role in learning itself is rarely recognised. We undertook this study to assess medical and midwifery student learning through a simulation program using a pre-test and post-test design and also to evaluate use of assessment as a method of learning. The interprofessional simulation education program consisted of a brief pre-reading document, a lecture, a video demonstration and a hands-on workshop. Over a 24-month period, 405 medical and 104 midwifery students participated in the study and were assessed before and after the program. Numerical data were analysed using paired t-test and one-way analysis of variance. Students' perceptions of the role of assessment in learning were qualitatively analysed. The post-test scores were significantly higher than the pre-test (P < 0.001) with improvements in scores in both medical and midwifery groups. Students described the benefit of assessment on learning in preparation of the assessment, reinforcement of learning occurring during assessment and reflection on performance cementing previous learning as a post-assessment effect. Both medical and midwifery students demonstrated a significant improvement in their test scores and for most students the examination process itself was a positive learning experience. © 2017 The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

  2. The Clinical Learning Dyad Model: An Innovation in Midwifery Education.

    PubMed

    Cohen, Susanna R; Thomas, Celeste R; Gerard, Claudia

    2015-01-01

    There is a national shortage of women's health and primary care providers in the United States, including certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives. This shortage is directly related to how many students can be trained within the existing system. The current model of midwifery clinical training is based on apprenticeship, with one-on-one interaction between a student and preceptor. Thus, the number of newly trained midwifery providers is limited by the number of available and willing preceptors. The clinical learning dyad model (CLDM), which pairs 2 beginning midwifery students with one preceptor in a busy practice, addresses this problem. In addition, this model brings in a senior midwife student as a near-peer mentor when the students are first oriented into outpatient clinical practice. The model began as a pilot project to improve the quality of training and increase available student spots in clinical education. This article discusses the origins of the model, the specifics of its design, and the results of a midterm and one-year postintervention survey. Students and preceptors involved in this model identified several advantages to the program, including increased student accountability, enhanced socialization into the profession, improved learning, and reduced teaching burden on preceptors. An additional benefit of the CLDM is that students form a learning community and collaborate with preceptors to care for women in busy clinical settings. Challenges of the model will also be discussed. Further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the CLDM. This article is part of a special series of articles that address midwifery innovations in clinical practice, education, interprofessional collaboration, health policy, and global health. © 2015 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  3. How well does pre-service education prepare midwives for practice: competence assessment of midwifery students at the point of graduation in Ethiopia.

    PubMed

    Yigzaw, Tegbar; Ayalew, Firew; Kim, Young-Mi; Gelagay, Mintwab; Dejene, Daniel; Gibson, Hannah; Teshome, Aster; Broerse, Jacqueline; Stekelenburg, Jelle

    2015-08-14

    Midwifery support and care led by midwives is the most appropriate strategy to improve maternal and newborn health. The Government of Ethiopia has recently improved the availability of midwives by scaling up pre-service education. However, the extent to which graduating students acquire core competencies for safe and effective practice is not known. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of midwifery education by assessing the competence of graduating midwifery students. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the competence of students who completed basic midwifery education in Ethiopia in 2013. We interviewed students to obtain their perceptions of the sufficiency and quality of teachers and educational resources and processes. We assessed achievement of essential midwifery competencies through direct observation, using a 10-station Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). We calculated average percentage scores of performance for each station and an average summary score for all stations. Chi-square test, independent sample t test, and linear regression analysis were used to assess the statistical significance of differences and associations. We assessed 484 graduating students from 25 public training institutions. Majority of students rated the learning environment unfavorably on 8 out of 10 questions. Only 32 % of students managed 20 or more births during training, and just 6 % managed 40 or more births. Students' overall average competence score was 51.8 %; scores ranged from 32.2 % for manual vacuum aspiration to 69.4 % for active management of the third stage of labor. Male gender, reporting sufficient clinical experience, and managing greater numbers of births during training were significant predictors of higher competence scores. The quality of pre-service midwifery education needs to be improved, including strengthening of the learning environment and quality assurance systems. In-service training and mentoring to fill

  4. A review of midwifery in Mongolia utilising the 'Strengthening Midwifery Toolkit'.

    PubMed

    Kildea, Sue; Larsson, Margareta; Govind, Salik

    2012-12-01

    The World Health Organization (WHO) developed the 'Strengthening Midwifery Toolkit' in response to an international emphasis on increasing midwifery's role in providing maternal newborn health services. It was used to assist a review of midwifery in Mongolia. A rapid situational assessment included site visits to eight health facilities and four educational institutions resulting in 30 key informant interviews and six focus group discussions (67 midwives and students). A desk review of pertinent documents (n=19) was undertaken. Data collected included assessments of: midwife competency (n=96), scope of practice (n=2), health facilities (n=8), educational institutions (n=4), legislation and regulation (n=1), and midwifery (n=4) Feldsher-Nurse (n=4) and Bachelor-Nurse (n=1) curricula. Stakeholders in Mongolia are committed to strengthening midwifery across the country to better align with international standards. This requires: a long-term investment in reorientating the health workforce and educational institutions, regulatory changes, educational investment, job description changes which will impact on other maternal newborn health service providers. Additional support and incentives for providers in rural and remote areas is needed and investment in health facilities to enable appropriate infection control; and adequate provision of essential equipment and drugs, are important strategies needed to protect staff. Maternity emergency training is required across the country. The Midwifery Toolkit was adapted to suit the local context and provided an excellent framework for this review. Copyright © 2011 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Comparison of midwifery students' satisfaction with direct observation of procedural skills and current methods in evaluation of procedural skills in Mashhad Nursing and Midwifery School.

    PubMed

    Hoseini, Bibi Leila; Mazloum, Seyed Reza; Jafarnejad, Farzaneh; Foroughipour, Mohsen

    2013-03-01

    The clinical evaluation, as one of the most important elements in medical education, must measure students' competencies and abilities. The implementation of any assessment tool is basically dependent on the acceptance of students. This study tried to assess midwifery students' satisfaction with Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS) and current clinical evaluation methods. This quasi-experimental study was conducted in the university hospitals affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. The subjects comprised 67 undergraduate midwifery students selected by convenience sampling and allocated to control and intervention groups according to the training transposition. Current method was performed in the control group, and DOPS was conducted in the intervention group. The applied tools included DOPS rating scales, logbook, and satisfaction questionnaires with clinical evaluation methods. Validity and reliability of these tools were approved. At the end of training, students' satisfaction with the evaluation methods was assessed by the mentioned tools. The data were analyzed by descriptive and analytical statistics. Satisfaction mean scores of midwifery students with DOPS and current methods were 76.7 ± 12.9 and 62.6 ± 14.7 (out of 100), respectively. DOPS students' satisfaction mean score was significantly higher than the score obtained in current method (P < 0.000). The most satisfactory domains in the current method were "consistence with learning objectives" (71.2 ± 14.9) and "objectiveness" in DOPS (87.9 ± 15.0). In contrast, the least satisfactory domains in the current method were "interested in applying the method" (57.8 ± 26.5) and "number of assessments for each skill" (58.8 ± 25.9) in DOPS method. This study showed that DOPS method is associated with greater students' satisfaction. Since the students' satisfaction with the current method was also acceptable, we recommend combining this new clinical evaluation method with the current

  6. Enhancing Nursing and Midwifery Student Learning Through the Use of QR Codes.

    PubMed

    Downer, Terri; Oprescu, Florin; Forbes, Helen; Phillips, Nikki; McTier, Lauren; Lord, Bill; Barr, Nigel; Bright, Peter; Simbag, Vilma

    A recent teaching and learning innovation using new technologies involves the use of quick response codes, which are read by smartphones and tablets. Integrating this technology as a teaching and learning strategy in nursing and midwifery education has been embraced by academics and students at a regional university.

  7. Team-based learning for midwifery education.

    PubMed

    Moore-Davis, Tonia L; Schorn, Mavis N; Collins, Michelle R; Phillippi, Julia; Holley, Sharon

    2015-01-01

    Many US health care and education stakeholder groups, recognizing the need to prepare learners for collaborative practice in complex care environments, have called for innovative approaches in health care education. Team-based learning is an educational method that relies on in-depth student preparation prior to class, individual and team knowledge assessment, and use of small-group learning to apply knowledge to complex scenarios. Although team-based learning has been studied as an approach to health care education, its application to midwifery education is not well described. A master's-level, nurse-midwifery, didactic antepartum course was revised to a team-based learning format. Student grades, course evaluations, and aggregate American Midwifery Certification Board examination pass rates for 3 student cohorts participating in the team-based course were compared with 3 student cohorts receiving traditional, lecture-based instruction. Students had mixed responses to the team-based learning format. Student evaluations improved when faculty added recorded lectures as part of student preclass preparation. Statistical comparisons were limited by variations across cohorts; however, student grades and certification examination pass rates did not change substantially after the course revision. Although initial course revision was time-consuming for faculty, subsequent iterations of the course required less effort. Team-based learning provides students with more opportunity to interact during on-site classes and may spur application of knowledge into practice. However, it is difficult to assess the effect of the team-based learning approach with current measures. Further research is needed to determine the effects of team-based learning on communication and collaboration skills, as well as long-term performance in clinical practice. This article is part of a special series of articles that address midwifery innovations in clinical practice, education, interprofessional

  8. Nursing and midwifery students' stress and coping during their undergraduate education programmes: An integrative review.

    PubMed

    McCarthy, Bridie; Trace, Anna; O'Donovan, Moira; Brady-Nevin, Caroline; Murphy, Margaret; O'Shea, Maria; O'Regan, Patricia

    2018-02-01

    The aim of this review is to examine the literature related to the sources of stress, coping mechanisms and interventions to support undergraduate nursing and midwifery students to cope with stress during their undergraduate education. Integrative literature review. The databases CINAHL, PubMed and PsycINFO were searched for articles published between 2010 and 2016. Search terms in various combinations were used for example; student nurse, student midwife, undergraduate, stress, coping and interventions. An integrative review based on Whittemore and Knafl's approach was used to conduct the review. The search generated 25 articles that met the inclusion criteria. The key sources of stress emanated from clinical, academic and financial issues but predominantly from the clinical environment. Students used a variety of coping strategies, both adaptive and maladaptive. These appear to be influenced by their past and present circumstances such as, their needs, what was at stake and their options for coping. Interventions for student nurses/midwives to cope with stress were varied and in the early stages of development. Mindfulness showed some promising positive results. Interventions focussed on the individual level excluding the wider social context or organisation level. Stress is pervasive in all aspects of undergraduate nursing and midwifery education. Nursing and midwifery educators need to be aware of this impact and provide appropriate support to students in both the clinical and academic environments. Further research is needed to capture the experience of stress from the students' perspective as well as the barriers and facilitators to supporting students from the preceptors'/mentors' perspectives. Finally, more intervention studies are needed to identify and compare what interventions are effective in supporting students to cope with stress during their undergraduate education. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. 'Living the rural experience-preparation for practice': The future proofing of sustainable rural midwifery practice through midwifery education.

    PubMed

    Kensington, Mary; Rankin, Jean; Gilkison, Andrea; Daellenbach, Rea; Crowther, Susan; Deery, Ruth; Davies, Lorna

    2018-06-05

    Rural practice presents unique challenges and skill requirements for midwives. New Zealand and Scotland face similar challenges in sustaining a rural midwifery workforce. This paper draws from an international multi-centre study exploring rural midwifery to focus on the education needs of student midwives within pre-registration midwifery programmes in order to determine appropriate preparation for rural practice. The mixed-methods study was conducted with 222 midwives working in rural areas in New Zealand (n = 145) and Scotland (n = 77). Midwives' views were gathered through an anonymous online survey and online discussion forums. Descriptive analysis was used for quantitative data and thematic analysis was conducted with qualitative data. 'Future proofing rural midwifery practice' using education was identified as the overarching central theme in ensuring the sustainability of rural midwives, with two associated principle themes emerging (i) 'preparation for rural practice' and (ii) 'living the experience and seeing the reality'. The majority of participants agreed that pre-registration midwifery programmes should include a rural placement for students and rural-specific education with educational input from rural midwives. This study provides insight into how best to prepare midwives for rural practice within pre-registration midwifery education, in order to meet the needs of midwives and families in the rural context. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Midwifery and nursing students' communication skills and life orientation: correlation with stress coping approaches.

    PubMed

    Ozdemir, Gülsün; Kaya, Hatice

    2013-06-01

    Methods learnt by nursing and midwifery students' such as communication skills, optimisim and coping with stress would be used in their profeesional life. It is very important to promote their positive thinking and communication skills to raise coping with stress. This cross sectional study was performed to examine the nursing and midwifery students' communication skills and optimistic life orientation and its correlation with coping strategies with stress. The study population included 2572 students who were studying in departments of nursing and midwifery in Istanbul. The sample was included 1419 students. Three questionnaires including Communication Skills Test, Life Orientation Test and Ways of Coping Inventory were used for data collection. The data were evaluated by calculating frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, standard deviation and Pearson correlation coefficient. Students' total mean score from the Communication Skills Scale was 165.27 ± 15.39 and for the Life Orientation Test was 18.51 ± 4.54. There was a positive correlation between their Life Orientation scores and the scores for self confidence (r = 0.34, P < 0.001), optimistic approach (r = 0.42, P < 0.001), and seeking social help (r = 0.17, P < 0.001). Also there was a significant positive correlation between Communication skill scores and self confidence (r = 0.46, P < 0.001), optimistic (r = 0.37, P < 0.001) and seeking social help approaches (r = 0.29, P < 0.001), but there was a significant negative correlation between communication skill scores and scores for helpless (r = -0.29, P < 0.001) and submissive approaches (r = -0.36, P < 0.001). As scores of students in optimistic life orientation and communication skills increased self confidence approach, optimistic, and social support seeking scores increased, whereas helpless, and submissive scores decreased.

  11. Efficacy of neurolinguistic programming training on mental health in nursing and midwifery students.

    PubMed

    Sahebalzamani, Mohammad

    2014-09-01

    Neurolinguistic programming (NLP) refers to the science and art of reaching success and perfection. It is a collection of the skills based on human beings' psychological characteristics through which the individuals obtain the ability to use their personal capabilities as much as possible. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of NLP training on mental health in nursing and midwifery students in Islamic Azad University Tehran Medical Sciences branch. In this quasi-experimental study, the study population comprised all nursing and midwifery students in Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical branch, of whom 52 were selected and assigned to two groups through random sampling. Data collection tool was Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (28-item version). After primary evaluation, NLP training was given in five 120-min sessions and the groups were re-evaluated. The obtained data were analyzed. In the nursing group, paired t-test showed a significant difference in the scores of mental health (with 39 points decrease), physical signs (with 7.96 scores decrease), anxiety (with 10.75 scores decrease), social function (with 7.05 scores decrease) and depression (with 9.38 scores decrease). In the midwifery group, it showed a significant difference in mental health (with 22.63 scores decrease), physical signs (with 6.54 scores decrease), anxiety (with nine scores decrease), and depression (with 8.38 scores decrease). This study showed that NLP strategies are effective in the improvement of general health and its various dimensions. Therefore, it is essential to conduct structured and executive programs concerning NLP among the students.

  12. Efficacy of neurolinguistic programming training on mental health in nursing and midwifery students

    PubMed Central

    Sahebalzamani, Mohammad

    2014-01-01

    Background: Neurolinguistic programming (NLP) refers to the science and art of reaching success and perfection. It is a collection of the skills based on human beings’ psychological characteristics through which the individuals obtain the ability to use their personal capabilities as much as possible. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of NLP training on mental health in nursing and midwifery students in Islamic Azad University Tehran Medical Sciences branch. Materials and Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, the study population comprised all nursing and midwifery students in Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical branch, of whom 52 were selected and assigned to two groups through random sampling. Data collection tool was Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (28-item version). After primary evaluation, NLP training was given in five 120-min sessions and the groups were re-evaluated. The obtained data were analyzed. Results: In the nursing group, paired t-test showed a significant difference in the scores of mental health (with 39 points decrease), physical signs (with 7.96 scores decrease), anxiety (with 10.75 scores decrease), social function (with 7.05 scores decrease) and depression (with 9.38 scores decrease). In the midwifery group, it showed a significant difference in mental health (with 22.63 scores decrease), physical signs (with 6.54 scores decrease), anxiety (with nine scores decrease), and depression (with 8.38 scores decrease). Conclusions: This study showed that NLP strategies are effective in the improvement of general health and its various dimensions. Therefore, it is essential to conduct structured and executive programs concerning NLP among the students. PMID:25400679

  13. Paramedic and midwifery student exposure to workplace violence during clinical placements in Australia - A pilot study.

    PubMed

    Boyle, Malcolm; McKenna, Lisa

    2016-12-11

      The objective of this pilot study was to identify the type of workplace violence experienced by undergraduate paramedic and midwifery students. The study used a cross-sectional methodology with the self-administered paper-based Paramedic Workplace Violence Exposure Questionnaire to elicit undergraduate paramedic and midwife responses to workplace violence whilst on clinical placements. There were 393 students eligible for inclusion in the study. A convenience sample was used. The anonymous questionnaire took 10 to 20 minutes to complete. Descriptive statistics are used to summarise the data with a two-tailed t-test used to compare groups. The main form of workplace violence was verbal abuse 18% and intimidation 17%.  There was a statistically significant difference between midwifery and paramedic students for intimidation (t (134) =-3.143, CI: -0.367 to -0.082, p=0.002) and between females and males for sexual harassment (t (134) =2.029, CI: 0.001 to 0.074, p=0.045), all other results were not statistically different. This pilot study is the first of its kind in Australia and internationally to identify exposure rates of workplace violence by undergraduate paramedic students during clinical placements and one of very few to identify midwifery students' exposure rates of workplace violence. The study identified that students were exposed to a range of workplace violence acts from verbal abuse through to sexual harassment. These findings highlight a need for investigation of workplace violence exposure of medical, nursing and allied health students during the clinical phase of their studies.

  14. Creation of virtual patients for midwifery education.

    PubMed

    Urbanová, Eva; Bašková, Martina; Maskálová, Erika; Kvaltínyová, Eva

    2018-07-01

    The objective of the study was to create several new, original virtual patients (VPs) in the Slovak language, especially for educational purposes in midwifery. Virtual patients have been created for the needs of university midwifery education in Slovakia. The creation of the six virtual patients basically consisted of three fixed stages: preparation, design and development, implementation into the virtual environment. We used the Open Labyrinth (OL) virtual environment, an open-source system for creating VPs. The VPs include six various scenarios of the most common problems seen in midwifery practice: preterm birth, perinatal loss, gestational diabetes, ineffective breastfeeding, postpartum bleeding and sudden home birth. Currently, six original virtual patients are used in university midwifery education in Slovakia. We use them for contact teaching as well as self-study of students. They present the first VPs in Slovakia and the Czech Republic created in academic settings in these countries. The future perspective of a virtual patient as an interactive process between the student and the medium is that it can deepen and improve learning outcomes, solve specific midwifery issues, and reduce mistakes in the clinical environment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Assessing time-management skills in terms of age, gender, and anxiety levels: a study on nursing and midwifery students in Turkey.

    PubMed

    Kaya, Hatice; Kaya, Nurten; Palloş, Aylin Öztürk; Küçük, Leyla

    2012-09-01

    The success of university students depends on their ability to utilize time properly and completely. Students are required to learn to manage time so that they are able to apply the same degree of efficiency in the profession they choose after completing their education. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted to determine nursing and midwifery students' time management skills in terms of their age, gender, and anxiety levels. The study population consisted of 1002 students, of which 584 students were selected for sampling. A Student Information Form, Time Management Inventory, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were used to collect data. Among the students, 89.9% were female, and the average age was 20.58 years (SD = 2.10). The average score of the Time Management Inventory was 87.79 (SD = 11.78), the mean score of the State Anxiety Inventory was 40.11 (SD = 10.84), and that of the Trait Anxiety Inventory was 43.95 (SD = 7.98). Nursing and midwifery students' time management skills are at mid-level point. Female students were able to manage time better than male students and the time management skills of the students decreased as the anxiety level increased. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Ethics of justice and ethics of care. Values and attitudes among midwifery students on adolescent sexuality and abortion in Vietnam and their implications for midwifery education: a survey by questionnaire and interview.

    PubMed

    Klingberg-Allvin, Marie; Van Tam, Vu; Nga, Nguyen Thu; Ransjo-Arvidson, Anna-Berit; Johansson, Annika

    2007-01-01

    Adolescent's sexuality and related reproductive health and rights problems are sensitive issues in Vietnam. Globalisation has had an impact on the lifestyles of young people, and rising numbers of abortion and STI/HIV risks among youth are posing major health concerns in the country. These problems need to be addressed. Midwives belong to a key category of health personnel in Vietnam, whose task it is to promote adolescents' sexual and reproductive health and prevent reproductive ill health. It is important to understand future midwives' perceptions and attitudes in order to improve their education and training programmes. The aim of this study was to investigate Vietnamese midwifery students' values and attitudes towards adolescent sexuality, abortion and contraception and their views on professional preparation. A quantitative survey including 235 midwifery students from four different secondary medical colleges in northern Vietnam was carried out in 2003. A qualitative study addressing similar questions was performed and 18 midwifery students were individually interviewed. Findings revealed a general disapproval of adolescent pre-marital sexual relations and abortion-'an ethics of justice'-but also an empathic attitude and willingness to support young women, who bear the consequences of unwanted pregnancies and social condemnation-'an ethics of care'. Gender-based imbalance in sexual relationships, limited knowledge about reproductive health issues among youth, and negative societal attitudes were concerns expressed by the students. The students saw their future tasks mainly related to childbearing and less to other reproductive health issues, such as abortion and prevention of STI/HIV. Midwifery education in Vietnam should encourage value-reflective thinking around gender inequality and ethical dilemmas, in order to prepare midwives to address adolescents' reproductive health needs.

  17. ISeeYou - Evaluation of a woman-centred care pilot project in Bachelor midwifery education and research.

    PubMed

    Fontein-Kuipers, Yvonne; Romeijn, Enja

    2018-03-01

    to evaluate the ISeeYou project that aims to equip first year Bachelor midwifery students to support them in their learning of providing woman-centred care. the project has an ethnographic design. First year midwifery students buddied up to one woman throughout her continuum of the childbirth process and accompanied her during her antenatal and postnatal care encounters. Participant-observation was utilised by the students to support their learning. The Client Centred Care Questionnaire (CCCQ) was administered to collect data about women's care experiences. The project was evaluated using the SWOT model. 54 first year students completed the project and observed and evaluated on average eight prenatal visits and two postnatal visits. Students gained insight into women's lived experiences during the childbirth process and of received care throughout this period. Students reported that this was meaningful and supported and enhanced their comprehension of women-centred care. Logistic issues (lectures, travel, time) and being conscious of their role as an 'outsider' sometimes constrained, but never hindered, the students in meeting the requirements of the project. Overall, the project provided students with opportunities to expand competencies and to broaden their outlook on midwifery care. the project offers students unique and in-depth experiences supporting and augmenting their professional competencies and their personal, professional and academic development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Depressive symptoms, college adjustment and peer support among undergraduate nursing and midwifery students.

    PubMed

    Horgan, Aine; Sweeney, John; Behan, Laura; McCarthy, Geraldine

    2016-12-01

    This study aimed to identify levels of depressive symptoms, social and personal college adjustment and peer support among nursing and midwifery students. Student mental health is of international concern, particularly among students who are undertaking professional qualifications in health care. Cross-sectional design. Data were collected in 2013 using the Centre for Epidemiology Depressive Symptoms Scale, two subscales of the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire; and a subscale of the Peer Support Evaluation Inventory with 417 students in Ireland. Findings indicated that 34% of participants experienced depressive symptoms, 20% were poorly personally adjusted and 9% poorly socially adjusted. Most students had good levels of peer support. Statistically significant relationships were found between all key variables. Students in their second year of study had significantly higher rates of depressive symptoms. Participants who reported having poor relationships with their fathers were at higher risk and had more difficulties personally and socially adjusting to university life and study. The alcohol consumption of participants had a statistically significant relationship with depressive symptoms with higher consumption rates having a positive impact on symptoms. The mental health of undergraduates undertaking professional healthcare studies needs to be a key research, educational and clinical priority. High rates of adjustment and mental health difficulties, particularly in the second year of the programme need to be examined and more effective interventions developed. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. [Current status and problems of regional maternal and child health education in the curriculum of midwifery education].

    PubMed

    Murayama, I

    1989-01-01

    According to the evaluations made by medical Technical Junior Colleges in Japan, general objectives in midwifery education are met, but their curriculum does not cater to each region's health care needs sufficiently. Japanese midwifery students can either attend a 6 month training program offered at 80 different locations, or enroll in a 1 year special-major program at one of the 10 Medical Technical Junior Colleges affiliated with National Universities. According to the curriculum revised in 1971, midwifery students are required to take the following courses and hours in 6 months. Intro. to Maternal and Child Health (15 hours), Maternal and Child Health Medicine (60 hours), Lecture on Midwifery (105 hrs), Practice in Midwifery (135 hrs), Midwifery Business Administration (60 hrs), Maternal and Child Health Administration including internship (225 hrs), Regional Maternal and Child Health including internship (105 hrs) and Family Sociology (15 hours). Regional Maternal and Child Health course (RMCH) is effectively taught only if all the maternal and child health courses and lecture on midwifery are taken beforehand. Objectives for RMCH course are becoming able to assess the state of maternal and child health care in the region and give constructive criticism and suggestions for improvement including legal aspects, acquiring positive attitudes and necessary skills for advancing and having understanding of regional health care and that of midwives' role of it. While the curriculum prepares the students for meeting the patients' physical needs, the students are not ready to cope with their psychological and socio-physiological problems surrounding individuals, families and communities. Changes and diversification of regional communities should be taken into consideration also in the curriculum. Increase in nuclear families, increase in working wives, isolation and/or over-crowding of high rise apartment living are some of the examples. Midwifery activity is also

  20. Strategies for interprofessional education: the Interprofessional Team Objective Structured Clinical Examination for midwifery and medical students.

    PubMed

    Cullen, Lindsay; Fraser, Diane; Symonds, Ian

    2003-08-01

    This paper provides an overview of the processes involved in implementing an interprofessional education (IPE) strategy in a recently established School of Human Development at the University of Nottingham. The merger of the academic divisions of child health, midwifery, obstetrics and gynaecology was a deliberate initiative to create an organisational infrastructure intended to enhance opportunities for interprofessional collaborations in research and education. As a first step, a small group of academic midwives and obstetricians formed a project group to find the best way of facilitating IPE for medical and midwifery students at undergraduate level. A discussion is provided of the work the project group undertook to: determine an agreed definition of IPE; decide an action research approach was needed; determine the ways in which teaching and learning strategies were to be implemented, evaluated and compared; and identify the factors inhibiting and enhancing developments. Evaluations have demonstrated that the Interprofessional Team Objective Structured Clinical Examination (ITOSCE) focusing on intrapartum scenarios is effective in promoting interprofessional learning. Both medical and midwifery students and facilitators agree that team working and understanding each other's roles has been enhanced and that although resource intensive, IPE is worth the time and effort involved.

  1. Paramedic and midwifery student exposure to workplace violence during clinical placements in Australia – A pilot study

    PubMed Central

    McKenna, Lisa

    2016-01-01

    Objectives The objective of this pilot study was to identify the type of workplace violence experienced by undergraduate paramedic and midwifery students. Methods The study used a cross-sectional methodology with the self-administered paper-based Paramedic Workplace Violence Exposure Questionnaire to elicit undergraduate paramedic and midwife responses to workplace violence whilst on clinical placements. There were 393 students eligible for inclusion in the study. A convenience sample was used. The anonymous questionnaire took 10 to 20 minutes to complete. Descriptive statistics are used to summarise the data with a two-tailed t-test used to compare groups. Results The main form of workplace violence was verbal abuse 18% and intimidation 17%. There was a statistically significant difference between midwifery and paramedic students for intimidation (t(134)=-3.143, CI: -0.367 to -0.082, p=0.002) and between females and males for sexual harassment (t(134)=2.029, CI: 0.001 to 0.074, p=0.045), all other results were not statistically different. Conclusions This pilot study is the first of its kind in Australia and internationally to identify exposure rates of workplace violence by undergraduate paramedic students during clinical placements and one of very few to identify midwifery students’ exposure rates of workplace violence. The study identified that students were exposed to a range of workplace violence acts from verbal abuse through to sexual harassment. These findings highlight a need for investigation of workplace violence exposure of medical, nursing and allied health students during the clinical phase of their studies. PMID:27941182

  2. Meeting the health and social care needs of pregnant asylum seekers; midwifery students' perspectives: part 3; "the pregnant woman within the global context"; an inclusive model for midwifery education to address the needs of asylum seeking women in the UK.

    PubMed

    Haith-Cooper, Melanie; Bradshaw, Gwendolen

    2013-09-01

    to describe the conceptualisation and development of an inclusive educational model. The model is designed to facilitate pre-registration midwifery students' learning around the health and social care needs of pregnant women seeking asylum in the United Kingdom. current literature has identified a concern about the standard of maternity care experienced by asylum seeking women accessing maternity services in the United Kingdom. In response to this, a doctorate study was undertaken which focused on examining the way in which a group of midwifery students approached the provision of care for asylum seekers. This study revealed difficulties that these students had both in identifying these women's needs and also in the wider care issues in practice. Consequently, one of the recommendations was to ameliorate these difficulties through midwifery education. the key findings from this study were used together with relevant supporting literature to construct "the pregnant woman within the global context" model for midwifery education. The model is designed to facilitate a holistic assessment of need rather than focusing on the physical assessment at the expense of other aspects of care. It incorporates wider factors, on a global level, which could impact on the health and social care needs of a pregnant woman seeking asylum. It also prompts students to consider the influence of dominant discourses on perceptions of asylum seek;ing and is designed to encourage students' to question these discourses. this model can be used in midwifery education to prepare students in caring for pregnant women seeking asylum. It may be especially helpful when students have close contact with pregnant women seeking asylum, for example through caseloading. Further research is recommended to evaluate the effectiveness of this model in enhancing the care of asylum seeking women in the United Kingdom. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. The perspectives of Australian midwifery academics on barriers and enablers for simulation in midwifery education in Australia: a focus group study.

    PubMed

    Fox-Young, Stephanie; Brady, Susannah; Brealey, Wendy; Cooper, Simon; McKenna, Lisa; Hall, Helen; Bogossian, Fiona

    2012-08-01

    to describe Australian midwifery academics' perceptions of the current barriers and enablers for simulation in midwifery education in Australia and the potential and resources required for simulation to be increased. a series of 11 focus groups/interviews were held in all states and territories of Australia with 46 participating academics nominated by their heads of discipline from universities across the country. three themes were identified relating to barriers to the extension of the use of simulated learning environments (SLEs) ('there are things that you can't simulate'; 'not having the appropriate resources'; and professional accreditation requirements) and three themes were identified to facilitate SLE use ('for the bits that you're not likely to see very often in clinical'; ['for students] to figure something out before [they] get to go out there and do it on the real person'; and good resources and support). although barriers exist to the adoption and spread of simulated learning in midwifery, there is a long history of simulation and a great willingness to enhance its use among midwifery academics in Australia. while some aspects of midwifery practice may be impossible to simulate, more collaboration and sharing in the development and use of simulation scenarios, equipment, space and other physical and personnel resources would make the uptake of simulation in midwifery education more widespread. Students would therefore be exposed to the best available preparation for clinical practice contributing to the safety and quality of midwifery care. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Attitudes of midwifery and nursing students in a Turkish university toward lesbians and gay men and opinions about healthcare approaches.

    PubMed

    Bilgic, Dilek; Daglar, Gulseren; Sabanciogullari, Selma; Ozkan, Semiha Aydin

    2018-03-01

    Lesbians and gay men are subjected to negative attitudes and poor quality health care by midwives in the process of having children and by nurses in the process of receiving general health care services. Our aim was to investigate midwifery and nursing students' attitudes towards lesbians and gay men and their opinions about health care approaches displayed towards them. The study was designed as a cross-sectional and descriptive one and conducted in one midwifery and two nursing schools in a city in Turkey and comprised 1321 students. To assess the participants' attitudes, the Attitudes toward Lesbians and Gays (ATLG) Scale was used. To assess opinions about health care approaches, the students were asked open-ended questions. All the participating students' attitude scores were below the average and they exhibited negative attitudes towards lesbians and gays. While very few of the participants had positive views about health care given to, most of them either had negative views or did not have any opinions. The midwifery students' attitudes were more positive than were those of the nursing students. Students' health care approaches towards lesbians and gay men were insufficient and negative. Educators need to develop training programs, which can help students gain cultural awareness of the health care needs of lesbians and gay men in different cultures before they graduate. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. The use of blended learning to create a module about ill-health during childbirth for pre-registration midwifery students.

    PubMed

    Young, Nicki; Randall, Jayne

    2014-01-01

    Reforms in the way higher education is delivered in order to address the needs of learners in the 21st century are increasingly being considered by university departments. This has led academics to combine e-learning with more traditional classroom based methods of teaching when designing new modules of study, a method commonly called blended learning. This paper will describe the different teaching and learning methods which were blended together to create a module for second year pre-registration midwifery students in England, which focused upon ill-health during pregnancy and childbearing. It is imperative that at the point of registration midwifery students possess the skills to identify deviations from normal, initiate immediate actions and make appropriate referrals. The health of women all over the world is of concern to health care professionals. Midwives are increasingly being upon to provide expert care. Midwives need a sound education to allow them to carry out their roles effectively. The International Confederation of Midwives global standards for midwifery education (2010) attempts to address the need for competent caring midwives to help women and families in every corner of the world. The paper will also cover the pedagogical issues considered when blending together the different elements of learning namely: traditional discursive lectures, small group work, e-learning, formative presentations and the use of simulation during a skills and drills day. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Midwifery capacity building in Papua New Guinea: Key achievements and ways forward.

    PubMed

    Dawson, Angela; Kililo, Mary; Geita, Lahui; Mola, Glen; Brodie, Pat M; Rumsey, Michele; Copeland, Felicity; Neill, Amanda; Homer, Caroline S E

    2016-04-01

    Papua New Guinea has some of the poorest health outcomes in the Asia-Pacific region. Maternal mortality is unacceptably high and there is a severe midwifery shortage requiring a quadrupling of the workforce. This paper outlines the findings of an evaluation of the Maternal Child Health Initiative (MCHI) (2012-2013) to determine key factors contributing to maternal health workforce strengthening. A descriptive mixed methods study was undertaken. Data were gathered through interviews, focus group discussions and surveys with clinicians, midwifery students and staff from nursing and midwifery schools and National Department of Health staff. Documentation from stakeholder meetings and regular site reports were reviewed. Each data set was analysed separately and meta-inferences were drawn across all data. Learning opportunities were found to have increased for midwifery educators and improvements were described in midwifery educators teaching capacity and student clinical education experience. There was an increase in the number of midwifery graduates and improvements were noted in the working environment and skills of clinical staff. Education challenges were described including the lack of clinical preceptoring and limited continuing education for clinical educators. Participants recommended increasing clinical education hours and extending the length of the midwifery program. Ongoing efforts to accredit the midwifery curricula and regulate midwifery graduates were noted. The MCHI has contributed to strengthening the midwifery workforce nationally. However, scaling-up and sustaining these achievements requires leadership and funding commitments from the midwifery schools and government alongside the accreditation of midwifery curricula and regulation of new graduates. Copyright © 2015 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Factors behind job preferences of Peruvian medical, nursing and midwifery students: a qualitative study focused on rural deployment.

    PubMed

    Huicho, Luis; Molina, Cristina; Diez-Canseco, Francisco; Lema, Claudia; Miranda, J Jaime; Huayanay-Espinoza, Carlos A; Lescano, Andrés G

    2015-12-02

    Deployment of health workforce in rural areas is critical to reach universal health coverage. Students' perceptions towards practice in rural areas likely influence their later choice of a rural post. We aimed at exploring perceptions of students from health professions about career choice, job expectations, motivations and potential incentives to work in a rural area. In-depth interviews and focus groups were conducted among medical, nursing and midwifery students from universities of two Peruvian cities (Ica and Ayacucho). Themes for assessment and analysis included career choice, job expectations, motivations and incentives, according to a background theory a priori built for the study purpose. Preference for urban jobs was already established at this undergraduate level. Solidarity, better income expectations, professional and personal recognition, early life experience and family models influenced career choice. Students also expressed altruism, willingness to choose a rural job after graduation and potential responsiveness to incentives for practising in rural areas, which emerged more frequent from the discourse of nursing and midwifery students and from all students of rural origin. Medical students expressed expectations to work in large urban hospitals offering higher salaries. They showed higher personal, professional and family welfare expectations. Participants consistently favoured both financial and non-financial incentives. Nursing and midwifery students showed a higher disposition to work in rural areas than medical doctors, which was more evident in students of rural origin. Our results may be useful to improve targeting and selection of undergraduate students, to stimulate the inclination of students to choose a rural job upon graduation and to reorient school programmes towards the production of socially committed health professionals. Policymakers may also consider using our results when planning and implementing interventions to improve rural

  8. Identifying clinical learning needs using structured group feedback: first year evaluation of pre-registration nursing and midwifery degree programmes.

    PubMed

    Frazer, Kate; Connolly, Michael; Naughton, Corina; Kow, Veronica

    2014-07-01

    Facilitating and supporting clinical learning for student nurses and midwives are essential within their practice environments. Clinical placements provide unique opportunities in preparation for future roles. Understanding the experiences of first year student nurses and midwives following clinical exposures and examining the clinical facilitators and barriers can assist in maintaining and developing clinical supports. The study used a structured group feedback approach with a convenience sample of 223 first year nursing and midwifery students in one Irish university in April 2011 to ascertain feedback on the clinical aspects of their degree programme. Approximately 200 students participated in the process. Two key clinical issues were identified by students: facilitating clinical learning and learning experiences and needs. Positive learning environments, supportive staff and increased opportunities for reflection were important issues for first year students. The role of supportive mentoring staff in clinical practice is essential to enhance student learning. Students value reflection in practice and require more opportunities to engage during placements. More collaborative approaches are required to ensure evolving and adapting practice environments can accommodate student learning. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Midwifery education and technology enhanced learning: Evaluating online story telling in preregistration midwifery education.

    PubMed

    Scamell, Mandie; Hanley, Thomas

    2018-03-01

    A major issue regarding the implementation of blended learning for preregistration health programmes is the analysis of students' perceptions and attitudes towards their learning. It is the extent of the embedding of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) into the higher education curriculum that makes this analysis so vital. This paper reports on the quantitative results of a UK based study that was set up to respond to the apparent disconnect between technology enhanced education provision and reliable student evaluation of this mode of learning. Employing a mixed methods research design, the research described here was carried to develop a reliable and valid evaluation tool to measure acceptability of and satisfaction with a blended learning approach, specifically designed for a preregistration midwifery module offered at level 4. Feasibility testing of 46 completed blended learning evaluation questionnaires - Student Midwife Evaluation of Online Learning Effectiveness (SMEOLE) - using descriptive statistics, reliability and internal consistency tests. Standard deviations and mean scores all followed predicted pattern. Results from the reliability and internal consistency testing confirm the feasibility of SMEOLE as an effective tool for measuring student satisfaction with a blended learning approach to preregistration learning. The analysis presented in this paper suggests that we have been successful in our aim to produce an evaluation tool capable of assessing the quality of technology enhanced, University level learning in Midwifery. This work can provide future benchmarking against which midwifery, and other health, blended learning curriculum planning could be structured and evaluated. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Innovation in Health Policy Education: Project-Based Service Learning at a Distance for Graduate Midwifery Students.

    PubMed

    Van Hoover, Cheri

    2015-01-01

    Core competencies for midwifery practice include an understanding of systems of health care delivery and advocacy for legislation and policy initiatives that promote quality in health care. Today's rapidly changing health care environment, due in part to the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, mandates that midwives possess greater literacy in health policy and comfort with political action than ever before. Frequently disinterested in politics and intimidated by the policymaking process, student midwives lack the foundational knowledge and practical skills needed to meet this professional obligation. The Midwifery Institute of Philadelphia University graduate program educates both student nurse-midwives and student midwives in health policy using an innovative, project-based service-learning approach featuring real-world collaborative experiences. This novel teaching style is ideally suited for instruction at a distance because of the diversity of experience brought to the virtual classroom by students in widely disparate geopolitical locations. As students accomplish measurable objectives within their individually developed projects and reflect with classmates about their experiences, they feel empowered to effect change and report lower perceived barriers to future political engagement. © 2015 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  11. Confronting uncomfortable truths: receptivity and resistance to Aboriginal content in midwifery education.

    PubMed

    Thackrah, Rosalie D; Thompson, Sandra C

    2013-12-01

    The emotional responses of students undertaking a new, compulsory unit on Indigenous cultures and health were investigated as part of a broader study looking at culturally secure practice in midwifery education and service provision for Aboriginal women. Classroom observations were conducted on a first year midwifery cohort from July to October 2012 and students completed 'before and after' questionnaires. A spectrum of emotional responses was identified and found to be consistent with studies of medical student exposure to Aboriginal content. While stereotypes were challenged and perceptions altered as a result of the content, issues surrounding racism remained unresolved, with some students expressing dismay at the attitudes of their peers. This study confirmed the need for content on Aboriginal health and cultures to extend beyond one unit in a course. Learning and knowledge must be carefully integrated and developed to maximise understanding and ensure that unresolved issues are addressed.

  12. Consideration of using virtual reality for teaching neonatal resuscitation to midwifery students.

    PubMed

    Williams, Jessica; Jones, Donovan; Walker, Rohan

    2018-05-28

    Within the last decade, there has been significant change in the way tertiary midwifery education has been delivered to students. The use of blended teaching methods and the introduction of simulated learning experiences has been observed in the literature to improve students' self-confidence, competence, clinical judgement and decision-making abilities. Simulation is seen to be particularly important when practising skills that may be infrequently encountered in practice, such as clinical emergencies. Neonatal resuscitation is the most common neonatal emergency encountered within midwifery today, with up to 15% of babies requiring some form of resuscitation at birth. Recent research describes the benefits of using a multi-modal approach to teaching neonatal resuscitation, utilising both theory and simulated learning methods. One emerging method of simulation is that of virtual reality (VR), which has been recognised for its enormous educational potential in risk-free clinical skills training. Currently, however, there is limited research looking at the use of VR in emergency skills training. This article examines the literature to highlight the potential benefits that VR simulation could provide for emergency skills training, as well as the potential challenges that should be acknowledged. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Social Well-Being and Related Factors in Students of School of Nursing and Midwifery.

    PubMed

    Salehi, Alireza; Marzban, Maryam; Sourosh, Maryam; Sharif, Farkhondeh; Nejabat, Mahmoud; Imanieh, Mohammad Hadi

    2017-01-01

    According to the World Health Organization viewpoint, social well-being is an important dimension of health along with physical and mental aspects. Evaluation of social well-being is necessary in students, especially in medical sciences students due to future responsibility as health care professionals. The present study attempted to investigate the level of social well-being, five domains of it (like actualization, integration, contribution), and some related factors in the school of nursing and midwifery students. This cross-sectional study was carried out between Julys to December 2015 and comprised 346 students in the school of nursing and midwifery in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Social well-being, socio-demographic status and physical activity were measured by valid questionnaires. Univariate linear regression analysis, multiple imputation method, ANOVA and independent sample t-test were used as different statistical methods. The P values less than 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. The mean score of social well-being was 50. The minimum and maximum scores of social well-being were 20 to 100. Married students had higher social well-being than single students in univariate linear regression (Beta: 2.111, 95% CI: (0.387 to 3.738), P=0.017). Also, social integration had higher scores in married students (P=0.015). Social actualization was higher in male students (P=0.015); on the other hand, social contribution was higher in female students (P=0.026). The results of our study showed that social well-being status of students in this research was not satisfactory. Designing and conducting programs for promotion of social well-being, for example preparing facilities for marriage of students, can be helpful. Evaluation of social well-being in students of other schools with multicenter studies seems to be useful.

  14. Designing an oral health module for the Bachelor of Midwifery program at an Australian University.

    PubMed

    Duff, Margaret; Dahlen, Hannah G; Burns, Elaine; Priddis, Holly; Schmied, Virginia; George, Ajesh

    2017-03-01

    Maternal oral health is important yet many pregnant women are unaware of its significance. Midwives are advised to promote oral health during pregnancy and are supported to do this in Australia through the Midwifery Initiated Oral Health training program. However, limited undergraduate education is being provided to midwifery students in this area. The objective of this paper is to describe how an innovative oral health education module for an undergraduate midwifery course in Australia was designed using a multidisciplinary approach. Midwives experienced in curriculum development and key investigators from the Midwifery Initiated Oral Health program designed the module using existing literature. Constructive alignment, blended learning and scaffolding were used in the design process. The draft module was then reviewed by midwifery academics and their feedback incorporated. The final module involves 4 h of teaching and learning and contains three components incorporated into first year course units. Each component is aligned with existing learning outcomes and incorporates blended learning approaches and tutorials/class activities as well as online quizzes and personal reflection. The module details key information (current evidence; basic anatomy/physiology; common oral conditions; and guidelines during pregnancy) that could better prepare students to promote oral health in clinical practice. This is the first time such an innovative, multidisciplinary approach has been undertaken embedding oral health in an undergraduate midwifery program in Australia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. An Outcome Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Pre-Registration Midwifery Programmes of Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fraser, Diane; Murphy, Roger; Worth-Butler, Michelle

    A project evaluated 23 preregistration midwifery education programs in Britain. Phase 1 reviewed the programs and identified a cohort of students for indepth study. Phase 2 followed this cohort into their first year in practice. A survey selected six case study sites. Findings showed a common cause of attrition was students being unable to balance…

  16. The Virtual Maternity Clinic: a teaching and learning innovation for midwifery education.

    PubMed

    Phillips, Diane; Duke, Maxine; Nagle, Cate; Macfarlane, Susie; Karantzas, Gery; Patterson, Denise

    2013-10-01

    There are challenges for midwifery students in developing skill and competency due to limited placements in antenatal clinics. The Virtual Maternity Clinic, an online resource, was developed to support student learning in professional midwifery practice. Identifying students' perceptions of the Virtual Maternity Clinic; learning about the impact of the Virtual Maternity Clinic on the students' experience of its use and access; and learning about the level of student satisfaction of the Virtual Maternity Clinic. Two interventions were used including pre and post evaluations of the online learning resource with data obtained from questionnaires using open ended and dichotomous responses and rating scales. The pre-Virtual Maternity Clinic intervention used a qualitative design and the post-Virtual Maternity Clinic intervention applied both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Three campuses of Deakin University, located in Victoria, Australia. Midwifery students enrolled in the Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma of Midwifery were recruited across three campuses of Deakin University (n=140). Thematic analysis of the pre-Virtual Maternity Clinic intervention (return rate n=119) related to students' expectations of this resource. The data for the post-Virtual Maternity Clinic intervention (return rate n=42) including open-ended responses were thematically analysed; dichotomous data examined in the form of frequencies and percentages of agreement and disagreement; and 5-rating scales were analysed using Pearson's correlations (α=.05, two-tailed). Results showed from the pre-Virtual Maternity Clinic intervention that students previously had placements in antenatal clinics were optimistic about the online learning resource. The post-Virtual Maternity Clinic intervention results indicated that students were satisfied with the Virtual Maternity Clinic as a learning resource despite some technological issues. The Virtual Maternity Clinic

  17. Prior Work and Educational Experience Are Not Associated With Successful Completion of a Master's-Level, Distance Education Midwifery Program.

    PubMed

    Niemczyk, Nancy A; Cutts, Alison; Perlman, Dana B

    2018-03-01

    In order to increase and diversify the midwifery workforce, admissions criteria for midwifery education programs must not contain unnecessary barriers to entry. Once accepted, students need to successfully complete the program. Many admissions criteria commonly used in midwifery education programs in the United States are not evidence based and could be unnecessary barriers to education. The primary objective of this study was to identify factors known during the admission process that were related to successful completion or failure to complete a midwifery program educating both student nurse-midwives (SNMs) and student midwives (SMs); a secondary objective was to quantify reasons for program noncompletion. This master's-level, distance education program educates a diverse group of both SNMs and SMs. A pilot, retrospective cohort study examined all students matriculating at the program from fall 2012 on and scheduled to graduate by summer 2016 (N = 58). Demographic information, admissions information, academic records, and advising notes were reviewed. Reasons for noncompletion were identified, and characteristics were compared between students who did and did not complete the program. Program completion was not significantly associated with students' status as nurses prior to admission, labor and delivery nursing experience, length of nursing experience, nursing degree held, presence of children at home, working while in school, or undergraduate grade point average. Being a nurse, years of nursing experience, type of nursing degree, or labor and delivery nursing experience were not associated with completion of this midwifery program. © 2018 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  18. An investigation on nursing, midwifery and health care students' learning motivation in Turkey.

    PubMed

    Kosgeroglu, Nedime; Acat, M Bahaddin; Ayranci, Unal; Ozabaci, Nilufer; Erkal, Sibel

    2009-09-01

    The aim was to determine differences between the dimensions of motivational learning and sociodemographic characteristics of nursing, midwifery and health care students. For the purpose of collecting data on learning-oriented motivations, occupational learning motivation scale (OLMS) was used. The OLMS was designed to assess the constructs of extrinsic, intrinsic and negative factors for learning, cognitive and lifelong learning goals. The mean levels of the items "willingness to help people", "fear of making mistakes" and "willingness to work with those likely to motivate them" were all determined to be high. Significant differences were revealed for the sex of the students (p<0.05).

  19. Quality considerations in midwifery pre-service education: exemplars from Africa.

    PubMed

    Fullerton, Judith T; Johnson, Peter G; Thompson, Joyce B; Vivio, Donna

    2011-06-01

    This paper uses comparisons and contrasts identified during an assessment of pre-service education for midwives in three countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of the paper is to stimulate discussion about issues that must be carefully considered in the context of midwifery educational programming and the expansion of the midwifery workforce. A mixed qualitative and quantitative participatory assessment was conducted in Ethiopia, Ghana and Malawi, in the context of a final review of outcomes of a USAID-funded global project (ACCESS). Quantitative surveys were distributed. Individual and focus group interviews were conducted. Participants included key informants at donor, government and policy-making levels, representatives of collaborating and supporting agencies, midwives and students in education programmes, and midwives in clinical practice. Information is presented concerning the challenges encountered by those responsible for midwifery pre-service education related to issues in programming including: pathways to midwifery, student recruitment and admission, midwifery curricula, preparation of faculty to engage in academic teaching and clinical mentorship, modes of curriculum dissemination and teaching/learning strategies, programme accreditation, qualifications for entry-into practice and the assessment of continued competence. Quality issues must be carefully considered when designing and implementing midwifery pre-service education programmes, and planning for the integration of new graduates into the health workforce. These issues, such as the availability of qualified tutors and clinical teachers, and measures for the implementation of competency-based teaching and learner-assessment strategies, are particularly relevant in countries that experience health manpower shortages. This review highlights important strategic choices that can be made to enhance the quality of pre-service midwifery education. The deployment, appropriate utilisation and

  20. Nursing and midwifery students' perception of learning enablers and gains in the first semester of their BSc programmes: A cross sectional study.

    PubMed

    Redmond, Catherine; Davies, Carmel; Halligan, Phil; Joye, Regina; Carroll, Lorraine; Frawley, Timothy

    2018-06-01

    The student experience in the first year of university is fundamental to successful adaption to the higher education environment and shapes student engagement with their chosen degree. Students' feedback on this experience is essential when designing or reviewing curricula. The aim of this study was to explore students' perceptions of their learning gains to identify factors that support student learning and identify elements that need improvement if specific learning needs are to be met. A cross sectional descriptive study. A large urban university in Ireland that provides undergraduate nursing and midwifery degree programmes. The study was conducted using the Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG) questionnaire. This instrument consists of a series of closed questions which explore perceived student gains in skills, cognitions and attitudes. The questionnaire was adapted for a semester rather than a module evaluation. The tool also includes a series of open questions inviting students to comment in each section. Students (n = 206) positively evaluated teaching and learning approaches used. The greatest enablers of learning were clinical skills laboratory small group teaching and support followed by online learning materials and multiple choice formative assessment questions. They reported gains in knowledge, generic skills development and an increase in confidence and enthusiasm for their chosen career. The feedback gained in this study provides valuable knowledge about the elements that support nursing and midwifery students learning and highlights areas that require attention. This is particularly useful for faculty who are involved in curriculum review and enhancement and in student engagement and retention. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Evaluation of tools used to measure critical thinking development in nursing and midwifery undergraduate students: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Carter, Amanda G; Creedy, Debra K; Sidebotham, Mary

    2015-07-01

    Well developed critical thinking skills are essential for nursing and midwifery practices. The development of students' higher-order cognitive abilities, such as critical thinking, is also well recognised in nursing and midwifery education. Measurement of critical thinking development is important to demonstrate change over time and effectiveness of teaching strategies. To evaluate tools designed to measure critical thinking in nursing and midwifery undergraduate students. The following six databases were searched and resulted in the retrieval of 1191 papers: CINAHL, Ovid Medline, ERIC, Informit, PsycINFO and Scopus. After screening for inclusion, each paper was evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Tool. Thirty-four studies met the inclusion criteria and quality appraisal. Sixteen different tools that measure critical thinking were reviewed for reliability and validity and extent to which the domains of critical thinking were evident. Sixty percent of studies utilised one of four standardised commercially available measures of critical thinking. Reliability and validity were not consistently reported and there was a variation in reliability across studies that used the same measure. Of the remaining studies using different tools, there was also limited reporting of reliability making it difficult to assess internal consistency and potential applicability of measures across settings. Discipline specific instruments to measure critical thinking in nursing and midwifery are required, specifically tools that measure the application of critical thinking to practise. Given that critical thinking development occurs over an extended period, measurement needs to be repeated and multiple methods of measurement used over time. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Establishing midwifery in low-resource settings: guidance from a mixed-methods evaluation of the Afghanistan midwifery education program.

    PubMed

    Zainullah, Partamin; Ansari, Nasratullah; Yari, Khalid; Azimi, Mahmood; Turkmani, Sabera; Azfar, Pashtoon; LeFevre, Amnesty; Mungia, Jaime; Gubin, Rehana; Kim, Young-Mi; Bartlett, Linda

    2014-10-01

    The shortage of skilled birth attendants has been a key factor in the high maternal and newborn mortality in Afghanistan. Efforts to strengthen pre-service midwifery education in Afghanistan have increased the number of midwives from 467 in 2002 to 2954 in 2010. We analyzed the costs and graduate performance outcomes of the two types of pre-service midwifery education programs in Afghanistan that were either established or strengthened between 2002 and 2010 to guide future program implementation and share lessons learned. We performed a mixed-methods evaluation of selected midwifery schools between June 2008 and November 2010. This paper focuses on the evaluation's quantitative methods, which included (a) an assessment of a sample of midwifery school graduates (n=138) to measure their competencies in six clinical skills; (b) prospective documentation of the actual clinical practices of a subsample of these graduates (n=26); and (c) a costing analysis to estimate the resources required to educate students enrolled in these programs. For the clinical competency assessment and clinical practices components, two Institutes for Health Sciences (IHS) schools and six Community Midwifery Education (CME) schools; for the costing analysis, a different set of nine schools (two IHS, seven CME), all of which were funded by the US Agency for International Development. Midwives who had graduated from either IHS or CME schools. CME graduates (n=101) achieved an overall mean competency score of 63.2% (59.9-66.6%) on the clinical competency assessment compared to 57.3% (49.9-64.7%) for IHS graduates (n=37). Reproductive health activities accounted for 76% of midwives' time over an average of three months. Approximately 1% of childbirths required referral or resulted in maternal death. On the basis of known costs for the programs, the estimated cost of graduating a class with 25 students averaged US$298,939, or US$10,784 per graduate. The pre-service midwifery education experience of

  3. Perspectives of nursing and midwifery students regarding the role of the hidden curriculum in patient education: A qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Azadi, Zohreh; Ravanipour, Maryam; Yazdankhahfard, Mohammadreza; Motamed, Niloofar; Pouladi, Shahnaz

    2017-01-01

    Although education is one of the most substantial needs of patients that should be taught by nurses and midwives, it is not clearly defined through the hidden curriculum in students' teaching programs. The aim of this study was to explore the patient education through the hidden curriculum in the perspectives of nursing and midwifery students. A qualitative, content analysis study was performed and twenty nursing and midwifery students were interviewed. Data were collected using face-to-face semi-structured interviews and analyzed using conventional content analysis approach. Students' perception of the hidden curriculum in patient education emerged in three main themes concerning: (1) interactions, (2) teaching and learning opportunities, and (3) reflective evaluation. The hidden curriculum in patient education can be transferred as interactions between professors, students, nurses, doctors, and also patients who are rooted from paying attention to the human dimension of the patient, avoiding the materialistic treatment of the patient and treating the patient with dignity. Educational policies and students' assignments should be designed based on the patient's educational goals and the goal of evaluation has to be presented to the students clearly.

  4. The Effect of Training Problem-Solving Skills on Coping Skills of Depressed Nursing and Midwifery Students

    PubMed Central

    Ebrahimi, Hossein; Barzanjeh Atri, Shirin; Ghavipanjeh, Somayeh; Farnam, Alireza; Gholizadeh, Leyla

    2013-01-01

    Introduction: Nurses have a considerable role in caring and health promotion. Depressed nurses are deficient in their coping skills that are important in mental health. This study evaluated the effectiveness of training problem-solving skills on coping skills of depressed nursing and midwifery students. Methods: The Beck Depression Scale and coping skills questionnaire were administered in Tabriz and Urmia nursing and midwifery schools. 92 students, who had achieved a score above 10 on the Beck Depression Scale, were selected. 46 students as study group and 46 students as control group were selected randomly. The intervention group received six sessions of problem-solving training within three weeks. Finally, after the end of sessions, coping skills and depression scales were administered and analyzed for both groups. Results: Comparing the mean coping skills showed that before the intervention there were no significant differences between the control and study groups. However, after the intervention, a significant difference was observed between the control group and the study group. By comparing the mean coping skills before and after the intervention, a significant difference was observed in the study group. Conclusion: Training problem-solving skills increased the coping skills of depressed students. According to the role of coping skills in people's mental health, increasing coping skills can promote mental health, provide the basis for caring skills, and improve the quality of nurses’ caring skills. PMID:25276704

  5. Development of a context specific accreditation assessment tool for affirming quality midwifery education in Bangladesh.

    PubMed

    Bogren, Malin; Sathyanarayanan Doraiswamy; Erlandsson, Kerstin; Akhter, Halima; Akter, Dalia; Begum, Momtaz; Chowdhury, Merry; Das, Lucky; Akter, Rehana; Begum, Sufia; Akter, Renoara; Yesmin, Syeada; Khatun, Yamin Ara

    2018-06-01

    using the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) Global Standards for Midwifery Education as a conceptual framework, the aim of this study was to explore and describe important 'must haves' for inclusion in a context-specific accreditation assessment tool in Bangladesh. A questionnaire study was conducted using a Likert rating scale and 111 closed-response single items on adherence to accreditation-related statements, ending with an open-ended question. The ICM Global Standards guided data collection, deductive content analysis and description of the quantitative results. twenty-five public institutes/colleges (out of 38 in Bangladesh), covering seven out of eight geographical divisions in the country. one hundred and twenty-three nursing educators teaching the 3-year diploma midwifery education programme. this study provides insight into the development of a context-specific accreditation assessment tool for Bangladesh. Important components to be included in this accreditation tool are presented under the following categories and domains: 'organization and administration', 'midwifery faculty', 'student body', 'curriculum content', 'resources, facilities and services' and 'assessment strategies'. The identified components were a prerequisite to ensure that midwifery students achieve the intended learning outcomes of the midwifery curriculum, and hence contribute to a strong midwifery workforce. The components further ensure well-prepared teachers and a standardized curriculum supported at policy level to enable effective deployment of professional midwives in the existing health system. as part of developing an accreditation assessment tool, it is imperative to build ownership and capacity when translating the ICM Global Standards for Midwifery Education into the national context. this initiative can be used as lessons learned from Bangladesh to develop a context-specific accreditation assessment tool in line with national priorities, supporting the

  6. A mini-midwifery business institute in a midwifery professional roles course: an innovative teaching strategy for successful career planning and business management of practice.

    PubMed

    Jesse, D Elizabeth; Dewees, Connie; McDowell, William C

    2015-01-01

    It is essential to include teaching strategies in midwifery education that address career planning and the business aspects of practice. This article presents the Mini-Midwifery Business Institute (M-MBI), an innovative teaching strategy for midwives that can also be applied to other advanced practice professions. The M-MBI can be integrated into a professional roles course. Before and after graduation, midwifery students and other advanced practice professionals can use the information to gain confidence and skills for successful career planning and the business management of practice. © 2014 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  7. Efficacy of teaching methods used to develop critical thinking in nursing and midwifery undergraduate students: A systematic review of the literature.

    PubMed

    Carter, Amanda G; Creedy, Debra K; Sidebotham, Mary

    2016-05-01

    The value and importance of incorporating strategies that promote critical thinking in nursing and midwifery undergraduate programmes are well documented. However, relatively little is known about the effectiveness of teaching strategies in promoting CT. Evaluating effectiveness is important to promote 'best practise' in teaching. To evaluate the efficacy of teaching methods used to develop critical thinking skills in nursing and midwifery undergraduate students. The following six databases; CINAHL, Ovid Medline, ERIC, Informit, PsycINFO and Scopus were searched and resulted in the retrieval of 1315 papers. After screening for inclusion, each paper was evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. Twenty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria and quality appraisal. Twelve different teaching interventions were tested in 8 countries. Results varied, with little consistency across studies using the same type of intervention or outcome tool. Sixteen tools were used to measure the efficacy of teaching in developing critical thinking. Seventeen studies identified a significant increase in critical thinking, while nine studies found no increases, and two found unexplained decreases in CT when using a similar educational intervention. Whilst this review aimed to identify effective teaching strategies that promote and develop critical thinking, flaws in methodology and outcome measures contributed to inconsistent findings. The continued use of generalised CT tools is unlikely to help identify appropriate teaching methods that will improve CT abilities of midwifery and nursing students and prepare them for practise. The review was limited to empirical studies published in English that used measures of critical thinking with midwifery and nursing students. Discipline specific strategies and tools that measure students' abilities to apply CT in practise are needed. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Developing a model of midwifery mentorship for Uganda: The MOMENTUM project 2015-2017.

    PubMed

    Kemp, Joy; Shaw, Eleanor; Musoke, Mary Gorret

    2018-04-01

    MOMENTUM was a 20 month midwifery twinning project between the Royal College of Midwives UK and the Ugandan Private Midwives Association. It ran from 2015-2017 and was funded by UK-Aid through THET. MOMENTUM aimed to develop a model of mentorship for Ugandan midwifery students. The project achieved its objectives. 41 Ugandan midwives were trained as mentors following a work-based learning curriculum. 142 student midwives from 8 midwifery schools received mentorship in 7 participating clinical sites. All sites showed measured improvement in the clinical learning environment. 7 UK midwives were twinned with Ugandan counterparts and engaged in peer-exchange visits and virtual support via smart-phones. The model is context-specific and may not be replicable in other countries or professions. However it will inform midwifery education in the UK and elsewhere. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. The current state of midwifery and development of midwifery research in four European countries.

    PubMed

    Luyben, Ans G; Wijnen, Hennie A A; Oblasser, Claudia; Perrenoud, Patricia; Gross, Mechthild M

    2013-05-01

    to describe the current state of midwifery and explore the development of midwifery research during the last two decades in four non-English speaking European countries in order to understand what factors influenced the course of establishing research as a professional activity. qualitative collective case study. Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands. with the ICM Workshop in Germany in 1989 as a central starting point for midwifery research in all four countries, different courses, in timing as well as content, characterised its development in the individual countries. Major factors contributing to this development during the last decades involved the history and character of midwifery, initiatives of individual midwifery researchers, alliances with other professions and the transition of midwifery programmes into higher education. Whereas midwifery research is currently established as a professional role in all countries, future challenges involve the creation of its own profile and identity, while building up its own academic workforce and strengthening the role of midwifery in multidisciplinary alliances. although a common vision was shared between the four countries in 1989, midwifery research developed as a context-specific phenomenon related to the character of midwifery and education in each country. These factors have to be taken into account in the further development of midwifery as an academic discipline at a national as well as at an international level. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. The lived experiences of flemish midwifery students undertaking an internship in Suriname: A phenomenological study.

    PubMed

    Hilde, Curinckx; Marion, Welsh; Marianne, Nieuwenhuijze

    2018-05-01

    The aim of this study is to explore the lived experience of Flemish midwifery students undertaking an internship in Suriname. Hermeneutic phenomenological method as described by van Manen. Seven midwifery students from one University College were selected purposefully for an in-depth interview during their internship abroad within the period October-November 2014. All interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. The study revealed five overarching themes: (1) A time to reconsider the time, (2) a time of connection and disconnection, (3) spatiality for thought and rethinking, (4) a body to undergo or a body to respond and (5) the other(s) among the others. The experience of an internship in Suriname presents itself in each individual as: 'A process of awareness from the self with a main focus on the professional'. Meaning that it was a process of 'disconnection' from their own culture towards 'connection' with another culture. Both, the 'rethinking' of their role as a midwife, as well as, balancing between guarding one's own authenticity by 'responding' or being the friendly stranger through 'undergoing', was noticeably striking. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Providing hope: midwifery teaching in Bangladesh.

    PubMed

    Kent, Anna

    2015-10-01

    Bangladesh is recognised as a resource-poor country that has made some very positive steps to reducing maternal mortality over the last decade. However the death rate of women directly caused by pregnancy and childbirth still remains much higher than countries such as the UK, often due to lack of access to good quality and affordable basic health care. In this article, Anna Kent writes of her experiences teaching obstetric emergency clinical skills to Bangladesh's first ever student midwives. The students were recruited from rural villages to complete a three-year fully funded Midwifery Diploma Programme at one of seven education centres across the country. The goal of the programme is for the students to eventually return and practise as midwives in their home communities, enabling greater access for women to good quality basic health care, directly reducing maternal mortality across Bangladesh.

  12. Factors that influence nursing and midwifery students' intentions to study abroad: A qualitative study using the theory of planned behaviour.

    PubMed

    Kelleher, Seán; FitzGerald, Serena; Hegarty, Josephine

    2016-09-01

    Future health care professionals need to be broadly-educated, adaptable individuals who have significant experience in the world beyond the classroom. Study abroad is an ideal means of developing some of the skills and attitudes that are not only valued among health professionals, but also have global applicability. Although internationalisation through study abroad is widely publicised as a preferred means of developing globally competent third level graduates very little is known about the factors that influence students' predisposition to study abroad, students decision making process and how various factors influence that process. To explore the motivating factors that influence nursing and midwifery student's intentions to study abroad. Qualitative descriptive. A third level institution in Ireland. A purposive sample (n=25) of undergraduate nursing and midwifery students. Data were obtained individually and in a free response format by means of an open ended belief elicitation questionnaire. The theory of planned behaviour was used a theoretical framework to guide both the structure of the questionnaire and the content analysis. The study's findings support earlier works in identifying the main behavioural, normative and control factors that influence a student's decision to study abroad and is the first study to recognise enhanced professional identity as a potential benefit of study abroad. Factors such as cultural sensitivity, employability, language and cost emerged as important issues in need of further investigation. The findings of this study have implications for administrators, academics, and others involved in the development of third level study abroad programmes for nursing and midwifery students. New methods which promote the perceived benefits of study abroad, address the perceived barriers and ultimately increase student participation are needed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Numeracy skills of undergraduate entry level nurse, midwife and pharmacy students.

    PubMed

    Arkell, Sharon; Rutter, Paul M

    2012-07-01

    The ability of healthcare professionals to perform basic numeracy and therefore dose calculations competently is without question. Research has primarily focused on nurses, and to a lesser extent doctors, ability to perform this function with findings highlighting poor aptitude. Studies involving pharmacists are few but findings are more positive than other healthcare staff. To determine first year nursing, midwifery and pharmacy students ability to perform basic numeracy calculations. All new undergraduate entrants to nursing, midwifery and pharmacy sat a formative numeracy test within the first two weeks of their first year of study. Test results showed that pharmacy students significantly outperformed midwifery and nursing students on all questions. In turn midwifery students outperformed nurses, although this did not achieve significance. When looking at each cohorts general attitude towards mathematics, pharmacy students were more positive and confident compared to midwifery and nursing students. Pharmacy students expressed greater levels of enjoyment and confidence in performing mathematics and correspondingly showed the greatest proficiency. In contrast nurse, and to a lesser extent midwifery students showed poor performance and low confidence levels. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Communicating out loud: Midwifery students' experiences of a simulation exercise for neonatal resuscitation.

    PubMed

    Carolan-Olah, Mary; Kruger, Gina; Brown, Vera; Lawton, Felicity; Mazzarino, Melissa; Vasilevski, Vidanka

    2018-03-01

    Midwifery students feel unprepared to deal with commonly encountered emergencies, such as neonatal resuscitation. Clinical simulation of emergencies may provide a safe forum for students to develop necessary skills. A simulation exercise, for neonatal resuscitation, was developed and evaluated using qualitative methods. Pre and post-simulation questions focussed on student confidence and knowledge of resuscitation. Data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Pre-simulation questions revealed that most students considered themselves not very confident/unsure about their level of confidence in undertaking neonatal resuscitation. Most correctly identified features of the neonate requiring resuscitation. Post-simulation, students indicated that their confidence and knowledge of neonatal resuscitation had improved. Themes included: gaining confidence; understanding when to call for help; understanding the principles of resuscitation; tailoring simulation/education approaches to student needs. Students benefits included improved knowledge, confidence and skills. Participants unanimously suggested a program of simulation exercises, over a longer period of time, to reinforce knowledge and confidence gains. Ideally, students would like to actively participate in the simulation, rather than observe. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  15. Innovative uses of technology in online midwifery education.

    PubMed

    Arbour, Megan W; Nypaver, Cynthia F; Wika, Judith C

    2015-01-01

    Women's health care in the United States is at a critical juncture. There is increased demand for primary care providers, including women's health specialists such as certified nurse-midwives/certified midwives, women's health nurse practitioners, and obstetrician-gynecologists, yet shortages in numbers of these providers are expected. This deficit in the number of women's health care providers could have adverse consequences for women and their newborns when women have to travel long distances to access maternity health care. Online education using innovative technologies and evidence-based teaching and learning strategies have the potential to increase the number of health care providers in several disciplines, including midwifery. This article reviews 3 innovative uses of online platforms for midwifery education: virtual classrooms, unfolding case studies, and online return demonstrations of clinical skills. These examples of innovative teaching strategies can promote critical and creative thinking and enhance competence in skills. Their use in online education can help enhance the student experience. More students, including those who live in rural and underserved regions and who otherwise might be unable to attend a traditional onsite campus, are provided the opportunity to complete quality midwifery education through online programs, which in turn may help expand the women's health care provider workforce. This article is part of a special series of articles that address midwifery innovations in clinical practice, education, interprofessional collaboration, health policy, and global health. © 2015 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  16. A mixed-method evaluation of a New Zealand based midwifery education development unit.

    PubMed

    McAra-Couper, Judith; Gilkison, Andrea; Fielder, Anna; Donald, Heather

    2017-07-01

    The Midwifery Development Education Service was established in the Birthing Unit at Middlemore Hospital in South Auckland New Zealand in 2007. The service is unique in the New Zealand midwifery context for the way it operates as a collaboration between the education and health provider to optimise the clinical learning experience of student midwives. This paper reports on the evaluation of the Midwifery Development Education Service that was undertaken in 2015. The evaluation captured the views and experience of students and midwives who had been involved with, or had worked alongside, the service. A mixed-method approach was adopted for the evaluation study, comprising of an anonymous on-line survey, qualitative interviews and focus group discussion. Considerable satisfaction with the service was identified. This article draws attention to participants' perceptions of the service as supporting student midwives; the significance of quality time in the provision of the clinical midwifery education; the situating of the service at a unique vantage point (overseeing the needs of the university and the hospital) and its impact upon the learning culture of education within the unit. A potential tension is also identified between the provision of a supportive learning environment and the assessment of student performance. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  17. Perspectives of nursing and midwifery students regarding the role of the hidden curriculum in patient education: A qualitative study

    PubMed Central

    Azadi, Zohreh; Ravanipour, Maryam; Yazdankhahfard, Mohammadreza; Motamed, Niloofar; Pouladi, Shahnaz

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Although education is one of the most substantial needs of patients that should be taught by nurses and midwives, it is not clearly defined through the hidden curriculum in students’ teaching programs. The aim of this study was to explore the patient education through the hidden curriculum in the perspectives of nursing and midwifery students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative, content analysis study was performed and twenty nursing and midwifery students were interviewed. Data were collected using face-to-face semi-structured interviews and analyzed using conventional content analysis approach. RESULTS: Students’ perception of the hidden curriculum in patient education emerged in three main themes concerning: (1) interactions, (2) teaching and learning opportunities, and (3) reflective evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: The hidden curriculum in patient education can be transferred as interactions between professors, students, nurses, doctors, and also patients who are rooted from paying attention to the human dimension of the patient, avoiding the materialistic treatment of the patient and treating the patient with dignity. Educational policies and students’ assignments should be designed based on the patient's educational goals and the goal of evaluation has to be presented to the students clearly. PMID:29296609

  18. Charting the history of midwifery education.

    PubMed

    Finnerty, Gina; Bosanque, Anna; Aubrey, Dawn

    2013-09-01

    Despite the recent popularity of exploring the history of midwifery practice, there has been minimal attention paid to the history of midwifery education. The purpose of this paper is to display a visual map and timeline of midwifery education from the eighteenth century, when formal midwifery programmes were introduced, to the present day. The paper will be inclusive of the history of midwifery teaching through the use of the High Coombe College archives (Lorentzon et al 2008). Prior to the eighteenth century, processes for learning midwifery were informal and unregulated. Traditional apprenticeships were gradually replaced by formal, regulated educational midwifery programmes, which were assessed. Midwifery teacher training finally became established in the twentieth century.

  19. A web-based resource for promoting equity in midwifery education and training: Towards meaningful diversity and inclusion.

    PubMed

    Effland, Kristin J; Hays, Karen

    2018-06-01

    Increasing the midwifery workforce requires that aspiring midwives complete education and training, but structural racism and microaggressions impact the lives of underrepresented midwifery students and apprentices, adding stressors and disparities to the usual demanding educational challenges. In order to be resilient, students rely on preceptors, faculty, administrators and institutions to promote equity. Equity-focused learning environments improve student experiences and success rates, and better prepare all students to provide culturally humble and sensitive care to diverse childbearing persons and other essential competencies outlined by the International Confederation of Midwives. The comprehensive web-based resource, www.equitymidwifery.org, is designed to support midwifery educators in promoting equity and social justice in midwifery education and training. The website highlights examples and provides tools including original webinar content and encourages visitors to attend virtual strategy and collaboration calls. It offers a model of continuous professional development that is easily accessible. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Transformers: changing the face of nursing and midwifery in the media.

    PubMed

    McAllister, Margaret; Downer, Terri; Hanson, Julie; Oprescu, Florin

    2014-03-01

    This paper reports an educational strategy designed to sensitise and empower students about the impact of media representations of nursing and midwifery on their public image. Numerous studies continue to reveal that stories about nursing and midwifery presented in the mainstream media are often superficial, stereotypical and demeaning. Inaccurate portrayals of nursing damage our professional reputation with the public and potential consumers. It also sends the wrong message to future nursing students. Images are a powerful conductor of misinformation, suggesting to others that nurses are not important agents for social change. In 2012, a small team of academics designed a photography competition and judging process for undergraduate and postgraduate students of nursing and midwifery enrolled at a regional Australian university. The winning entries were photographs of high quality and conveyed rich meaning. They provide an interesting and positive counterpoint to derogatory images often propagated by mainstream media. There is benefit in extending this project so that it: appeals to more students, builds leadership skills, leads to wider social change and benefits society. The intention is to develop the process of student engagement as an educational intervention, and explore experiences and outcomes with stakeholders. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Developing Online Tutorials to Improve Information Literacy Skills for Second-Year Nursing Students of University College Dublin

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walters, Kirsteen; Bolich, Cecilia; Duffy, Daniel; Quinn, Ciarán; Walsh, Kathryn; Connolly, Sarah

    2015-01-01

    This article explores the process of developing online tutorials for a specified student group, in this case Second-Year Nursing students in University College Dublin. The product was commissioned by the Health Sciences Library and the UCD School of Nursing, Midwifery, and Health Systems. It was developed as a "Capstone Project" for part…

  2. Twenty-five years of breast-feeding research in Midwifery.

    PubMed

    Dykes, Fiona

    2011-02-01

    This paper explores some of the significant changes that have taken place with regard to the protection, promotion and support of breast feeding during the past three decades. The period covered since the first issue of Midwifery in 1985, has been marked by some dramatic reversals of harmful discourses and detrimental practices with regard to infant and young child feeding and more specifically breast feeding. Midwifery has spanned this period with the publication of 80 papers on breast feeding. This collection of papers has both influenced and reflected upon changes in international and national breast-feeding strategies and practices. Six papers have been selected for a special virtual edition of Midwifery to reflect the diversity of breast-feeding research in terms of issues explored, methodology and country of origin (www.midwiferyjournal.com). Considerable progress is reflected in these papers. However, there are still enormous challenges ahead in working towards the optimisation of infant and young child feeding. In addition to continuing to conduct and collate robust scientific and epidemiological research we need further studies that explore the political, economic, socio-cultural and psychological factors influencing women's infant feeding practices. Our professional practice needs to continue to improve in order to provide women and families with appropriate support, encouragement and resources to enable them to breastfeed effectively. Finally, we need to continue to challenge the systems and approaches at organisational and community levels that impede women in their endeavours to feed their infants in optimum ways. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Nursing and midwifery students’ perceptions of instructors’ unethical behaviors

    PubMed Central

    Rafiee, Ghazanfar; Moattari, Marzieh

    2013-01-01

    Background: Although nursing faculties may believe that they possess a core of knowledge about ethical interactions with students, they may unwittingly risk crossing an ethical boundary in the learning environment. The ethical dimension in education exists because the instructor has authority to contribute to or impede the students’ acquisition of knowledge. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the views of Iranian baccalaureate nursing and midwifery students regarding the occurrence rate of their faculties’ unethical behaviors. Materials and Methods: In this study, 115 subjects, including 61 nursing and 54 midwifery students, completed a questionnaire (response rate = 67.6%). The questionnaire consisted of demographic data and 27 short statements which described the faculties’ unethical behaviors. Reliability of instrument was confirmed (0.92) using Cronbach-Alpha. Results: Delaying in announcing the exam results (40%), lack of a positive learning environment (35.7%), failure to keep regularly scheduled office appointments (35.7%), and failure to update lecture notes when teaching a course (31.3%) were reported by the students as the main faculties’ unethical behaviors. Data analysis confirmed that there were no statistically significant differences between nursing and midwifery students’ responses (the two-tailed t-test was not significant at alpha 0.05 levels; P > 0.05). Conclusion: The study findings suggest that more emphasis should be put on faculties being accessible for consultation out of class time, announcing the exam results in a timely manner, and creating a positive learning environment. PMID:23983757

  4. Effectiveness of planned teaching intervention on knowledge and practice of breast self-examination among first year midwifery students.

    PubMed

    Abera, Hiwot; Mengistu, Daniel; Bedaso, Asres

    2017-01-01

    The prevalence of cancer is growing rapidly in all parts of the word and Ethiopia is no exception. Secondary prevention, as simple as monthly breast self-examination, is the best option to tackle the rising of this epidemic. Health awareness programs on screening and early detection are the corner stones to reduce the morbidity and mortality resulting from breast cancer. The aim of the study is to assess the effectiveness of planned teaching program on knowledge and practice of breast self-examination among first year female midwifery students in Hawassa health Sciences College. A pre-experimental one group pre-posttest design was used among 61 students who were selected by systematic random sampling technique. Data was collected using structured questionnaire and adapted and approved checklist. Data was entered using Epi-Info and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Pre-and post-intervention results were calculated using paired t-test. The mean age of the study participants was 20.13(±2.27) and 77% of the study participants were single. Before the intervention 14(23%) of respondents had information and practiced breast self-examination, only 8(13.1%) performed breast self -examination on a regular monthly basis. The number and percentage of the knowledgeable respondents pre-post intervention is 23(37.7%) and 35(57.4%), respectively. The mean knowledge difference for the pre-post intervention is 0.18±0.695 (P < 0.05). The respondents' pre- post interventions score of satisfactory practical competency were 10(16.4%) and 43(70.5%), respectively as well. The mean net gain for the pre-post breast self-examination intervention is 0.51± 0.62 (P < 0.001). Both the knowledge and practical competency scores showed highly significant increment after the intervention, showing that the research hypothesis was accepted. Planned teaching intervention on knowledge and Breast self-examination of students has resulted in an increment of both knowledge and the practice of breast self

  5. Are we failing to prepare nursing and midwifery students to deal with domestic abuse? Findings from a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Bradbury-Jones, Caroline; Broadhurst, Karen

    2015-09-01

    To investigate student nurses' and midwives' knowledge, confidence and educational needs regarding recognition and responses to domestic abuse. Domestic abuse is a serious global problem and has greater, negative effects on long-term health than more obvious diseases, such as diabetes. Nurses and midwives are well-placed to recognize and respond to domestic abuse but many lack confidence in this area. There is firm evidence that training can increase the confidence of Registered Nurses and midwives in responding to domestic abuse. But the issue of undergraduate preparation is significantly under-investigated. A qualitative study. Nursing and midwifery students were recruited using purposive sampling. We facilitated eight focus groups with a total of 55 students (student midwives N = 32; student nurses n = 23). Data were collected between May-November 2014. Students in the study viewed the issue of domestic abuse as important and they possessed sound theoretical knowledge of its nature and consequences. However, they lacked confidence in recognizing and responding to abuse and were concerned about the implications of this for their future practice as registered practitioners. Interactive learning opportunities that engaged with service users and involved experts from practice were viewed as important educational requirements. Most students in the study felt insufficiently prepared to deal with the issue of domestic abuse. They perceived this as a cyclical state of disempowerment that would impact negatively on their practice and on their own ability to support nursing and midwifery students of the future. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. An exploration of the midwifery continuity of care program at one Australian University as a symbiotic clinical education model.

    PubMed

    Sweet, Linda P; Glover, Pauline

    2013-03-01

    This discussion paper analyses a midwifery Continuity of Care program at an Australian University with the symbiotic clinical education model, to identify strengths and weakness, and identify ways in which this new pedagogical approach can be improved. In 2002 a major change in Australian midwifery curricula was the introduction of a pedagogical innovation known as the Continuity of Care experience. This innovation contributes a significant portion of clinical experience for midwifery students. It is intended as a way to give midwifery students the opportunity to provide continuity of care in partnership with women, through their pregnancy and childbirth, thus imitating a model of continuity of care and continuity of carer. A qualitative study was conducted in 2008/9 as part of an Australian Learning and Teaching Council Associate Fellowship. Evidence and findings from this project (reported elsewhere) are used in this paper to illustrate the evaluation of midwifery Continuity of Care experience program at an Australian university with the symbiotic clinical education model. Strengths of the current Continuity of Care experience are the strong focus on relationships between midwifery students and women, and early clinical exposure to professional practice. Improved facilitation through the development of stronger relationships with clinicians will improve learning, and result in improved access to authentic supported learning and increased provision of formative feedback. This paper presents a timely review of the Continuity of Care experience for midwifery student learning and highlights the potential of applying the symbiotic clinical education model to enhance learning. Applying the symbiotic clinical education framework to evidence gathered about the Continuity of Care experience in Australian midwifery education highlights strengths and weaknesses which may be used to guide curricula and pedagogical improvements. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights

  7. Development and psychometric testing of the Carter Assessment of Critical Thinking in Midwifery (Preceptor/Mentor version).

    PubMed

    Carter, Amanda G; Creedy, Debra K; Sidebotham, Mary

    2016-03-01

    develop and test a tool designed for use by preceptors/mentors to assess undergraduate midwifery students׳ critical thinking in practice. a descriptive cohort design was used. participants worked in a range of maternity settings in Queensland, Australia. 106 midwifery clinicians who had acted in the role of preceptor for undergraduate midwifery students. this study followed a staged model for tool development recommended by DeVellis (2012). This included generation of items, content validity testing through mapping of draft items to critical thinking concepts and expert review, administration of items to a convenience sample of preceptors, and psychometric testing. A 24 item tool titled the XXXX Assessment of Critical Thinking in Midwifery (CACTiM) was completed by registered midwives in relation to students they had recently preceptored in the clinical environment. ratings by experts revealed a content validity index score of 0.97, representing good content validity. An evaluation of construct validity through factor analysis generated three factors: 'partnership in practice', 'reflection on practice' and 'practice improvements'. The scale demonstrated good internal reliability with a Cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.97. The mean total score for the CACTiM scale was 116.77 (SD=16.68) with a range of 60-144. Total and subscale scores correlated significantly. the CACTiM (Preceptor/Mentor version) was found to be a valid and reliable tool for use by preceptors to assess critical thinking in undergraduate midwifery students. given the importance of critical thinking skills for midwifery practice, mapping and assessing critical thinking development in students׳ practice across an undergraduate programme is vital. The CACTiM (Preceptor/Mentor version) has utility for clinical education, research and practice. The tool can inform and guide preceptors׳ assessment of students׳ critical thinking in practice. The availability of a reliable and valid tool can be used to

  8. The experiences of last-year student midwives with High-Fidelity Perinatal Simulation training: A qualitative descriptive study.

    PubMed

    Vermeulen, Joeri; Beeckman, Katrien; Turcksin, Rivka; Van Winkel, Lies; Gucciardo, Léonardo; Laubach, Monika; Peersman, Wim; Swinnen, Eva

    2017-06-01

    Simulation training is a powerful and evidence-based teaching method in healthcare. It allows students to develop essential competences that are often difficult to achieve during internships. High-Fidelity Perinatal Simulation exposes them to real-life scenarios in a safe environment. Although student midwives' experiences need to be considered to make the simulation training work, these have been overlooked so far. To explore the experiences of last-year student midwives with High-Fidelity Perinatal Simulation training. A qualitative descriptive study, using three focus group conversations with last-year student midwives (n=24). Audio tapes were transcribed and a thematic content analysis was performed. The entire data set was coded according to recurrent or common themes. To achieve investigator triangulation and confirm themes, discussions among the researchers was incorporated in the analysis. Students found High-Fidelity Perinatal Simulation training to be a positive learning method that increased both their competence and confidence. Their experiences varied over the different phases of the High-Fidelity Perinatal Simulation training. Although uncertainty, tension, confusion and disappointment were experienced throughout the simulation trajectory, they reported that this did not affect their learning and confidence-building. As High-Fidelity Perinatal Simulation training constitutes a helpful learning experience in midwifery education, it could have a positive influence on maternal and neonatal outcomes. In the long term, it could therefore enhance the midwifery profession in several ways. The present study is an important first step in opening up the debate about the pedagogical use of High-Fidelity Perinatal Simulation training within midwifery education. Copyright © 2017 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Effect of Continued Support of Midwifery Students in Labour on the Childbirth and Labour Consequences: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

    PubMed Central

    Bolbol-Haghighi, Nahid; Masoumi, Seyedeh Zahra

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Childbirth experience is a process throughout women’s life and the most important consequence of labour. Support is the key factor to have a positive experience of childbirth. In order to improve and reduce the stress and anxiety levels in women during labour and cope with the childbirth pain, the emotional, physical and educational support of doulas can be used. Aim This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of continued support of midwifery students in labour on the childbirth and labour consequences. Materials and Methods The present study was conducted using a randomized controlled clinical trial design on 100 pregnant women referred to the maternity ward at Fatemieh Hospital, Shahroud, Iran. The participants were assigned to the supportive or non-supportive group based on allocation sequence using a randomized block design and table of computer-generated random numbers prior to beginning the study. Supportive care was provided by the trained midwifery students. Childbirth and labour consequences were analysed by chi-square test, Fisher-exact test, independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test using SPSS-21 software. Results The results showed a significantly lower duration of the first stage of labour in the supportive group, as compared to that in the non-supportive group (p <0.001). Moreover, Apgar scores in the supportive group, compared to those in the non-supportive group, significantly increased at minutes 1 and 5 (p <0.001 and p = 0.04, respectively). Conclusion The findings of this study showed that the supportive care provided by the midwifery students shortens duration of the first stage of labour and improves the Apgar scores in the first and fifth minutes. PMID:27790526

  10. A concept analysis of compassionate midwifery.

    PubMed

    Ménage, Diane; Bailey, Elizabeth; Lees, Susan; Coad, Jane

    2017-03-01

    To report a concept analysis of compassionate midwifery. Recently, compassion has been incorporated into United Kingdom nursing and midwifery language through strategy, policy, recruitment and education. Professional standards direct midwives to practise compassionately therefore the concept of compassionate midwifery exists, although this has yet to be explored as a concept in the UK or internationally. An understanding of what constitutes compassionate midwifery has the potential to increase midwifery knowledge and improve practice. Concept Analysis. Literature from 1990-2015 was searched using MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and ETHOS. Grey literature and examples of everyday usage of the concept were searched using Google. An adapted model of evolutionary concept analysis. Explanations of compassionate midwifery were absent in the literature therefore the gathered data were evaluated in relation to elements of the compassion process: recognition of suffering, emotion, motivation and action. Compassionate midwifery is defined as the interrelations of authentic presence, noticing suffering, empathy, connectedness/relationship, emotion work, motivation to help/support, empowering women and alleviating suffering through negotiation, knowledge and skills. Antecedents and consequences were also identified and depicted in a schematic representation of the concept. This concept analysis provides a unique examination of compassionate midwifery and starting point for reflection on practice, education and further analysis. Empirical studies will provide the potential to take the process further by studying the experience of compassionate midwifery from different perspectives. A theory of compassionate midwifery will develop as new findings emerge. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Integrating the Creative Arts into a Midwifery Curriculum: A Teaching Innovation Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, Debra; Sullivan, Jennifer R.

    1999-01-01

    An arts and humanities course for students in a midwifery diploma program explored images and concepts of childbirth, caring, and parenthood. Evaluation showed the 20 students gained insights into human experiences that will enhance practice. (SK)

  12. Out of the ashes: the new bachelor of midwifery curriculum at Victoria University.

    PubMed

    Carolan, Mary; Kruger, Gina; Brown, Vera

    2007-09-01

    In the past decade, midwifery education has changed significantly in Australia. Previously, a nursing qualification (division 1) was required for entry into midwifery programs and on completion, graduands obtained a postgraduate diploma of midwifery. More recently, bachelor of midwifery programs have also been offered in Australia and currently, a considerable percentage of midwives are prepared for practice in this way. In Victoria, the bachelor of midwifery has been available since 2002, and at this time the third group of graduands are poised to enter the field. Implementation of the bachelor of midwifery program has given rise to many concerns about the development and applicability of this course. Concerns include: complexities of registration with a regulatory board set up primarily for nursing registration; concerns about readiness for practice among bachelor of midwifery graduands; escalating requirements within midwifery courses; and difficulties with meeting course requirements. As this course comes of age in Victoria, it is useful to reflect on some of the challenges encountered along the way. Thus, this paper reports on the journey of one university as it approaches the end of a first year of implementing an independent bachelor of midwifery program, following 5 years involvement as a consortium partner. In particular, it addresses concerns and difficulties encountered during early implementation of the program and then outlines strategies used to improve and strengthen the course. The basic premise of the paper is lessons learnt along the way.

  13. The Continuity of Care Experience in Australian midwifery education-What have we achieved?

    PubMed

    Tierney, Olivia; Sweet, Linda; Houston, Don; Ebert, Lyn

    2017-06-01

    The Continuity of Care Experience is a mandated workplace based component of midwifery education in Australia. Since its inclusion in midwifery clinical education, the pedagogical approaches used across Australia have varied. The purpose of this integrative review is to determine the outcomes of the Continuity of Care Experience as an educational model. A search for relevant research literature was undertaken in 2015 using a range of databases and by examining relevant bibliographies. Articles published in English, which provided information about the outcomes of Continuity of Care Experiences for midwifery education were included. A total of 20 studies were selected. The included studies were primarily exploratory and descriptive. Studies reported the value that both students and women place on the relationship they developed. This relationship resulted in opportunities that enhanced student learning by providing a context in which clinical practice learning was optimized. Challenges identified included managing time and workload pressures for students in relation to the CCE, inconsistencies in academic use of the experience, and variations in how the healthcare system influences the continuity experience. No research was found that reports on the educational model in terms of defining learning objectives and assessment of outcomes. This represents an important omission in mandating this clinical practice model in midwifery curricula without sufficient guidance to unify and maximize learning for students. Research is required to explore the educational intent and assessment methods of the Continuity of Care Experience as an educational model. Copyright © 2016 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. An exploration of the value of the role of the mentor and mentoring in midwifery.

    PubMed

    Moran, Margaret; Banks, David

    2016-05-01

    This research project aimed to examine the perceived value sign-off mentors (SOMs) in midwifery have for their role. Using a phenomenological approach, the results were drawn from in-depth interviews. The project included a literature review, methodology, results and discussion. The results indicate that mentors enjoy their role and they see themselves as essentials to the delivery of pre-registration midwifery programmes and for the supervision and assessment of student midwives. Mentors are not sure if student midwives value their sign-off mentor, or whether senior management is aware of the sign-off role and its value. This project also confirms previous findings from other studies, particularly the problem of finding time to complete student assessment paper work, support students in clinical practice and whether there are enough SOMs within clinical practice. The study does not conclude that the issues raised are distinctive to midwifery, potentially all of the points raised translate to the various forms of nursing practice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Continuing midwifery education beyond graduation: Student midwives' awareness of continuous professional development.

    PubMed

    Embo, M; Valcke, M

    2017-05-01

    Midwifery education plays an important role in educating graduates about engaging in continuous professional development (CPD) but there is a lack of empirical research analysing student midwives' awareness of CPD beyond graduation. We aimed to explore student midwives' awareness of the need to become lifelong learners and to map their knowledge of CPD activities available after graduation. Therefore, forty-seven reflective documents, written in the last week of student midwives' training programme, were analysed in a thematic way. Content analysis confirmed student midwives' awareness of the importance of CPD before graduation. They mentioned different reasons for future involvement in CPD and described both, formal and informal CPD-activities. Respondents were especially aware of the importance of knowledge, to a lesser degree of skills-training and still less of the potential value of the Internet for individual and collective learning. Respondents perceived a need for a mandatory preceptorship. Supporting learning guides were highly valued and the importance of reflection on CPD was well-established. This could have resulted from an integrated reflective learning strategy during education. Undergraduate midwives are aware of the importance of CPD and the interplay of formal and informal learning activities. Virtual learning requires special attention to overcome CPD challenges. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Midwifery education today.

    PubMed

    Carr, Katherine Camacho; Brucker, Mary C

    2002-12-01

    Today, there are more than 7000 CNMs and CMs in the United States, who attend approximately 9% of American births annually in hospitals, birth centers, and homes. Midwives work in a variety of practice models, including group practices with physicians, HMOs, private practices, rural and urban community health centers, and large managed care organizations. CNMs and CMs also serve as administrators, policy makers, and consultants in international maternal and child health. Midwifery education has come a long way since 1931, when the first education program started. The dedication of CNMs to our clients and the midwifery model of care, as well as these midwifery educational innovations, will continue to support the profession's goals of offering humane, holistic, and safe health care to women and their families.

  17. Relation of assertiveness and anxiety among Iranian University students.

    PubMed

    Larijani, T T; Aghajani, M; Baheiraei, A; Neiestanak, N S

    2010-12-01

    • The findings from the present study revealed that less than 30% of nursing and midwifery students have high assertiveness and only half of them have low anxiety. • Assertiveness and anxiety have negative correlations in nursing and midwifery students and affect the mental health and educational and occupational performance of the students. • Many factors such as years of education and working while studying influence the level of assertiveness in the students. • The anxiety in students had a significant relation with the father's level of education, family income, etc. The simultaneous existence of low assertiveness and high anxiety in nursing and midwifery students leads to the disruption of study performance. There exists little information concerning their assertiveness. The purpose of this study was to determine the relation of assertiveness and anxiety in nursing and midwifery students. In this correlational, cross-sectional study, 173 nursing students (68 males and 105 females) and 77 midwifery students were recruited from the Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Data were collected using a questionnaire including personal-social factors, the Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Assertion Inventory of Gambrill and Richey. More than half of the nursing and midwifery students (59.5% and 59.7%, respectively) had moderate assertiveness. Also, 43.3% and 36.4% of them had moderate and high levels of anxiety. Pearson correlation test revealed that assertiveness and anxiety had negative correlations in nursing (r=-0.51, P < 0.001) and midwifery (r=-0.449, P < 0.001) students. Some demographic variables had significant correlations with assertiveness and anxiety among the students. Considering the relation of assertiveness and anxiety and its effects on mental health and educational and occupational performance, students should be informed of the required skills for positive interaction with others and to increase assertiveness and decrease

  18. Real life narratives enhance learning about the 'art and science' of midwifery practice.

    PubMed

    Gilkison, Andrea; Giddings, Lynne; Smythe, Liz

    2016-03-01

    Health professional educators have long grappled with how to teach the more elusive art of practice alongside the science (a term that encompasses the sort of professional knowledge that can be directly passed on). A competent practitioner is one who knows when, how and for whom to apply knowledge and skills, thereby making the links between theory and practice. They combine art and science in such a way that integrates knowledge with insight. This participatory hermeneutic study explored the experience of teachers and students of implementing a narrative-centred curriculum in undergraduate midwifery education. It revealed that when real life narratives were central to the learning environment, students' learning about the art of midwifery practice was enhanced as they learned about midwifery decisions, reflected on their own values and beliefs and felt an emotional connection with the narrator. Further, art and science became melded together in the context specific wisdom of practice (phronesis).

  19. Conflicting ideologies as a source of emotion work in midwifery.

    PubMed

    Hunter, Billie

    2004-09-01

    to explore how a range of midwives experienced and managed emotion in their work. a qualitative study using an ethnographic approach. Data were collected in three phases using focus groups, observations and interviews. South Wales, UK. Phase One: self-selected convenience sample of 27 student midwives in first and final years of 18-month (postnursing qualification) and 3-year (direct entry) programmes. Phase Two: opportunistic sample of 11 qualified midwives representing a range of clinical locations and clinical grades. Phase Three: purposive sample of 29 midwives working within one NHS Trust, representing a range of clinical locations, length of clinical experience and clinical grades. community and hospital environments presented midwives with fundamentally different work settings that had diverse values and perspectives. The result was two primary occupational identities and ideologies that were in conflict. Hospital midwifery was dominated by meeting service needs, via a universalistic and medicalised approach to care; the ideology was, by necessity, 'with institution'. Community-based midwifery was more able to support an individualised, natural model of childbirth reflecting a 'with woman' ideology. This ideology was officially supported, both professionally and academically. When midwives were able to work according to the 'with woman' ideal, they experienced their work as emotionally rewarding. Conversely, when this was not possible, they experienced work as emotionally difficult and requiring regulation of emotion, i.e. 'emotion work'. unlike findings from other studies, that have located emotion work primarily within worker/client relationships, the key source of emotion work for participants was conflicting ideologies of midwifery practice. These conflicts were particularly evident in the accounts of novice midwives (i.e. students and those who had been qualified for less than 1 year) and integrated team midwives. Both groups held a strong commitment to

  20. Scrapping of student bursaries confirmed.

    PubMed

    Longhurst, Chris

    2016-07-27

    Student bursaries for nurses will be scrapped from next year, the government has confirmed. Undergraduate nursing and midwifery students in England will now face tuition fees and student loans from August 2017.

  1. When the baby remains there for a long time, it is going to die so you have to hit her small for the baby to come out": justification of disrespectful and abusive care during childbirth among midwifery students in Ghana.

    PubMed

    Rominski, Sarah D; Lori, Jody; Nakua, Emmanuel; Dzomeku, Veronica; Moyer, Cheryl A

    2017-03-01

    Despite global attention, high levels of maternal mortality continue to plague many low- and middle-income settings. One important way to improve the care of women in labour is to increase the proportion of women who deliver in a health facility. However, due to poor quality of care, including being disrespected and abused, women are reluctant to come to facilities for delivery care. The current study sought to examine disrespectful and abusive treatment towards labouring women from the perspective of midwifery students who were within months of graduation. Key Messages •Midwifery students in Ghana’s public midwifery schools report witnessing and participating in many forms of disrespect and abuse during deliveries as part of their education. While they are clear as to why respectful care is important and necessary, they are able to justify and explain reasons for disrespectful and abusive care. This poor treatment of labouring women was explicitly and tacitly supported by these students’ teachers and preceptors. •All study materials and methods were reviewed and approved by the Ghana Health Service Ethical Review Committee, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology Committee on Publication and Human Ethics, and the University of Michigan Institutional Review Board. •This research was made possible through a grant from the African Studies Center, University of Michigan. For this study, we conducted focus groups with final year midwifery students at 15 public midwifery training colleges in all 10 of Ghana’s regions. Focus group discussions were recorded and transcribed. A multi-disciplinary team of researchers from the US and Ghana analysed the qualitative data. While students were able to talk at length as to why respectful care is important, they were also able to recount times when they both witnessed and participated in disrespectful and abusive treatment of labouring women. The themes which emerged from these data are: 1

  2. An evaluation of nursing and midwifery sign off mentors, new mentors and nurse lecturers' understanding of the sign off mentor role.

    PubMed

    Rooke, Nickey

    2014-01-01

    This paper presents the findings of a small scale evaluation examining nursing and midwifery mentors and nursing lecturers perceptions of the Nursing and Midwifery Council 'sign off' mentor role (NMC, 2008). For this evaluation 114 new sign off mentors, 37 preparation for mentorship students and 13 nursing and midwifery lecturers within a Higher Education Institute (HEI) in the United Kingdom participated in the evaluation project. Nursing and midwifery students were not included in this initial evaluation. The initial findings suggested that all participants viewed the introduction of sign off mentors positively; offering a more robust mechanism for ensuring students were competent, helped to protect the public, and offered an increased level of support for students themselves. Concerns were raised about varying levels of support available for sign off mentors and some Stage 2 mentors' abilities to assess competence. Several participants felt the 1 h protected time per week per final placement student would be difficult to implement, whilst anxieties were also expressed about levels of responsibility for ensuring fitness to practice alongside concern that some mentors may leave sign off mentors to manage and identify under-achieving students. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Emotion work and boundary maintenance in hospital-based midwifery.

    PubMed

    Hunter, Billie

    2005-09-01

    To identify and explore the emotion work of hospital-based midwives. An ethnographic approach using focus groups, observations and interviews. South Wales, UK. Phase one of the study: self-selected convenience sample of 27 student midwives in first and final years of 3-year (direct entry) and 18-month (post-nursing) programmes. Phase two: opportunistic sample of seven qualified hospital-based midwives. Phase three: Purposive sample of 10 hospital-based midwives working within one National Health Service Trust. Sample representative of a range of clinical locations, length of clinical experience and clinical grades. The emotion work of midwives was strongly influenced by the context of practice. For hospital-based midwives, relationships with midwifery colleagues were of key importance, providing the main source of feedback on individual practice. Negotiating these relationships was a major source of emotion work. Although collegial relationships could provide support and affirmation, they were also a frequent source of conflict, particularly between junior and senior midwives. This discord was underpinned by conflicting ideologies of midwifery practice. The theoretical framework of boundary maintenance was used to interpret the findings. Senior and junior midwives frequently held contradictory models of practice, resulting in competing claims for occupational jurisdiction. Midwives made use of a variety of devices in order to establish and maintain intra-occupational boundaries. Senior midwives attempted to maintain their position through unwritten rules and sanctions, supported by their claim to greater clinical expertise and experience. Junior midwives rarely challenged this authority; their responses were often subversive and designed to create an appearance of compliance. These findings contribute to our understanding of inter-collegial conflict in UK midwifery, providing insights into workplace harassment and low staff morale, which are likely to exacerbate

  4. 'I found the OSCE very stressful': student midwives' attitudes towards an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE).

    PubMed

    Muldoon, Kathryn; Biesty, Linda; Smith, Valerie

    2014-03-01

    The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) has become widely accepted as a strategy for assessing clinical competence in nursing and midwifery education and training. There is a dearth of information, however, on the OSCE procedure from the perspective of midwifery students. In particular, there is an absence of an objective quantification of midwifery students' attitudes towards the OSCE. The objective of this study is to report the conduct and findings of a survey of midwifery students' attitudes towards a Lactation and Infant Feeding OSCE and to consider these attitudes in the context of the international literature and the empirical evidence base. A descriptive survey design using an 18-item Likert (1 to 5 point) scale was used to capture the relevant data. Potential participants were 3rd year midwifery students who had undertaken a Lactation and Infant Feeding OSCE (n=35) in one School of Nursing & Midwifery in the Republic of Ireland. Survey responses were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences Version 18. Thirty-three students completed the survey providing a 94% response rate. Midwifery students' attitudes towards individual aspects of the OSCE varied. Overall, midwifery students were neutral/unsure of the OSCE as a strategy for assessing clinical competence (mean 3.3). Most agreed that the examiner made them feel at ease (mean 3.94). Contrastingly this does not appear to appease student nerves and stress as the majority agreed that the OSCE evokes nervousness (mean 4.27) and stress (mean 4.30). Midwifery students, overall, disagreed that the OSCE reflected real life clinical situations (mean 2.48). Midwifery students were neutral/unsure that the OSCE provided an opportunity to show their practical skills (mean 3.36). The findings of this study identified that midwifery students were neutral/unsure of the OSCE as a strategy for assessing clinical competence. This has relevance for OSCE development at the authors

  5. Friendliness, functionality and freedom: Design characteristics that support midwifery practice in the hospital setting.

    PubMed

    Hammond, Athena; Homer, Caroline S E; Foureur, Maralyn

    2017-07-01

    to identify and describe the design characteristics of hospital birth rooms that support midwives and their practice. this study used a qualitative exploratory descriptive methodology underpinned by the theoretical approach of critical realism. Data was collected through 21 in-depth, face-to-face photo-elicitation interviews and a thematic analysis guided by study objectives and the aims of exploratory research was undertaken. the study was set at a recently renovated tertiary hospital in a large Australian city. participants were 16 registered midwives working in a tertiary hospital; seven in delivery suite and nine in birth centre settings. Experience as a midwife ranged from three to 39 years and the sample included midwives in diverse roles such as educator, student support and unit manager. three design characteristics were identified that supported midwifery practice. They were friendliness, functionality and freedom. Friendly rooms reduced stress and increased midwives' feelings of safety. Functional rooms enabled choice and provided options to better meet the needs of labouring women. And freedom allowed for flexible, spontaneous and responsive midwifery practice. hospital birth rooms that possess the characteristics of friendliness, functionality and freedom offer enhanced support for midwives and may therefore increase effective care provision. new and existing birth rooms can be designed or adapted to better support the wellbeing and effectiveness of midwives and may thereby enhance the quality of midwifery care delivered in the hospital. Quality midwifery care is associated with positive outcomes and experiences for labouring women. Further research is required to investigate the benefit that may be transmitted to women by implementing design intended to support and enhance midwifery practice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. A Racial Equity Toolkit for Midwifery Organizations.

    PubMed

    Gordon, Wendy M

    2016-11-01

    Midwifery associations are increasing awareness and commitment to racial equity in the profession and in the communities we serve. Moving these commitments from words into action may be facilitated by a racial equity toolkit to help guide midwifery organizations to consider all policies, initiatives, and actions with a racial equity lens. Racial equity impact analyses have been used in recent years by various governmental agencies in the United States and abroad with positive results, and emerging literature indicates that nonprofit organizations are having similarly positive results. This article proposes a framework for midwifery organizations to incorporate a racial equity toolkit, starting with explicit intentions of the organization with regard to racial equity in the profession. Indicators of success are elucidated as the next step, followed by the use of a racial equity impact analysis worksheet. This worksheet is applied by teams or committees when considering new policies or initiatives to examine those actions through a racial equity lens. An organizational change team and equity advisory groups are essential in assisting organizational leadership to forecast potential negative and positive impacts. Examples of the components of a midwifery-specific racial equity toolkit are included. © 2016 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  7. Team based learning in nursing and midwifery higher education; a systematic review of the evidence for change.

    PubMed

    Dearnley, Chris; Rhodes, Christine; Roberts, Peter; Williams, Pam; Prenton, Sarah

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this study is to review the evidence in relation to the experiences and outcomes of students on nursing and/or midwifery higher education programmes, who experience team based learning. To examine the relationship between team based learning and attainment for nursing and midwifery students in professional higher education. To examine the relationship between team based learning and student satisfaction for nurses and midwifery students in higher education. To identify and report examples of good practice in the implementation of team based learning in Nursing and Midwifery higher education. A systematic Review of the literature was undertaken. The population were nurses and midwives studying on higher education pre and post registration professional programmes. The intervention was learning and teaching activities based on a team-based learning approach. Data sources included CINAHL and MEDLINE. ERIC and Index to Theses were also searched. International research papers published in English between 2011 and 2017 that met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. Papers that met the criteria were subjected to quality appraisal and agreement amongst authors for inclusion in the review. A total of sixteen papers were reviewed and four themes emerged for discussion. These were Student Engagement, Student Satisfaction, Attainment and Practice Development and Transformational Teaching and Learning. There is a tentative, though growing body of evidence to support TBL as a strategy that can impact on student engagement, student satisfaction, attainment, practice development and transformative teaching and learning. The literature indicates that implementing TBL within the curriculum is not without challenge and requires a sustained and structured approach. Staff and students need to understand the processes involved, and why they should be adhered to, in the pursuit of enhanced student experiences and outcomes for nurses and midwives in Higher Education

  8. Frequency and Predictors of Courses Repetition, Probation, and Delayed Graduation in Kashan Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery

    PubMed Central

    Tagharrobi, Zahra; Masoudi Alavi, Negin; Fakharian, Esmail; Mirhoseini, Fakhrossadat; Rasoulinejad, Sayyed Asghar; Akbari, Hossein; Ameli, Hossein

    2013-01-01

    Background: Course failing and delayed graduation are important concerns in educational systems. The reasons of these educational failures need to be clarified. Objectives: This study was designed to determine the academic failure rate and its predictors in Nursing and Midwifery Students in Kashan University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the records of all the students graduated in Nursing and Midwifery faculty during 18 years (1986 - 2003) were evaluated (1174 graduates). The demographic variables and the educational situation were recorded. The frequency of course repetition, probation, and delayed graduation were determined and the data were analyzed using the chi-square and logistic regression tests. Results: The frequency of course repetition, probation, and delayed graduation was reported to be 19.25%, 3.9% and 19.85%, respectively. Gaining Low grade in high school, transferring from other universities, having special quota, and transferring temporarily to other universities were mentioned as the risk factors of academic failure. The major had a significant relationship with academic failure. Day time students had more course failure and night time students stayed longer in the university. Conclusions: The individual characteristics, educational background and admission criteria had showed relation with academic failure. Vulnerable students should be identified and educational supports should be provided for these students. PMID:25414885

  9. Frequency and predictors of courses repetition, probation, and delayed graduation in kashan faculty of nursing and midwifery.

    PubMed

    Tagharrobi, Zahra; Masoudi Alavi, Negin; Fakharian, Esmail; Mirhoseini, Fakhrossadat; Rasoulinejad, Sayyed Asghar; Akbari, Hossein; Ameli, Hossein

    2013-12-01

    Course failing and delayed graduation are important concerns in educational systems. The reasons of these educational failures need to be clarified. This study was designed to determine the academic failure rate and its predictors in Nursing and Midwifery Students in Kashan University of Medical Sciences. In this cross-sectional study, the records of all the students graduated in Nursing and Midwifery faculty during 18 years (1986 - 2003) were evaluated (1174 graduates). The demographic variables and the educational situation were recorded. The frequency of course repetition, probation, and delayed graduation were determined and the data were analyzed using the chi-square and logistic regression tests. The frequency of course repetition, probation, and delayed graduation was reported to be 19.25%, 3.9% and 19.85%, respectively. Gaining Low grade in high school, transferring from other universities, having special quota, and transferring temporarily to other universities were mentioned as the risk factors of academic failure. The major had a significant relationship with academic failure. Day time students had more course failure and night time students stayed longer in the university. The individual characteristics, educational background and admission criteria had showed relation with academic failure. Vulnerable students should be identified and educational supports should be provided for these students.

  10. Continuity of midwifery care for rural women through caseload group practice: Delivering for almost 20 years.

    PubMed

    Haines, Helen M; Baker, Janet; Marshall, Diana

    2015-12-01

    To describe the clinical outcomes and sustainability factors of a long-standing midwifery led caseload model of rural maternity care. Retrospective clinical audit from 1998 to 2011 and autoethnographic narrative of the midwifery program told by the longest serving midwives under three key themes relating to sustainable practice. Regional Health Service with annual birth rate of 500. Maternity care is provided by either public antenatal clinic/GP shared care or midwife-led care. Women attending a rural caseload midwifery group practice between the period 1998-2011 and midwives working in the same group practice during that period. Antenatal attendance, maternal mortality, infant morbidity and mortality, mode of birth, known midwife at birth, initiation of breastfeeding. There were 1674 births between 1998 and 2011. Clinical outcomes for women and infants closely reflected national maternity indicator data. The group practice midwives attribute sustainability of the program to the enjoyment of flexibility in their working environment, to establishing trust amongst themselves, the women they care for, and with the obstetricians, GPs and health service executives. The rigorous application of midwifery principles including robust clinical governance have been hallmarks of success. This caseload midwifery group practice is a safe, satisfying and sustainable model of maternity care in a rural setting. Clinical outcomes are similar to standard care. Success can be attributed to strong leadership across all levels of policy, health service management and, most importantly, the rural midwives providing the service. © 2015 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

  11. The reliability and validity of multiple mini interviews (MMIs) in values based recruitment to nursing, midwifery and paramedic practice programmes: Findings from an evaluation study.

    PubMed

    Callwood, Alison; Cooke, Debbie; Bolger, Sarah; Lemanska, Agnieszka; Allan, Helen

    2018-01-01

    Universities in the United Kingdom (UK) are required to incorporate values based recruitment (VBR) into their healthcare student selection processes. This reflects an international drive to strengthen the quality of healthcare service provision. This paper presents novel findings in relation to the reliability and predictive validity of multiple mini interviews (MMIs); one approach to VBR widely being employed by universities. To examine the reliability (internal consistency) and predictive validity of MMIs using end of Year One practice outcomes of under-graduate pre-registration adult, child, mental health nursing, midwifery and paramedic practice students. Cross-discipline evaluation study. One university in the United Kingdom. Data were collected in two streams: applicants to A) The September 2014 and 2015 Midwifery Studies programmes; B) September 2015 adult; Child and Mental Health Nursing and Paramedic Practice programmes. Fifty-seven midwifery students commenced their programme in 2014 and 69 in 2015; 47 and 54 agreed to participate and completed Year One respectively. 333 healthcare students commenced their programmes in September 2015. Of these, 281 agreed to participate and completed their first year (180 adult, 33 child and 34 mental health nursing and 34 paramedic practice students). Stream A featured a seven station four-minute model with one interviewer at each station and in Stream B a six station model was employed. Cronbach's alpha was used to assess MMI station internal consistency and Pearson's moment correlation co-efficient to explore associations between participants' admission MMI score and end of Year one clinical practice outcomes (OSCE and mentor grading). Stream A: Significant correlations are reported between midwifery applicant's MMI scores and end of Year One practice outcomes. A multivariate linear regression model demonstrated that MMI score significantly predicted end of Year One practice outcomes controlling for age and academic

  12. Clinical decision-making: midwifery students' recognition of, and response to, post partum haemorrhage in the simulation environment.

    PubMed

    Scholes, Julie; Endacott, Ruth; Biro, MaryAnne; Bulle, Bree; Cooper, Simon; Miles, Maureen; Gilmour, Carole; Buykx, Penny; Kinsman, Leigh; Boland, Rosemarie; Jones, Jan; Zaidi, Fawzia

    2012-03-23

    This paper reports the findings of a study of how midwifery students responded to a simulated post partum haemorrhage (PPH). Internationally, 25% of maternal deaths are attributed to severe haemorrhage. Although this figure is far higher in developing countries, the risk to maternal wellbeing and child health problem means that all midwives need to remain vigilant and respond appropriately to early signs of maternal deterioration. Simulation using a patient actress enabled the research team to investigate the way in which 35 midwifery students made decisions in a dynamic high fidelity PPH scenario. The actress wore a birthing suit that simulated blood loss and a flaccid uterus on palpation. The scenario provided low levels of uncertainty and high levels of relevant information. The student's response to the scenario was videoed. Immediately after, they were invited to review the video, reflect on their performance and give a commentary as to what affected their decisions. The data were analysed using Dimensional Analysis. The students' clinical management of the situation varied considerably. Students struggled to prioritize their actions where more than one response was required to a clinical cue and did not necessarily use mnemonics as heuristic devices to guide their actions. Driven by a response to single cues they also showed a reluctance to formulate a diagnosis based on inductive and deductive reasoning cycles. This meant they did not necessarily introduce new hypothetical ideas against which they might refute or confirm a diagnosis and thereby eliminate fixation error. The students response demonstrated that a number of clinical skills require updating on a regular basis including: fundal massage technique, the use of emergency standing order drugs, communication and delegation of tasks to others in an emergency and working independently until help arrives. Heuristic devices helped the students to evaluate their interventions to illuminate what else could

  13. Clinical decision-making: midwifery students' recognition of, and response to, post partum haemorrhage in the simulation environment

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background This paper reports the findings of a study of how midwifery students responded to a simulated post partum haemorrhage (PPH). Internationally, 25% of maternal deaths are attributed to severe haemorrhage. Although this figure is far higher in developing countries, the risk to maternal wellbeing and child health problem means that all midwives need to remain vigilant and respond appropriately to early signs of maternal deterioration. Methods Simulation using a patient actress enabled the research team to investigate the way in which 35 midwifery students made decisions in a dynamic high fidelity PPH scenario. The actress wore a birthing suit that simulated blood loss and a flaccid uterus on palpation. The scenario provided low levels of uncertainty and high levels of relevant information. The student's response to the scenario was videoed. Immediately after, they were invited to review the video, reflect on their performance and give a commentary as to what affected their decisions. The data were analysed using Dimensional Analysis. Results The students' clinical management of the situation varied considerably. Students struggled to prioritise their actions where more than one response was required to a clinical cue and did not necessarily use mnemonics as heuristic devices to guide their actions. Driven by a response to single cues they also showed a reluctance to formulate a diagnosis based on inductive and deductive reasoning cycles. This meant they did not necessarily introduce new hypothetical ideas against which they might refute or confirm a diagnosis and thereby eliminate fixation error. Conclusions The students response demonstrated that a number of clinical skills require updating on a regular basis including: fundal massage technique, the use of emergency standing order drugs, communication and delegation of tasks to others in an emergency and working independently until help arrives. Heuristic devices helped the students to evaluate their

  14. Sustainability and resilience in midwifery: A discussion paper.

    PubMed

    Crowther, Susan; Hunter, Billie; McAra-Couper, Judith; Warren, Lucie; Gilkison, Andrea; Hunter, Marion; Fielder, Anna; Kirkham, Mavis

    2016-09-01

    midwifery workforce issues are of international concern. Sustainable midwifery practice, and how resilience is a required quality for midwives, have begun to be researched. How these concepts are helpful to midwifery continues to be debated. It is important that such debates are framed so they can be empowering for midwives. Care is required not to conceptually label matters concerning the midwifery workforce without judicious scrutiny and diligence. the aim of this discussion paper is to explore the concepts of sustainability and resilience now being suggested in midwifery workforce literature. Whether sustainability and resilience are concepts useful in midwifery workforce development is questioned. using published primary midwifery research from United Kingdom and New Zealand the concepts of sustainability and resilience are compared, contrasted and explored. there are obvious differences in models of midwifery care in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Despite these differences, the concepts of resilience and sustainability emerge as overlapping themes from the respective studies' findings. Comparison between studies provides evidence of what is crucial in sustaining healthy resilient midwifery practice. Four common themes have been identified that traverse the different models of care; Self-determination, ability to self-care, cultivation of relationships both professionally and with women/families, and a passion, joy and love for midwifery. the impact that midwifery models of care may have on sustainable practice and nurturing healthy resilient behaviors remains uncertain. The notion of resilience in midwifery as the panacea to resolve current concerns may need rethinking. Resilience may be interpreted as expecting midwives 'to toughen up' in a workplace setting that is socially, economically and culturally challenging. Sustainability calls for examination of the reciprocity between environments of working and the individual midwife. The findings invite

  15. Missing midwifery: relevance for contemporary challenges in maternal health.

    PubMed

    Prasad, Rupa; Dasgupta, Rajib

    2013-01-01

    Midwifery is rooted in public health, and most of its history has been community oriented. In India, midwifery evolved during the British rule; but over the years with changes in political and program priorities, the role and the capacity of midwives has changed substantially. The verticalization of national health programs has obscured the midwives' community focus and inhibited its contribution to the wider public health. There is a global acceptance and recognition of the midwifery model of care and skilled delivery for ensuring effective maternal health outcomes. The approaches are in line with local needs and have proved its effectiveness in resource-constrained settings. It is important to recognize the substantial contribution they make to public health, working to promote the long-term well-being of women, their babies and families, by offering information and advice on nutrition, supplementation, breastfeeding, and immunization. There is considerable scope for developing the midwifery model through enhancing the extent of their involvement in assessing health needs of local populations, designing, managing and evaluating maternal and health services, making timely and effective referrals and developing family-centered care.

  16. Midwifery and the LGBT midwife.

    PubMed

    Mander, Rosemary; Page, Miranda

    2012-02-01

    To identify, through searching the published literature, midwifery's attitudes to gay and lesbian midwives. A selective literature review. UK-based material was sparse. Items on midwifery and nursing and medicine and on midwifery in non-UK countries were accessed. Issues emerging include the salience of 'coming out', of education, of culture, of forming relationships with childbearing women and the difficulty of authoritative research. The midwifery literature on LGBT colleagues corresponds with that identified in nursing almost three decades ago. The lack of recognition of LGBT midwives carries personal and organisational implications. Discriminatory attitudes may be difficult to resolve by education. Research on LGBT colleagues is fraught with difficulties. Various aspects of culture affect the acceptance of the colleague who is gay or lesbian. It is uncertain whether the midwife-woman relationship is less easily achieved by the gay or lesbian midwife. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. 'Inductions of labour': on becoming an experienced midwifery practitioner in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

    PubMed

    Surtees, Ruth

    2008-03-01

    This paper analyzes and explores varying discourses within the talk of new practitioner direct entry (DE) midwives in Aotearoa/New Zealand. In Aotearoa/New Zealand, midwifery is theorized as a feminist profession undertaken in partnership with women. Direct entry midwifery education is similarly based on partnerships between educators and students in the form of liberatory pedagogies. The context for the analysis is a large ethnographic study undertaken with a variety of differently positioned midwives based mainly in one city in New Zealand. I interviewed and observed over 40 midwives in their different practice settings in 2003. Complex and contesting forms of knowledge production are analyzed in this paper drawing on methodological insights from Foucauldian discourse analysis. New practitioners engage in techniques of self-monitoring and surveillance as they move towards becoming established practitioners. New midwifery subjectivities and forms of knowledge production which contest authoritative forms of knowledge are produced. Midwives in New Zealand are seen to inhabit a complex and liminal space of midwifery praxis. Paradoxically, they are exhorted to remain the 'guardians of normal birth' in a time of increasing interventions into birth both locally and internationally. Paradoxes encountered by new midwifery practitioners in New Zealand as they struggle to maintain ideals of 'normal' birth may be paralleled by the constraints inadvertently produced through governing discourses of emancipatory or liberatory pedagogies. The relevance of this is also highly critical for midwifery and birth practices internationally.

  18. Midwifery education in Central-Eastern Europe.

    PubMed

    Mivšek, Polona; Baškova, Martina; Wilhelmova, Radka

    2016-02-01

    Problems in midwifery in many Central-Eastern European countries are very similar; it is possible to speak about the evolving Central-Eastern model of midwifery care. The educational models of this region have a relatively strong theoretical part; however, there is an insufficient practical dimension. Theoretical part of midwifery education in the universities is relatively autonomous and is slowly changing the professional identity of graduates. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Diversifying the Midwifery Workforce: Inclusivity, Culturally Sensitive Bridging, and Innovation.

    PubMed

    Tyson, Holliday; Wilson-Mitchell, Karline

    2016-11-01

    Midwifery educators and regulators in Canada have begun to address diversity, equity, and inclusion in admission processes and program curricula. Populations served by midwives value internationally educated midwives from their countries of origin. The International Midwifery Pre-Registration Program at Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario, provides assessment, midwifery workplace orientation, and accelerated education for internationally educated midwives on behalf of the regulatory College of Midwives of Ontario. Between 2003 and 2015, midwives from 41 countries participated in the bridging program, and 214 (80%) successfully completed the program and qualified for licensure. Of these 214 graduates, 100% passed the Canadian Midwifery Registration Examination and 193 (90%) were employed full time as midwives within 4 months of graduation. The program curriculum enables the integration of these midwives into health care workplaces utilizing innovative approaches to assessment and competency enhancement. Critical to the bridging process are simulation-based practices to develop effective psychomotor learning, virtual and real primary care community placements, and coaching in empathetic, client-centered communication. Cultural sensitivity is embedded into the multiple assessment and learning modalities, and addresses relevant barriers faced by immigrant midwives in the workplace. Findings from the 13 years of the program may be applicable to increase diversity in other North American midwifery settings. This article describes the process, content, outcomes, and findings of the program. Midwifery educators and regulators may consider the utility of these approaches for their settings. © 2016 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  20. Decision-making theories and their usefulness to the midwifery profession both in terms of midwifery practice and the education of midwives.

    PubMed

    Jefford, Elaine; Fahy, Kathleen; Sundin, Deborah

    2011-06-01

    What are the strengths and limitations of existing Decision-Making Theories as a basis for guiding best practice clinical decision-making within a framework of midwifery philosophy? Each theory is compared in relation with how well they provide a teachable framework for midwifery clinical reasoning that is consistent with midwifery philosophy. Hypothetico-Deductive Theory, from which medical clinical reasoning is based; intuitive decision-making; Dual Processing Theory; The International Confederation of Midwives Clinical Decision-Making Framework; Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council Midwifery Practice Decisions Flowchart and Midwifery Practice. Best practice midwifery clinical Decision-Making Theory needs to give guidance about: (i) effective use of cognitive reasoning processes; (ii) how to include contextual and emotional factors; (iii) how to include the interests of the baby as an integral part of the woman; (iv) decision-making in partnership with woman; and (v) how to recognize/respond to clinical situations outside the midwife's legal/personal scope of practice. No existing Decision-Making Theory meets the needs of midwifery. Medical clinical reasoning has a good contribution to make in terms of cognitive reasoning processes. Two limitations of medical clinical reasoning are its reductionistic focus and privileging of reason to the exclusion of emotional and contextual factors. Hypothetico-deductive clinical reasoning is a necessary but insufficient condition for best practice clinical decision-making in midwifery. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  1. Effectiveness of virtual classroom training in improving the knowledge and key maternal neonatal health skills of general nurse midwifery students in Bihar, India: A pre- and post-intervention study.

    PubMed

    Agrawal, Neeraj; Kumar, Somesh; Balasubramaniam, Sudharsanam Manni; Bhargava, Saurabh; Sinha, Pallavi; Bakshi, Bhawna; Sood, Bulbul

    2016-01-01

    In 2008-09, the National Health Systems Resource Center of India reported overall quality of nurse-midwifery education in Bihar as grossly sub-optimal. To address this, we implemented a competency-based training using virtual classrooms in two general nurse midwives (GNM) schools of Bihar. The students from remotely located nursing institutions were now able to see live demonstrations of maternal and newborn health (MNH) practices performed by a trained faculty on simulation models at instructor location. To evaluate the effectiveness of virtual classroom training in improving the MNH-related skills of the nursing-midwifery students in Bihar, India. This study used a pre- and post-intervention design without a control group. Students from two public GNM schools of Bihar. Final-year students from both the GNM schools who have completed their coursework in MNH. A total of 83 students from selected GNM schools were assessed for their competencies in six key MNH practices using objective structured clinical examination method prior to intervention. A 72hour standardized training package was then implemented in these schools through virtual classroom approach. Post-intervention, 92 students from the next batch who attended virtual training were assessed for the same competencies. The mean student score assessed before the intervention was 21.3 (95% CI, 19.9-22.6), which increased to 62.0 (95% CI, 60.3-63.7) post-intervention. This difference was statistically significant. When adjusted for clustering using linear regression analysis, the students in post-intervention scored 52.3 (95% CI, 49.4%-55.3%) percentage points higher than pre-intervention, and this was statistically significant. Virtual classroom training was found to be effective in improving knowledge and key MNH skills of GNM students in Bihar, India. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  2. Perceived barriers and motivating factors influencing student midwives' acceptance of rural postings in Ghana.

    PubMed

    Lori, Jody R; Rominski, Sarah D; Gyakobo, Mawuli; Muriu, Eunice W; Kweku, Nakua E; Agyei-Baffour, Peter

    2012-07-24

    Research on the mal-distribution of health care workers has focused mainly on physicians and nurses. To meet the Millennium Development Goal Five and the reproductive needs of all women, it is predicted that an additional 334,000 midwives are needed. Despite the on-going efforts to increase this cadre of health workers there are still glaring gaps and inequities in distribution. The objectives of this study are to determine the perceived barriers and motivators influencing final year midwifery students' acceptance of rural postings in Ghana, West Africa. An exploratory qualitative study using focus group interviews as the data collection strategy was conducted in two of the largest midwifery training schools in Ghana. All final year midwifery students from the two training schools were invited to participate in the focus groups. A purposive sample of 49 final year midwifery students participated in 6 focus groups. All students were women. Average age was 23.2 years. Glaser's constant comparative method of analysis was used to identify patterns or themes from the data. Three themes were identified through a broad inductive process: 1) social amenities; 2) professional life; and 3) further education/career advancement. Together they create the overarching theme, quality of life, we use to describe the influences on midwifery students' decision to accept a rural posting following graduation. In countries where there are too few health workers, deployment of midwives to rural postings is a continuing challenge. Until more midwives are attracted to work in rural, remote areas health inequities will exist and the targeted reduction for maternal mortality will remain elusive.

  3. Development and implementation of a competency-based clinical evaluation tool for midwifery education.

    PubMed

    Woeber, Kate

    2018-07-01

    The learning goals and evaluation strategies of competency-based midwifery programs must be explicit and well-defined. In the US, didactic learning is evaluated through a standardized certification examination, but standardized clinical competence evaluation is lacking. The Midwifery Competency Assessment Tool (MCAT) has been adapted from the International Confederation of Midwives' (ICM) "Essential Competencies" and from the American College of Nurse-Midwives' (ACNM) "Core Competencies", with student self-evaluation based on Benner's Novice-to-Expert theory. The MCAT allows for the measurement and monitoring of competence development in all domains of full-scope practice over the course of the midwifery program. Strengths of the MCAT are that it provides clear learning goals and performance evaluations for students, ensures and communicates content mapping across a curriculum, and highlights strengths and gaps in clinical opportunities at individual clinical sites and for entire programs. Challenges of the MCAT lie in balancing the number of competency items to be measured with the tedium of form completion, in ensuring the accuracy of student self-evaluation, and in determining "adequate" competence achievement when particular clinical opportunities are limited. Use of the MCAT with competency-based clinical education may facilitate a more standardized approach to clinical evaluation, as well as a more strategic approach to clinical site development and use. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Education, employment and practice: Midwifery graduates in Papua New Guinea.

    PubMed

    Moores, Alison; Puawe, Paula; Buasi, Nancy; West, Florence; Samor, Mary K; Joseph, Nina; Rumsey, Michele; Dawson, Angela; Homer, Caroline S E

    2016-10-01

    Papua New Guinea has a very high maternal mortality rate (773/100,000), low rates of supervised births and a critical shortage of skilled midwives. A midwifery education initiative commenced in 2012, funded by the Australian Government and led by the National Department of Health. One specific objective of the initiative was to improve the standard of clinical teaching and practice in four schools of midwifery. There were 394 midwives educated over the 4 year period (2012-2015) representing half of all midwives in Papua New Guinea. A study was undertaken to describe the educational programme, employment, practices and experiences of graduates who studied midwifery in 2012 and 2013 as part of the initiative. the aim of this paper is to explore the education, employment and practice of newly graduated midwives in Papua New Guinea. a mixed methods descriptive study design was used. Surveys and focus groups were used to gather data. Ethical approval was granted by the relevant Human Research Ethics Committees. all midwifery graduates in 2012 and 2013 from the four midwifery schools in Papua New Guinea were included in the study and almost 80% were contacted. nearly 90% of graduates were working as midwives, with an additional 3% working as midwifery or nursing educators. This study discovered that graduates exhibited increased skills acquisition and confidence, leadership in maternal and newborn care services and a marked improvement in the provision of respectful care to women. The graduates faced challenges to implement evidence based care with barriers including the lack of appropriate resources and differences of opinion with senior staff. factors affecting the quality of midwifery education will need to be addressed if Papua New Guinea is to continue to improve the status of maternal and newborn health. Specifically, the length of the midwifery education, the quality of clinical practice and the exposure to rural and remote area practice need addressing in many

  5. A review of the literature: midwifery decision-making and birth.

    PubMed

    Jefford, Elaine; Fahy, Kathleen; Sundin, Deborah

    2010-12-01

    Clinical decision-making was initially studied in medicine where hypothetico-deductive reasoning is the model for decision-making. The nursing perspective on clinical decision-making has largely been shaped by Patricia Benner's ground breaking work. Benner claimed expert nurses use humanistic-intuitive ways of making clinical decisions rather than the 'rational reasoning' as claimed by medicine. Clinical decision-making in midwifery is not the same as either nursing or medical decision-making because of the woman-midwife partnership where the woman is the ultimate decision-maker. CINHAL, Medline and Cochrane databases were systematically searched using key words derived from the guiding question. A review of the decision-making research literature in midwifery was undertaken where studies were published in English. The selection criteria for papers were: only research papers of direct relevance to the guiding research question were included in the review. Decision-making is under-researched in midwifery and more specifically birth, as only 4 research articles met the inclusion criteria in this review. Three of the studies involved qualified midwives, and one involved student midwives. Two studies were undertaken in England, one in Scotland and one in Sweden. The major findings synthesised from this review, are that; (1) midwifery decision-making during birth is socially negotiated involving hierarchies of surveillance and control; (2) the role of the woman in shared decision-making during birth has not been explored by midwifery research; (3) clinical decision-making encompasses clinical reasoning as essential but not sufficient for midwives to actually implement their preferred decision. We argue that existing research does not inform the discipline of the complexity of midwifery clinical decision-making during birth. A well-designed study would involve investigating the clinical reasoning skills of the midwife, her relationship with the woman, the context of the

  6. Missing Midwifery: Relevance for Contemporary Challenges in Maternal Health

    PubMed Central

    Prasad, Rupa; Dasgupta, Rajib

    2013-01-01

    Midwifery is rooted in public health, and most of its history has been community oriented. In India, midwifery evolved during the British rule; but over the years with changes in political and program priorities, the role and the capacity of midwives has changed substantially. The verticalization of national health programs has obscured the midwives’ community focus and inhibited its contribution to the wider public health. There is a global acceptance and recognition of the midwifery model of care and skilled delivery for ensuring effective maternal health outcomes. The approaches are in line with local needs and have proved its effectiveness in resource-constrained settings. It is important to recognize the substantial contribution they make to public health, working to promote the long-term well-being of women, their babies and families, by offering information and advice on nutrition, supplementation, breastfeeding, and immunization. There is considerable scope for developing the midwifery model through enhancing the extent of their involvement in assessing health needs of local populations, designing, managing and evaluating maternal and health services, making timely and effective referrals and developing family-centered care. PMID:23559697

  7. Nursing students' perspectives on clinical instructors' effective teaching strategies: A descriptive study.

    PubMed

    Valiee, Sina; Moridi, Glorokh; Khaledi, Shahnaz; Garibi, Fardin

    2016-01-01

    An important factor contributing to the quality of clinical education is instructors' teaching performance. The aim of this study was to identify clinical instructors' most effective teaching strategies from nursing and midwifery students' perspectives. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. All third- and fourth-year bachelor's nursing and midwifery students studying at the Nursing and Midwifery Faculty of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences were recruited to the study by using the census method. The study instrument consisted of a demographic questionnaire and the self-report 30-item Clinical Instructors' Effective Teaching Strategies Inventory. The SPSS v.16.0 was used for data analysis. The most effective teaching strategies of clinical instructors from nursing and midwifery students' perspectives were respectively 'treating students, clients, and colleagues with respect' and 'being eager for guiding students and manage their problems'. Clinical instructors need to be eager for education and also be able to establish effective communication with students. Empowering clinical instructors in specialized and technical aspects of clinical education seems necessary. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Diversity in midwifery care: working toward social justice.

    PubMed

    Burton, Nadya; Ariss, Rachel

    2014-08-01

    As midwifery moved from lay practice to a regulated health-care profession in Ontario toward the end of the twentieth century, it brought with it many of its social movement goals and aspirations. Among these was the desire to attend to diversity and equity in the provision of birthing care. Drawing on interviews with currently practicing Ontario midwives, this paper focuses on midwives' conceptualizations of diversity and explores their everyday work to support and strengthen diversity among those using and those providing midwifery care. We argue that midwifery's recent relocation within state structured health care means neither that the social change projects of midwifery are complete nor that midwifery has abandoned its movement-based commitment to social change. Responses to social diversity in health care range from efforts to simply improve access to care to analyses of the role of social justice in recognizing the needs of diverse populations. The social justice aspiration to "create a better world" continues to animate the work of midwives postregulation. This paper explores the legacy of midwifery as a social movement, addressing the connections between diversity, social justice and midwifery care.

  9. Experiences of student midwives learning and working abroad in Europe: The value of an Erasmus undergraduate midwifery education programme.

    PubMed

    Marshall, Jayne E

    2017-01-01

    universities in the United Kingdom are being challenged to modify policies and curricula that reflect the changing global reality through internationalisation. An aspect of internationalisation is study abroad which the European Commission Erasmus exchange programme is just one means of addressing this. to explore the experiences of student midwives who are engaged in the Erasmus exchange programme and the effect it has on their learning and working in an international context. approval for the small phenomenological cohort study was obtained from two participating universities: the University of Malta and University of Nottingham. Data were collected from 13 student midwives from a total of five cohorts in the form of diaries to explore their experiences of learning and working in another country. Thematic analysis supported by Computer-Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software was used to identify five recurrent themes emerging from the data: the findings of which have served further in developing this programme. students valued the opportunity of undertaking study and midwifery practice in another culture and healthcare system, extending their knowledge and development of clinical competence and confidence. For some, this was the first time outside of their home country and adaptation to a new environment took time. Support from their contemporaries, lecturers and midwife mentors however, was overwhelmingly positive, enabling the students to feel 'part of the local university / midwifery team' By the end of the programme, the students recognised that they had become more independent and felt empowered to facilitate developments in practice when they returned home. IMPLICATIONS FOR EDUCATION / PRACTICE: this innovative development embracing internationalisation within the curricula has the potential to increase students' employability and further study within Europe and beyond. It can be used as a vehicle to share best practice within an international context

  10. Gossip, stories and friendship: confidentiality in midwifery practice.

    PubMed

    James, S

    1995-12-01

    Women often seek midwifery care as an alternative to the maternity services that are readily available within the insured health care system in Alberta. Some aspects of community-based, primary care midwifery in Alberta that characterize this alternative are the use of story-telling as a form of knowledge, the development of social connections among women seeking midwifery care, and nonauthoritarian relationships between midwives and women. In this paper, the concept of confidentiality, as it relates to these aspects of midwifery practice, is explored, using traditional, caring and feminist models of ethics.

  11. The art of midwifery: can creative images of birth enhance holistic care?

    PubMed

    Uppal, Elaine; Davies, Sarah; Knowles, Helen; Kandell, Stevie

    2014-05-01

    Art related to birth stimulates debate, particularly if it is perceived to be taboo and challenging popular images of mother and child. Birth traditionally has been in a woman's sphere of experience, thus it has been left unexplored on a wider level. The Birth Rites Collection was originally developed to enable partnerships with artists and childbirth professionals. The other important reason for the Birth Rites project was to begin to make contemporary cutting edge art around childbirth because there has been a real lack of work which explores this subject. Student midwives have been able to engage with these and other artworks related to childbirth and now produce their own original art which is attracting acclaim. The Art of Midwifery student midwife project aims to promote more aesthetic and creative ways of learning to enhance midwifery students' self-awareness and thus promote holistic, woman-centred and sensitive care. Students have visited art exhibitions to interact with artworks related to curriculum themes and explore models and philosophies of birth. This paper reports some of their activities, summarises their responses and evaluates the collaboration. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Competency-based education: the essential basis of pre-service education for the professional midwifery workforce.

    PubMed

    Fullerton, Judith T; Thompson, Joyce B; Johnson, Peter

    2013-10-01

    many articles published in the decade since promulgation of the Millennium Development Goals have acknowledged the distinct advantages to maternal and newborn health outcomes that can be achieved as a result of expanding access to skilled birth attendant (including midwifery) services. However, these advantages are often predicated on the assumption that the midwifery workforce shares a common definition and identity. Regrettably, a clear delineation of midwifery competencies is rarely addressed. A core set of midwifery competencies is essential to providing the high quality services that lead to the desirable health outcomes described in that body of research. Attribution of improved outcomes to access to midwifery cannot be made without a common understanding of a defined set of services provided to standard by the midwifery workforce across the inter-conceptional and childbearing time frame. The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) has developed a clear list of competencies that delineate the domains of practice for the fully qualified, professional midwife. These domains frame the educational outcomes that must be conveyed within competency-based education programmes. this article explores the concept of competency-based education for midwives; first exploring the concept of competency itself, then providing examples of what is already known about competency-based approaches to curriculum design, teacher preparation, teacher support and assessment of student learning. These concepts are linked to the ICM competencies as the unifying construct for education of individuals who share a common definition and identity as midwives. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Developing awareness of sustainability in nursing and midwifery using a scenario-based approach: Evidence from a pre and post educational intervention study.

    PubMed

    Richardson, Janet; Grose, Jane; Bradbury, Martyn; Kelsey, Janet

    2017-07-01

    The delivery of healthcare has an impact on the environment and contributes to climate change. As a consequence, the way in which nurses and midwives use and dispose of natural resources in clinical practice, and the subsequent impact on the environment, should be integral component of nursing and midwifery education. Opportunities need to be found to embed such issues into nursing curricula; thus bringing sustainability issues 'closer to home' and making them more relevant for clinical practice. The study was designed to measure the impact of a sustainability-focussed, scenario-based learning educational intervention on the attitudes and knowledge of student nurses and midwives. Pre test/Post test intervention study using scenario-based learning as the educational intervention. The Sustainability Attitudes in Nursing Survey (SANS_2) was used as the outcome measure. Clinical skills session in a UK University School of Nursing and Midwifery. 676 second year undergraduate nursing and midwifery students. The 7-point scale SANS survey was completed before and after the teaching session; standard non-parametric analysis compared pre and post intervention scores. Changes were observed in attitude towards climate change and sustainability and to the inclusion of these topics within the nursing curricula (p=0.000). Participants demonstrated greater knowledge of natural resource use and the cost of waste disposal following the session (p=0.000). Participants also reported that sessions were realistic, and levels of agreement with statements supporting the value of the session and the interactive nature of delivery were higher following the session. Using a scenario-based learning approach with nursing and midwifery students can change attitudes and knowledge towards sustainability and climate change. Embedding this approach in the context of clinical skills provides a novel and engaging approach that is both educationally sound and clinically relevant. Copyright © 2017

  14. Marketing midwifery education: findings from a survey.

    PubMed

    Hunt, S C

    1996-03-01

    to collect information from a sample of identified customers (midwives and midwifery managers employed by health authorities and trusts) in order to develop a marketing strategy for a Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Care. two descriptive and analytical surveys using questionnaires. mid- and west Wales, UK. randomly selected sample of 75 midwives and census sample of eight midwifery managers working within the National Health Service. quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. organisations have to define, and listen carefully, to their customers and offer courses which are appropriate, related to clinical midwifery practice and have titles that accurately reflect the content. Midwives are enthusiastically committed to continuing education despite the current difficulties. Word of mouth and personal recommendation remains the most effective form of advertising. University departments of nursing and midwifery can easily become removed from clinical practice. Education assists practitioners in changing and adapting to a new order; it is also crucial in developing skills in critical thinking and analysis. New skills are needed if practice is to improve. academic departments can easily become remote and out of touch with the needs of clinicians and midwifery managers. Departments must take steps to define the customer, listen carefully to what they want and make every effort to provide continuing education for midwives that is relevant, responsive, accessible and attainable. The benefits of education also must be marketed.

  15. Claiming an Ethic of Care for midwifery.

    PubMed

    MacLellan, Jennifer

    2014-11-01

    The public domain of midwifery practice, represented by the educational and hospital institutions could be blamed for a subconscious ethical dilemma for midwifery practitioners. The result of such tension can be seen in complaints from maternity service users of dehumanised care. When expectations are not met, women report dehumanising experiences that carry long term consequences to both them and their child. To revisit the ethical foundation of midwifery practice to reflect the feminist Ethic of Care and reframe what is valuable to women and midwives during the childbirth experience. A comprehensive literature review is presented from the midwifery and feminist ethics discourse. Nil to report. Women are vulnerable during childbirth as they need care, yet they prioritise elements of relationship in their experience. The Ethic of Care approach equalises the relationship between the midwife and the woman, providing the space for relationship building and allowing midwives to meet the expectations of their accepted responsibility. Some midwives manage to balance the demands of the institution with the needs of the woman. This is described as both an emotional and professionally challenging balancing act. Until there is a formal acknowledgement of the different ethical approach to midwifery practice from within the profession and the Institution, midwifery identity and practice will continue to be compromised. © The Author(s) 2014.

  16. The primacy of the good midwife in midwifery services: an evolving theory of professionalism in midwifery.

    PubMed

    Halldorsdottir, Sigridur; Karlsdottir, Sigfridur Inga

    2011-12-01

    Theory is the acknowledged foundation to practise methodology, professional identity and growth of formalized knowledge. It has been noted that practice must not only be evidence-based but also theory-based. Hence, midwifery must be theory based because theories serve as a broad framework for practice and may also articulate the goals of a profession and core values. In this paper, an evolving theory on the empowerment of childbearing women is introduced, where the midwife's professionalism is central. The theory is synthesized from nine datasets and scholarly work, and then more than three hundred studies were reviewed for clarification and confirmation. According to the theory, the midwife's professionalism is constructed from five main aspects: The professional midwife cares for the childbearing woman and her family. This caring within the professional domain is seen as the core of midwifery. The professional midwife is professionally competent. This professional competence must always have primacy for the sake of safety of woman and child. The professional midwife has professional wisdom and knows how to apply it. Professional wisdom is a new concept used to denote the interplay of knowledge and experience. The professional midwife has interpersonal competence, is capable of empowering communication and positive partnership with the woman and her family. The professional midwife develops herself both personally and professionally, which is the prerequisite for true professionalism. This evolving theory must be regularly reconstructed in the light of current knowledge within midwifery. It is an attempt to identify and articulate the processes and components of the art and science of midwifery practice in an endeavour of continuing the discipline's development by assisting in the understanding and practice of creating further theoretical discourse, processes and products for midwifery practice. The theory has implications for midwifery education and practice.

  17. Self esteem and assertiveness of final year Turkish university students.

    PubMed

    Karagözoğlu, Serife; Kahve, Emine; Koç, Oznur; Adamişoğlu, Derya

    2008-07-01

    This study developed a quantitative methodology to ascertain the level of self esteem and assertiveness of last year students in baccalaureate degree programs at Cumhuriyet University Nursing School, School for Health Sciences' Midwifery School, Education Faculty's Mathematics Teacher, Classroom Teacher, and Social Sciences Teacher programs and to determine if there is a correlation between self esteem and assertiveness. The research population was a total of 372 students who were in their final year of university in these programs. Sampling was not done in the research, the entire population was studied. However there was a total of 82 students who were not included in the research because of illness, absenteeism, registration on hold, who could not be found on campus or who did not want to participate in the research and who did not correctly complete the survey form. The research was conducted with total of 290 students. Total response rate was 77.9%. The data were collected using a "Personal Information Form," Stanley Coopersmith Self Esteem Inventory (SEI) and Rathus Assertiveness Schedule (RAS). Frequency distribution, t test, correlation and variance analysis were used in the analysis of the data. The results of the study were that the nursing students had the highest scores from SEI (80.64+/-15.83). Similarly the nursing students had the highest scores on the RAS (36.29+/-25.33).

  18. Evaluation strategies for midwifery education linked to digital media and distance delivery technology.

    PubMed

    Fullerton, Judith T; Ingle, Henry T

    2003-01-01

    The goal of the teaching and learning process for health professionals is the acquisition of a fundamental core of knowledge, the demonstration of critical thinking ability, and the demonstration of competency in the performance of clinical skills. Teaching and learning in distance education programs require that the administration, teachers, and students be creative in developing evaluation strategies that can be adapted to the challenges of the cyberspace on-line educational environment. Evaluation standards for distance education programs recently have been delineated by federal agencies, private organizations, and academic accreditation associations. These standards are linked to principles of sound education practice that promote program quality, high levels of student-faculty interaction, and support effective teaching and learning in the distance education context. A growing body of evidence supports the conclusion that technology-enhanced teaching is equivalent in effectiveness compared with traditional methods when student-learning outcomes are the focus of measurement. An allied body of literature offers model approaches that can be useful to educators who must also conduct the evaluation of clinical skills, provide feedback, and promote socialization to the nurse-midwifery/midwifery role for students being educated in whole or in part through instruction delivered at a distance.

  19. Mapping the literature of nurse-midwifery

    PubMed Central

    Seaton, Helen J.

    2006-01-01

    Objective: This article is part of a project for mapping the literature of nursing. The purpose is to identify the core journals in nurse-midwifery and to determine the extent to which these titles are covered by standard indexing sources. Methods: Cited references from two source journals were analyzed to discover the most frequently cited publications, including their format, age, and amount of dispersion, as well as the indexes that offer the most complete coverage. Results: A study of the literature of nurse-midwifery reveals that the field is diverse, including such topics as women's health, obstetrics, gynecology, and parent-child relations, in addition to the practice of nurse-midwifery itself. Journals were the most heavily cited format, and analysis revealed that ten journals provided one-third of all the references in the study. Conclusions: A combination of Science Citation Index and Social Sciences Citation Index or PubMed/MEDLINE provided the best overall coverage because of the field's reliance on medical journals. CINAHL had the most complete coverage for the nurse-midwifery journals as well as nursing journals in general. PMID:16710467

  20. A mixed study systematic review of social media in nursing and midwifery education: Protocol.

    PubMed

    O'Connor, Siobhan; Jolliffe, Sarah; Stanmore, Emma; Renwick, Laoise; Schmitt, Terri; Booth, Richard

    2017-08-01

    To synthesize evidence on the use of social media in nursing and midwifery education. Social media is one type of online platform that is being explored to determine if there is value in using interactive, digital communication tools to support how nurses and midwives learn in a variety of settings. A sequential explanatory synthesis approach will be used for this mixed study review. Five bibliographic databases; PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, and ERIC will be searched using a combination of keywords relevant to social networking and social media, nursing and midwifery, and education. The search will not be limited by year of publication. Titles, abstracts, and full papers will be screened by two independent reviewers against inclusion and exclusion criteria, with any disagreements resolved via a third reviewer. Selected studies will undergo quality assessment and data extraction. Data synthesis will occur in three sequential phases, with quantitative and qualitative data analysed separately and then integrated where possible to provide a conceptual framework illustrating learning via social media. Funding for this review was confirmed in May 2016 by Sigma Theta Tau International and the National League for Nursing. The mixed study systematic review will produce the first rigorous synthesis on the use of social media in nursing and midwifery education and will have important implications for educators as well as students. It will also highlight knowledge gaps and make recommendations on the use of this novel technology in higher and continuing education. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Exploring global recognition of quality midwifery education: Vision or fiction?

    PubMed

    Luyben, Ans; Barger, Mary; Avery, Melissa; Bharj, Kuldip Kaur; O'Connell, Rhona; Fleming, Valerie; Thompson, Joyce; Sherratt, Della

    2017-06-01

    Midwifery education is the foundation for preparing competent midwives to provide a high standard of safe, evidence-based care for women and their newborns. Global competencies and standards for midwifery education have been defined as benchmarks for establishing quality midwifery education and practice worldwide. However, wide variations in type and nature of midwifery education programs exist. To explore and discuss the opportunities and challenges of a global quality assurance process as a strategy to promote quality midwifery education. Accreditation and recognition as two examples of quality assurance processes in education are discussed. A global recognition process, with its opportunities and challenges, is explored from the perspective of four illustrative case studies from Ireland, Kosovo, Latin America and Bangladesh. The discussion highlights that the establishment of a global recognition process may assist in promoting quality of midwifery education programs world-wide, but cannot take the place of formal national accreditation. In addition, a recognition process will not be feasible for many institutions without additional resources, such as financial support or competent evaluators. In order to achieve quality midwifery education through a global recognition process the authors present 5 Essential Challenges for Quality Midwifery Education. Quality midwifery education is vital for establishing a competent workforce, and improving maternal and newborn health. Defining a global recognition process could be instrumental in moving toward this goal, but dealing with the identified challenges will be essential. Copyright © 2017 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. A concept analysis of proactive behaviour in midwifery.

    PubMed

    Mestdagh, Eveline; Van Rompaey, Bart; Beeckman, Katrien; Bogaerts, Annick; Timmermans, Olaf

    2016-06-01

    To report an analysis of the concept of proactive behaviour and apply the findings to midwifery. Proactive behaviour is a universal phenomenon generalizable to multiple professions. The purpose of this work was to establish a link with midwifery. Concept analysis by Walker and Avant's method. Literature was searched in PubMed, ERIC, NARCIS, Emerald and reference lists of related journal articles with a timeline of 1990 - April 2015 in the period of November 2014 - June 2015. Next key words were combined by the use of Boolean operators: 'proactive behaviour', 'midwifery', 'midwife', 'proactivity' and 'proactive'. Fifteen studies were included. A focused review of scientific publications in midwifery, health care, healthcare education and social sciences, which highlighted the concept of proactive behaviour. In the studied literature, several attributes of proactive behaviour were cited. These attributes were narrowed by applying it on a midwifery model case, borderline case and contrary case. Related concepts were elaborated and distinguished of the concept of proactive behaviour in midwifery. Proactive behaviour is triggered by different individual and contextual antecedents and has consequences at multiple levels. A midwife who behaves proactive would not look at changes as a boundary, persistently improves things she experienced as wrong, anticipates future barriers and looks for viable alternatives to carry out her work as efficiently and effectively as possible. Various individual and/or contextual antecedents trigger proactive behaviour in midwifery, and this behaviour could cause multiple future benefits for the constant evolving reproductive health care. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  3. Nature and Scope of Certified Nurse-Midwifery Practice in One Large State in the United States.

    PubMed

    Hastings-Tolsma, Marie; Wilcox Foster, Sarah; Brucker, Mary C; Nodine, Priscilla; Burpo, Rebecca; Camune, Barbara; Griggs, Jackie; Callahan, Tiffany J

    2018-04-21

    To describe the nature and scope of nurse-midwifery practice in Texas and to determine legislative priorities and practice barriers. Across the globe, midwives are the largest group of maternity care providers despite little known about midwifery practice. With a looming shortage of midwives, there is a pressing need to understand midwives' work environment and scope of practice. Mixed methods research utilizing prospective descriptive survey and interview. An online survey was administered to nurse-midwives practicing in the state of Texas (N=449) with a subset (n=10) telephone interviewed. Descriptive and inferential statistics and content analysis was performed. The survey was completed by 141 midwives with 8 interviewed. Most were older, Caucasian, and held a master's degree. A majority worked full-time, were in clinical practice in larger urban areas, and were employed by a hospital or physician-group. Care was most commonly provided for Hispanic and white women; approximately a quarter could care for greater numbers of patients. Most did not clinically teach midwifery students. Physician practice agreements were believed unnecessary and prescriptive authority requirements restrictive. Legislative issues were typically followed through the professional organization or social media sites; most felt a lack of competence to influence health policy decisions. While most were satisfied with current clinical practice, a majority planned a change in the next 3 to 5 years. An aging midwifery workforce, not representative of the race/ethnicity of the populations served, is underutilized with practice requirements that limit provision of services. Health policy changes are needed to ensure unrestricted practice. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  4. A human rights framework for midwifery care.

    PubMed

    Thompson, Joyce Beebe

    2004-01-01

    This article presents a rights-based model for midwifery care of women and childbearing families. Salient features include discussion of the influence of values on how women are viewed within cultures and societies, universal ethical principles applicable to health care services, and human rights based on the view of women as persons rather than as objects or chattel. Examples of the health impact on women of persistent violation of basic human rights are used to support the need for using a human rights framework for midwifery care--a model supported by codes of ethics, the midwifery philosophy of care, and standards of practice.

  5. Feminism and nurse-midwifery. Historical overview and current issues.

    PubMed

    McCool, W F; McCool, S J

    1989-01-01

    Despite the fact that the profession of nurse-midwifery and feminism are both disciplines concerned with women and issues affecting women's lives, there has been little investigation or acknowledgement of relationships between their two paradigms. The work presented here is an attempt to discover both similarities and differences between nurse-midwifery and feminist thought. Using a historical approach, it is shown that despite the common goal of improving and maintaining women's status in the world, whether in general or more specifically with regard to health, feminist theorists and nurse-midwives, to a large degree, have worked separately from each other, rarely acknowledging in any formal way the importance of the other discipline. Current issues that have an effect on the practice of nurse-midwifery today--lay midwifery, the profession of nursing, and nurse-midwifery research--are presented in relation to contemporary feminist thought.

  6. The process of internationalization of the nursing and midwifery curriculum: A qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Abdul-Mumin, Khadizah H

    2016-11-01

    There is an abundance of literature on internationalization of curricula. However, research on how a curriculum is internationalized to accommodate non-mobile students studying in their home countries is limited. To describe the process undertaken by curriculum developers in internationalizing the Brunei nursing and midwifery curriculum through curriculum design. A descriptive qualitative research design. A nursing and midwifery higher education institution in Brunei. Seventeen nurse/midwife academics. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 curriculum developers. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes emerged: expectations of an internationalized curriculum; formation of a committee; benchmarking and setting standards; and designing the curriculum for internationalization. This study has implications for the development of an internationally-oriented curriculum that takes into account the cultural context of a specific country. The findings highlight the need to involve students in curriculum design, a practice that is not common in Brunei. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. An evaluation of a teaching strategy: The use of literature when teaching pre-registration midwifery students on pregnancy and loss.

    PubMed

    Patterson, Dorothy; Begley, Ann; Nolan, Ann

    2016-03-01

    Facilitating emotional intelligence and insight in midwifery can be challenging, and the purpose of this paper is to illustrate how this can be nurtured through the use of poetry, in particular Seamus Heaney's poem Elegy for a Still Born Child. Students' ability to gain insight into the experience of bereaved parents and achieve an emotional grasp of the situation through vicarious experience were evaluated. Qualitative data from evaluations was content analysed and significant themes emerged. Students' comments clearly support the suggestion that use of this poem has enhanced emotional intelligence. The data also indicates that vicarious experience gained through reading this poem has helped to nurture sensitivity and professional insight into the impact of still birth on a father. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Ethics Education in Midwifery Education Programs in the United States.

    PubMed

    Megregian, Michele

    2016-09-01

    Familiarity with ethical concepts is a required competency for new graduates and a component of accreditation for midwifery education programs in the United States. While midwifery educators have acknowledged the importance of ethics education in midwifery programs, little is known about current methods, format, or evaluation of ethics education. A Web-based survey was developed for program directors of accredited midwifery education programs in the United States. Clock hours, formats, venues, content topics, barriers, and evaluation methods were evaluated by descriptive analysis. Fifty-one percent of programs completed the online survey (25/49). Of these, only 7 (28%) offer ethics as a stand-alone class, although all responding programs integrate some ethics education into other core classes. Programs show variation in format, venue, resources, and clock hours dedicated to ethics education. The most frequent barrier to ethics education is an already crowded curriculum (60%), although 32% of programs denied any barriers at all. The majority of programs include the ethical concepts of informed consent, shared decision making, and effective communication in curriculum content. This survey found that there is considerable variation in ethics education in terms of content, format, and evaluation among accredited midwifery education programs in the United States. Midwifery educators have an opportunity to explore the ethical dilemmas unique to maternity care from a midwifery perspective. There is also the opportunity to create a comprehensive and dynamic midwifery ethics curriculum, which incorporates both stand-alone ethics courses and ethics concepts that are woven throughout the core midwifery curriculum. © 2016 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  9. Building midwifery educator capacity using international partnerships: Findings from a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    West, Florence; Dawson, Angela; Homer, Caroline S E

    2017-07-01

    Midwifery educators play a critical role in strengthening the midwifery workforce globally, including in low and lower-middle income countries (LMIC) to ensure that midwives are adequately prepared to deliver quality midwifery care. The most effective approach to building midwifery educator capacity is not always clear. The aim of this study was to determine how one capacity building approach in Papua New Guinea (PNG) used international partnerships to improve teaching and learning. A qualitative exploratory case study design was used to explore the perspectives of 26 midwifery educators working in midwifery education institutions in PNG. Seven themes were identified which provide insights into the factors that enable and constrain midwifery educator capacity building. The study provides insights into strategies which may aid institutions and individuals better plan and implement international midwifery partnerships to strengthen context-specific knowledge and skills in teaching. Further research is necessary to assess how these findings can be transferred to other contexts. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. The mentoring experiences of new graduate midwives working in midwifery continuity of care models in Australia.

    PubMed

    Cummins, Allison M; Denney-Wilson, E; Homer, C S E

    2017-05-01

    The aim of this paper was to explore the mentoring experiences of new graduate midwives working in midwifery continuity of care models in Australia. Most new graduates find employment in hospitals and undertake a new graduate program rotating through different wards. A limited number of new graduate midwives were found to be working in midwifery continuity of care. The new graduate midwives in this study were mentored by more experienced midwives. Mentoring in midwifery has been described as being concerned with confidence building based through a personal relationship. A qualitative descriptive study was undertaken and the data were analysed using continuity of care as a framework. We found having a mentor was important, knowing the mentor made it easier for the new graduate to call their mentor at any time. The new graduate midwives had respect for their mentors and the support helped build their confidence in transitioning from student to midwife. With the expansion of midwifery continuity of care models in Australia mentoring should be provided for transition midwives working in this way. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Midwifery in Iceland: From vocational training to university education.

    PubMed

    Olafsdottir, Olof A; Kristjansdottir, Hildur; Halfdansdottir, Berglind; Gottfredsdottir, Helga

    2018-07-01

    Midwifery education is a foundation for health professionals' competence in providing quality healthcare for the benefit of women, their families and society. This paper describes midwifery and the development of midwifery education in Iceland. It examines policy and extensive reforms, from hospital-based vocational training in midwifery to an academic university education, and the impact on the scope of midwifery practice in Iceland. The university-based programme, with its emphasis on autonomy of the midwife, seems to have affected the context of home birth and strengthened midwives' role in primary healthcare. Education reform with a focus on evidence-based practice and midwife-led continuity of care has had limited influence within the hospital system, where the structure of care is fragmented and childbirth is under threat of increasing interventions. Research is needed on the role of education in supporting evidence-based practice, normal childbirth and reproductive health in the Icelandic context. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Student midwives' views on maternity care just before their graduation.

    PubMed

    Van Kelst, Liesbeth; Spitz, Bernard; Sermeus, Walter; Thomson, Ann M

    2013-03-01

    To report a hermeneutic study of student midwives' views on maternity care just before their graduation. background: Woman-centred care, which is the hallmark of midwifery, is taught to midwifery students around the globe. Woman-centred care is advantageous for women at low obstetric risk. However, adopting this ideology might be a problem for student midwives whose clinical placements are mainly in a medicalized obstetric-led hospital setting. A hermeneutic phenomenological study was conducted. In 2010, three focus groups were held where 19 student midwives participated. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using van Manen's approach. The choice for midwifery was a 'positive' choice and not the result of an elimination process. Students' description of a midwife as a coach was in line with the international definition of a midwife. With regard to maternity care, midwifery students identified two types of care, factory-style care and tailored care, both of which were ascribed to caregivers and hospital culture. Furthermore, student midwives made the distinction between hierarchy and teamwork, referring to the professional relations in maternity care. Hierarchy was driven by tradition, it implied that decisions were made top-down, and it resulted in impersonal relations. Midwifery students felt it was unjust that midwives were not allowed to perform deliveries while having the legal autonomy to do so. In spite of the medicalized context, midwifery education succeeded in educating midwives who hold a woman-centred ideology. Midwifery students linked style of care to a person rather than to a profession. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  13. Factors affecting integration of midwifery nursing science theory with clinical practice in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province as perceived by professional midwives.

    PubMed

    Malwela, Thivhulawi; Maputle, Sonto M; Lebese, Rachel T

    2016-05-24

    Professional midwives have an important role to play in midwifery training to produce a competent midwife. According to the social learning theory, professional midwives act as role models for students. When allocated for clinical learning experiences in the training hospitals, students will have the opportunity to observe the well-trained, skilled, and experienced professional midwives. The whole process will enable students to integrate theory with practice and they will become competent. The aim of this study was to determine the factors affecting integration of midwifery nursing science theory with clinical practice as perceived by midwives. The study was conducted at the training hospitals in Vhembe district of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. These hospitals were: Donald Fraser, Siloam, and Tshidzini. A qualitative explorative, descriptive and contextual design was used. A Nonprobability, convenient sampling method was used to select 11 midwives from the following hospitals: Donald Fraser, Siloam, and Tshidzini, in Vhembe district. In-depth individual interviews were conducted. Data were analysed through open coding method. One theme and five sub-themes emerged from the analysed data, namely: shortage of midwives, attitudes towards student midwives, reluctance to perform teaching functions, language barriers, and declining midwifery practice standards. Shortage of midwives in the clinical areas led to fewer numbers of mentors whom the students could observe and imitate to acquire clinical skills. Some of the midwives were reluctant to teach students. Recommendations were made for both training institutions and hospitals to employ preceptors for students in the clinical practical.

  14. Being with woman: claiming midwifery space.

    PubMed

    Hunter, Louise

    2015-03-01

    Being 'with woman' is characterised as presence, a spiritual concept which is nevertheless bound up with physical space. In this article, the work of the American philosopher Judith Butler is used to explore the interplay between space and relationships in midwifery practice. Butler argues that relationships based on mutual recognition and respect define the actions possible within physical space. In midwifery, being with woman creates a therapeutic space necessary for the wellbeing and empowerment of women and midwives alike.

  15. Developing a blended learning program for nursing and midwifery students in Iran: Process and preliminary outcomes.

    PubMed

    Zolfaghari, Mitra; Negarandeh, Reza; Eybpoosh, Sana

    2013-01-01

    We aimed to develop and evaluate outcomes of a blended learning (BL) program for educating nursing and midwifery students of Tehran university of medical sciences (Tehran, Iran). This was a participatory action research project. After designing BL website, providing technological infrastructures, and holding preparatory workshops, 22 blended courses were designed. BL method was implemented for one semester. Students' grade point average, participation with courses, and opinion about educational methods, and instructors' attitude and opinion about educational methods were assessed. Most students (n = 181; 72.1%) and 17 instructors (28.3%) consented to participate in the study. Students' grade point average and participation was significantly higher in BL rather than in face-to-face method (P < 0.0001). Most instructors (n = 11, 65%) had positive attitude toward BL method. Textual analysis of participants' opinion showed that most students preferred BL method and felt more independent in this method. However, they complained about lack of easy access to Internet and weakness in computer skills. Instructors admired the flexibility and incentives that had been provided in the program. However, some of them complained about the time-consuming nature of BL course design. The program showed positive effect on students' learning outcomes and participation. The strengths and weaknesses of the program should be considered for development of next phase of the project. Lessons learned in this phase might be helpful for decision makers who tend to develop similar programs in Iran. Motivational and communicational issues and users' IT skills should be addressed in every BL program.

  16. Promoting retention, enabling success: Discovering the potential of student support circles.

    PubMed

    Bass, Janice; Walters, Caroline; Toohill, Jocelyn; Sidebotham, Mary

    2016-09-01

    Retention of students is critical to education programs and future workforce. A mixed methods study evaluated student engagement within a Bachelor of Midwifery program and connection with career choice through participation in student support circles. Centred on the Five Senses of Success Framework (sense of capability, purpose, identity, resourcefulness and connectedness) and including four stages of engagement (creating space, preparing self, sharing stories, focused conversations), the circles support and develop student and professional identity. Of 80 students 43 (54%) provided responses to a two item survey assessed against a five point Likert scale to determine utility. Using a nominal group technique, student's voices gave rich insight into the personal and professional growth that participation in the student support circles provided. Evaluated as helpful to first year students in orientating to university study and early socialisation into the profession, the circles appear to influence the development of a strong sense of professional identity and personal midwifery philosophy based on the relational nature of the midwife being with woman rather than doing midwifery. This suggests that student support circles positively influence perceptions and expectations, contributing to a shared sense of purpose and discipline connection, for enhancing student retention and future workforce participation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Men in Midwifery: A National Survey.

    PubMed

    Kantrowitz-Gordon, Ira; Adriane Ellis, Simon; McFarlane, Ann

    2014-01-01

    Midwifery in the United States suffers from a lack of diversity. More than 91% of midwives are white, and more than 98% are women. Little research has explored the experiences of midwives who are men or transgender. Invitation to an Internet survey was sent to the membership of the American College of Nurse-Midwives. Thirty-one participants who identified as men or transgender completed the survey, which included quantitative and open-ended questions about the impact of gender on education and practice. Data analysis of qualitative responses used qualitative description methodology to identify common themes. Four themes described participating men's experiences of education and practice of midwifery. Challenges included feeling singled out as different and being excluded. Supportive factors came from the social support of family, friends, colleagues, and patients, as well as from taking pride in one's work as a midwife. Midwives who identify as transgender described the challenges of others' confusion about their gender, having to hide their true gender identity, and struggling with the resulting loneliness. This survey highlights the challenges faced by midwives who are men or transgender in education and practice. Midwifery values of respect and acceptance for all women and families need to be applied internally to all members of the profession. This will support increased diversity and openness in midwifery. © 2014 by the American College of Nurse‐Midwives.

  18. The International Confederation of Midwives: Global Standards for Midwifery Education (2010) with companion guidelines.

    PubMed

    Thompson, Joyce B; Fullerton, Judith T; Sawyer, Angela J

    2011-08-01

    a 2-year study was conducted to develop Global Standards for Midwifery Education in keeping with core documents of the International Confederation of Midwives. Elements of the standards were based on evidence available in the published and unpublished literature. Companion Guidelines to assist in implementing the standards were also developed. a modified Delphi survey process was conducted in two rounds following item validation by a panel of midwifery education experts. a global survey conducted in 88 countries. midwifery educators and clinicians associated with midwifery education located in any of the ICM member association countries. Additional participants included an Expert Midwifery Resource Group, other Key Stakeholders, midwifery regulators and policy makers. A total of 241 individuals from 46 ICM member association countries and ten non-member countries responded to one or both of the survey rounds. survey respondents expressed an opinion on whether to retain or to delete any of the proposed components of the standards. Version one had 109 proposed components and version two had 111 items for consideration. a majority consensus of .80 was required to accept an item without further deliberation. The Education Standards Task Force (expert panel) made final decisions in the four instances where this level of consensus was not reached, retaining all four items. The panel also amended the wording of selected items or added new items based on feedback received from survey respondents. The final document contains 10 Preface items, 35 glossary terms, and 37 discrete standards with 27 sub-sections. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Relationship between reflection ability and clinical performance: a cross-sectional and retrospective-longitudinal correlational cohort study in midwifery.

    PubMed

    Embo, M; Driessen, E; Valcke, M; van der Vleuten, C P M

    2015-01-01

    increasingly, reflection is highlighted as integral to core practice competencies but empirical research into the relationship between reflection and performance in the clinical workplace is scarce. this study investigated the relationship between reflection ability and clinical performance. we designed a cross-sectional and a retrospective-longitudinal cohort study. Data from first, second and third year midwifery students were collected to study the variables 'clinical performance' and 'reflection ability'. Data were analysed with SPSS for Windows, Release 20.0. Descriptive statistics, Pearson׳s Product Moment Correlation Coefficients (r) and r² values were computed to investigate associations between the research variables. the results showed a moderate observed correlation between reflection ability and clinical performance scores. When adopting a cross-sectional perspective, all correlation values were significant (p<0.01) and above 0.4, with the exception of the third year correlations. Assuming perfect reliability in the measurement, the adjusted correlations, for year 2 and year 3 indicated a high association between reflection ability and clinical performance (>0.6). The results based on the retrospective-longitudinal data set explained a moderate proportion of the variance after correction for attenuation. Finally, the results indicate that 'reflection ability' scores of earlier years are significant related with 'clinical performance' scores of subsequent years. These results suggest that (1) reflection ability is linked to clinical performance; (2) that written reflections are an important, but not the sole way to assess professional competence and that (3) reflection is a contributor to clinical performance improvement. the data showed a moderate but significant relationship between 'reflection ability' and 'clinical performance' scores in clinical practice of midwifery students. Reflection therefore seems an important component of professional

  20. Addressing the midwifery workforce crisis: evaluating an employment model for undergraduate midwifery students at a tertiary maternity hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

    PubMed

    McLachlan, Helen L; Forster, Della A; Ford, Rachael L; Farrell, Tanya

    2011-12-01

    In Victoria, maternity services are under significant strain due to increased numbers of women giving birth and critical workforce shortages. Hospitals have experienced challenges in adequately staffing maternity units, particularly on postnatal wards. In 2008, a tertiary maternity hospital in Melbourne introduced a model where undergraduate midwifery students were employed as Division 2 nurses (SMW_Div2) (enrolled nurses), to work in the postnatal area only. This study explored the pilot employment model from the perspective of the SMW_Div2 and hospital midwives. A web-based survey was administered to hospital midwives and the SMW_Div2s in the employment model in January 2010. The survey explored the views of midwives and SMW_Div2s regarding the perceived impact of the model on workforce readiness, recruitment and retention, and clinical competence and confidence. Forty-seven of 158 midwives (30%) and five of nine SMW_Div2s employed in the model responded to the survey. Both groups considered the model to have benefits for the organisation, including increased: student workforce readiness; clinical confidence and competence; and organisational loyalty. Both groups also considered that the model would facilitate: workforce recruitment; a teaching and learning culture within the organisation; and enhanced partnerships between students, hospitals and universities. Caution was expressed regarding workload and the need for ongoing support for SMW_Div2s working in the model. SMW_Div2s and midwives were positive about the introduction of the paid employment model at the Women's. The findings are consistent with evaluations of similar programs in the nursing setting. The employment model has potential short and long term individual and organisational advantages, which is important in the context of increasing births and workforce shortages. Progression of such models will be contingent on the collaboration and cooperation of the various stakeholders involved in maternity

  1. The challenges facing midwifery educators in sustaining a future education workforce.

    PubMed

    Albarran, John W; Rosser, Elizabeth A

    2014-08-01

    national and international trends have identified concerns over the ability of health and social care workforces in meeting the needs of service users. Attention has increasingly been drawn to problems of recruiting and retaining professionals within higher education; however data in relation to the midwifery profession is scant. to examine the perceptions and experiences of midwifery educators, in south-west England, about the challenges facing them sustaining the education workforce of the future. a mixed methodology approach was adopted involving heads of midwifery education and midwife educators. midwifery participants were recruited from three higher education institutions in south west England. Data collection comprised of self-administered questionnaires plus individual qualitative interviews with heads of midwifery education (n=3), and tape recorded focus groups with midwife academics (n=19). Numerical data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Textual data were analysed for themes that represented the experiences and perspectives of participants. Ethics approval was granted by one University Ethics committee. demographic data suggests that within south-west England, there is a clear ageing population and few in possession of a doctorate within midwifery. The six identified sub-themes represented in the data describe challenges and tensions that midwifery academics experienced in their efforts to attract new recruits and retain those in post in a highly changing educational environment which demands more from a contracting workforce. there remain some serious challenges facing midwifery educators in sustaining the future education workforce, which if unresolved may jeopardise standards of education and quality of care women receive. Active succession planning and more radical approaches that embrace flexible careers will enable educational workforce to be sustained and by a clinically credible and scholarly orientated midwifery workforce. Copyright

  2. Towards an epistemological basis for andragogy in midwifery education.

    PubMed

    Ho, E

    1991-04-01

    In designing the curriculum for pre and post registration midwifery courses, the author has utilised an andragogical model. This term refers to the art and science of teaching adults (Knowles 1978). The ideas that Knowles (1978) put forward about andragogy while not new, have been implemented in adult education and are certainly relevant to the modern practice of midwifery education. The aim of this paper is to examine the two extreme philosophical views about the nature of man and to provide an epistemological basis for andragogy in midwifery education.

  3. A mixed methods investigation of an online intervention to facilitate student midwives' engagement in effective conversations about weight-related behaviour change with pregnant women.

    PubMed

    Hart, Jo; Furber, Christine; Chisholm, Anna; Aspinall, Samantha; Lucas, Charlotte; Runswick, Emma; Mann, Karen; Peters, Sarah

    2018-05-16

    (1) To identify whether an online training intervention could increase midwifery students' knowledge of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) and intentions to use them in practice. (2) To identify students' views and current experiences of talking to women about weight-related behaviour change. Mixed methods study involving pre- and post-training assessments, and qualitative interviews with midwifery students. Online training course delivered at a University in the North of England, UK. Midwifery students in the third year of their undergraduate degree during 2015-2016. Online training focused on equipping students with knowledge of theoretically-informed BCTs, and the skills to use them opportunistically in existing practice settings. Likelihood of discussing obesity with women was assessed via a 12-item, 7-point Likert scale assessing students' attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and intentions. A 14-item checklist was used to assess BCT knowledge whereby students selected recognised BCTs (of 7 correct, 7 false). Students' views and experiences of current practice was explored through in-depth, semi-structured one-on-one interviews with a member of the research team. Students' subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and knowledge of BCTs increased post-training but intention and attitudes did not. Interviews revealed three themes accounting for students experiences and views of behaviour change practice: (1) 'How training fits with current encounters with maternal obesity in midwifery training' (2) 'TEnT PEGS prepares students for practice', and (3) 'Value of tailored training'. Online BCT training can improve the midwifery students' confidence, knowledge and beliefs that this is part of their role. They also reported finding the training helpful in better preparing them for this challenging element of their routine practice. Online BCT training can be used to prepare undergraduate midwifery students for practice. Crown Copyright

  4. The development of a rubric for peer assessment of individual teamwork skills in undergraduate midwifery students.

    PubMed

    Hastie, Carolyn; Fahy, Kathleen; Parratt, Jenny

    2014-09-01

    Poor teamwork is cited as one of the major root causes of adverse events in healthcare. Bullying, resulting in illness for staff, is an expression of poor teamwork skills. Despite this knowledge, poor teamwork persists in healthcare and teamwork skills are rarely the focus of teaching and assessment in undergraduate health courses. To develop and implement an assessment tool for use in facilitating midwifery students' learning of teamwork skills. This paper describes how the TeamUP rubric tool was developed. A review of the literature found no research reports on how to teach and assess health students' teamwork skills in standing teams. The literature, however, gives guidance about how university educators should evaluate individual students using peer assessment. The developmental processes of the rubric were grounded in the theoretical literature and feminist collaborative conversations. The rubric incorporates five domains of teamwork skills: Fostering a Team Climate; Project Planning; Facilitating Teams; Managing Conflict and Quality Individual Contribution. The process and outcomes of student and academic content validation are described. The TeamUP rubric is useful for articulating, teaching and assessing teamwork skills for health professional students. The TeamUP rubric is a robust, theoretically grounded model that defines and details effective teamwork skills and related behaviours. If these skills are mastered, we predict that graduates will be more effective in teams. Our assumption is that graduates, empowered by having these skills, are more likely to manage conflict effectively and less likely to engage in bullying behaviours. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. The Midwifery Workforce: ACNM 2012 and AMCB 2013 Core Data.

    PubMed

    Fullerton, Judith; Sipe, Theresa Ann; Hastings-Tolsma, Marie; McFarlin, Barbara L; Schuiling, Kerri; Bright, Carrie D; Havens, Lori B; Krulewitch, Cara J

    2015-01-01

    Core data are crucial for detailing an accurate profile of the midwifery workforce in the United States. The American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) and the American Midwifery Certification Board, Inc. (AMCB), at the request and with support from the US Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), are engaged in a collaborative effort to develop a data collection strategy (the Midwifery MasterFile) that will reflect demographic and practice characteristics of certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) and certified midwives (CMs) in the United States. Two independent datasets, one collected by ACNM in 2012 and one by AMCB in 2013, were examined to determine key workforce information. ACNM data were collected from the online Core Data Survey sent to ACNM members. AMCB data were extracted from information submitted online by applicants seeking initial certification in 2013 and applicants seeking to recertify following 5 years of initial certification. The ACNM 2012 survey was partially or fully completed by 36% (n = 2185) of ACNM members (N = 6072). AMCB respondents included 100% of new certificants (N = 539) and those applying for recertification in 2013 (n = 1323) of the total 11,682 certificants in the AMCB database. These two datasets demonstrate that midwives remain largely white, female, and older in age, with most engaged in clinical midwifery while employed primarily by hospitals and medical centers. Differences were reported between the ACNM membership and AMCB certification datasets in the numbers of midwives holding other certifications, working full-time, attending births, and providing newborn care. The new collaboration among HRSA, ACNM, and AMCB, represented as the Midwifery MasterFile, provides the opportunity to clearly profile CNMs/CMs, distinct from advanced practice registered nurses, in government reports about the health care workforce. This information is central to identifying and marketing the role and contribution of CNMs/CMs in the provision

  6. Representations of rituals and care in perinatal death in British midwifery textbooks 1937-2004.

    PubMed

    Cameron, Joan; Taylor, Julie; Greene, Alexandra

    2008-09-01

    to assess the evolution of attitudes and practices relating to perinatal loss through an analysis of British midwifery textbooks. a literature review of midwifery textbooks, written or edited by midwives, published in the UK after 1902, and a critical analysis of textbooks to determine the ideological and professional standpoints presented to readers. the rhetoric and ritual relating to perinatal loss as portrayed in British midwifery textbooks has changed, with the most dramatic changes taking place in the past 30 years. Evidence to support the changes is largely anecdotal, and little reference is made to research relating to perinatal death. The 'dirty' elements of perinatal death relating to the decay that takes place in the baby's body after death are not addressed. The critique of psychological theory relating to loss is absent, as are alternatives to the model proposed by Kübler Ross. Cultural aspects of loss and bereavement are rarely addressed. the review of midwifery textbooks suggests that an ideological shift has taken place in relation to perinatal loss. The changing demographic trends, and the shift of birth and death from home to hospital, have altered the expectations and experiences of parents and professionals. Midwifery textbooks provide readers with a prescribed and formulaic approach to perinatal loss. the absence of information relating to the appearance of the dead baby, together with the lack of clinical exposure, may mean that midwives are unable to provide parents with appropriate information. The lack of reference to an evidence base that may conflict with the ideology presented in the midwifery textbooks leaves readers with an incomplete understanding of the professional issues relating to perinatal loss.

  7. The loss of midwifery supervision: to mourn or rejoice?

    PubMed

    Lewis, Paul; Freemantle, Danielle; Ireland, Jilly

    2015-03-01

    The decision of the NMC to end statutory supervision of midwives comes as no surprise. It had been anticipated since the publication of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's (PHSO) report in 2013 (PHSO 2013). This found that midwifery supervision and regulatory arrangements had failed to identify poor midwifery practice at Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust. It concluded that midwifery supervision and regulation should be separated; and that the NMC should be in direct control of regulatory activity. A King's Fund report commissioned by the NMC reached similar conclusions and the dye was cast. The process in many respects has been disappointing but inevitable. This article maps the key events, examines concerns in respect of the process, and asks: what now for midwifery supervision? Our survival as a distinct profession may now rest not with the NMC but in recommendations of the Law Commission's report on the regulation of healthcare professionals in the UK.

  8. Decision making in midwifery: rationality and intuition.

    PubMed

    Steinhauer, Suyai

    2015-04-01

    Decision making in midwifery is a complex process that shapes and underpins clinical practice and determines, to a large extent, the quality of care. Effective decision making and professional accountability are central to clinical governance, and being able.to justify all decisions is a professional and legal requirement. At the same time, there is an emphasis in midwifery on shared decision making, and keeping women at the centre of their care, and research reveals that feelings of choice, control and autonomy are central to a positive birth experience. However the extent to which decisions are really shared and care truly woman-centred is debatable and affected by environment and culture. Using a case study of a decision made in clinical practice around amniotomy, this article explores the role of the intuitive thinking system in midwifery decision making, and highlights the importance of involving women in the decision making process.

  9. Rhetorical skills as a component of midwifery care.

    PubMed

    Domajnko, Barbara; Drglin, Zalka; Pahor, Majda

    2011-04-01

    this article argues that rhetorical skills are an important quality factor of midwifery care. In particular, it aims to identify and discuss the relevance of three classical means of persuasion: ethos, pathos and logos. secondary analysis, rhetorical analysis of semi-structured interviews. Slovenia. Interviews were carried out predominantly in 2006. Data refer to childbirths in 2005 and 2006. four women with recent experience of childbirth. analysis identified the presence of all three means of persuasion in the interaction between midwives and women. Focusing on midwives, the quality of their awareness and command of rhetorical skills remains questionable. In particular, women experienced lack of a rational account of the situation and decisions made by health-care professionals involved in maternity care. acknowledging professional ethics, awareness and good command of all three means of persuasion [but above all, argumentative persuasion (logos)] is an integral component of midwifery care. It can contribute to collaborative relations between midwives and women, and thus promote women-centred midwifery care. knowledge of the three classical rhetorical means of persuasion should be integrated into professional midwifery curricula. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Legalization of midwifery and the issue of home births.

    PubMed Central

    McCourt, C

    1986-01-01

    The issue of legalization of midwifery is distinct from that of sanctioning of home births. Ontario should seriously consider establishing midwifery as an independent profession for nondomiciliary care. I hope that such a decision would not be considered in isolation from the rest of the health care system. PMID:3730994

  11. Western Australia facing critical losses in its midwifery workforce: a survey of midwives' intentions.

    PubMed

    Pugh, Judith D; Twigg, Diane E; Martin, Tracy L; Rai, Tapan

    2013-05-01

    the ongoing attrition of the midwifery workforce frustrates future workforce planning and the provision of maternity services in Western Australia. This project determined factors contributing to the intention of the midwives to move jobs and/or leave the profession. a cross-sectional survey approach was taken for this descriptive research utilising a self-administered questionnaire developed by the Nursing and Midwifery Office, Department of Health, Western Australia. public and private health sectors in Western Australia, April-May 2010. 1,600 midwives employed in the public and private health sectors throughout Western Australia were invited to participate: 712 responded (44.5%), one-fifth of the state's registered midwives. most midwives worked part-time in a clinical role in public hospitals. Almost half intended moving jobs within 5 years and/or leaving midwifery. Excluding midwives of retirement age, the most common reasons for intending to move jobs were family commitments, working conditions and role dissatisfaction. Those intending to leave midwifery cited work-life balance, career change and family commitments. Midwives thought addressing the following issues would improve midwifery retention: flexible work arrangements, remuneration, staffing and caseload, workplace culture, professional development and models of care. retaining the midwifery workforce requires attention to workforce practices particularly flexible work arrangements and workloads; models of care to strengthen midwives' relationships with clients and colleagues; and accessible professional development. a review of workplace practices at unit and institution levels is urgently required in Western Australia so that midwives can achieve work-life balance and practice to the full extent of their professional role. These changes are necessary to forestall premature retirement of skilled and experienced midwives from the profession and workforce churn. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by

  12. The introduction of computer assisted learning in a school of midwifery using the Wessex Care Plan Program.

    PubMed

    Leong, W C

    1989-04-01

    This case study was the result of attending the Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) Course sponsored by the Wessex Regional CAL Project. This was the Region's initiative to prepare Nurse and Midwife Teachers in developing CAL in the curriculum. The small scale qualitative classroom study was conducted in the School of Midwifery. The aim of the study was to evaluate the use of the content-free Wessex Care Plan Program (WCPP) in the Midwifery curriculum. For the evaluation of the study, a triangulation of data were obtained from the following sources: 1) classroom observation 2) questionnaires and interviews of eight Student Midwives 3) colleagues' responses to the introduction of CAL and personal experience The findings of this study showed that the content-free WCPP was easy to prepare and implement. The Student Midwives found the program easy to follow and a useful means of learning. At the same time it was enjoyable and fun; a dimension of learning that we could do with more often!

  13. Measuring progress in nursing and midwifery globally.

    PubMed

    al-Gasseer, Naeema; Persaud, Vena

    2003-01-01

    To discuss issues and challenges encountered in the preliminary steps of identifying a core set of global indicators for measuring progress in nursing and midwifery development. Lack of a global and systematic approach for collecting evidence has undermined the ability to reliably measure progress. Description of general principles, scientific criteria, and strategic directions. WHO's organizational support and global conditions are forces that indicated appropriate timing for these strategic directions. Concerted efforts are needed in all countries to implement these directions to advance nursing and midwifery services.

  14. Successes and Challenges of Interprofessional Physiologic Birth and Obstetric Emergency Simulations in a Nurse-Midwifery Education Program.

    PubMed

    Shaw-Battista, Jenna; Belew, Cynthia; Anderson, Deborah; van Schaik, Sandrijn

    2015-01-01

    This article describes childbirth simulation design and implementation within the nurse-midwifery education program at the University of California, San Francisco. Nurse-midwife and obstetrician faculty coordinators were supported by faculty from multiple professions and specialties in curriculum review and simulation development and implementation. The primary goal of the resulting technology-enhanced simulations of normal physiologic birth and obstetric emergencies was to assist learners' development of interprofessional competencies related to communication, teamwork, and patient-centered care. Trainees included nurse-midwifery students; residents in obstetrics, pediatrics, and family medicine; medical students; and advanced practice nursing students in pediatrics. The diversity of participant types and learning levels provided benefits and presented challenges to effective scenario-based simulation design among numerous other theoretical and logistical considerations. This project revealed practical solutions informed by emerging health sciences and education research literature, faculty experience, and formal course evaluations by learners. Best practices in simulation development and implementation were incorporated, including curriculum revision grounded in needs assessment, case- and event-based clinical scenarios, optimization of fidelity, and ample time for participant debriefing. Adequate preparation and attention to detail increased the immersive experience and benefits of simulation. Suggestions for fidelity enhancement are provided with examples of simulation scenarios, a timeline for preparations, and discussion topics to facilitate meaningful learning by maternity and newborn care providers and trainees in clinical and academic settings. Pre- and postsimulation measurements of knowledge, skills, and attitudes are ongoing and not reported. This article is part of a special series of articles that address midwifery innovations in clinical practice

  15. Midwifery continuity of carer in an area of high socio-economic disadvantage in London: A retrospective analysis of Albany Midwifery Practice outcomes using routine data (1997-2009).

    PubMed

    Homer, Caroline Se; Leap, Nicky; Edwards, Nadine; Sandall, Jane

    2017-05-01

    in 1997, The Albany Midwifery Practice was established within King's College Hospital NHS Trust in a South East London area of high social disadvantage. The Albany midwives provided continuity of care to around 216 women per year, including those with obstetric, medical or social risk factors. In 2009, the Albany Midwifery Practice was closed in response to concerns about safety, amidst much publicity and controversy. The aim of this evaluation was to examine trends and outcomes for all mothers and babies who received care from the practice from 1997-2009. a retrospective, descriptive analysis of data routinely collected over the 12.5 year period was undertaken including changes over time and outcomes by demographic features. all women booked with the Albany Midwifery Practice were included. of the 2568 women included over the 12.5 year period, more than half (57%) were from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities; one third were single and 11.4% reported being single and unsupported. Almost all women (95.5%) were cared for in labour by either their primary or secondary midwife. There were high rates of spontaneous onset of labour (80.5%), spontaneous vaginal birth (79.8%), homebirth (43.5%), initiation of breastfeeding (91.5%) and breastfeeding at 28 days (74.3% exclusively and 14.8% mixed feeding). Of the 79% of women who had a physiological third stage, 5.9% had a postpartum haemorrhage. The overall rate of caesarean section was 16%. The preterm birth rate was low (5%). Ninety-five per cent of babies had an Apgar score of 8 or greater at 5minutes and 6% were admitted to a neonatal unit for more than two days. There were 15 perinatal deaths (perinatal mortality rate of 5.78 per 1000 births); two were associated with significant congenital abnormalities. There were no intrapartum intrauterine deaths. this analysis has shown that the Albany Midwifery Practice demonstrated positive outcomes for women and babies in socially disadvantaged and BAME groups

  16. Critical thinking evaluation in reflective writing: Development and testing of Carter Assessment of Critical Thinking in Midwifery (Reflection).

    PubMed

    Carter, Amanda G; Creedy, Debra K; Sidebotham, Mary

    2017-11-01

    develop and test a tool designed for use by academics to evaluate pre-registration midwifery students' critical thinking skills in reflective writing. a descriptive cohort design was used. a random sample (n = 100) of archived student reflective writings based on a clinical event or experience during 2014 and 2015. a staged model for tool development was used to develop a fifteen item scale involving item generation; mapping of draft items to critical thinking concepts and expert review to test content validity; inter-rater reliability testing; pilot testing of the tool on 100 reflective writings; and psychometric testing. Item scores were analysed for mean, range and standard deviation. Internal reliability, content and construct validity were assessed. expert review of the tool revealed a high content validity index score of 0.98. Using two independent raters to establish inter-rater reliability, good absolute agreement of 72% was achieved with a Kappa coefficient K = 0.43 (p<0.0001). Construct validity via exploratory factor analysis revealed three factors: analyses context, reasoned inquiry, and self-evaluation. The mean total score for the tool was 50.48 (SD = 12.86). Total and subscale scores correlated significantly. The scale achieved good internal reliability with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .93. this study establishedthe reliability and validity of the CACTiM (reflection) for use by academics to evaluate midwifery students' critical thinking in reflective writing. Validation with large diverse samples is warranted. reflective practice is a key learning and teaching strategy in undergraduate Bachelor of Midwifery programmes and essential for safe, competent practice. There is the potential to enhance critical thinking development by assessingreflective writing with the CACTiM (reflection) tool to provide formative and summative feedback to students and inform teaching strategies. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. The experiences of new graduate midwives working in midwifery continuity of care models in Australia.

    PubMed

    Cummins, Allison M; Denney-Wilson, E; Homer, C S E

    2015-04-01

    midwifery continuity of care has been shown to be beneficial to women through reducing interventions and other maternal and neonatal morbidity. In Australia, numerous government reports recognise the importance of midwifery models of care that provide continuity. Given the benefits, midwives, including new graduate midwives, should have the opportunity to work in these models of care. Historically, new graduates have been required to have a number of years׳ experience before they are able to work in these models of care although a small number have been able to move into these models as new graduates. to explore the experiences of the new graduate midwives who have worked in midwifery continuity of care, in particular, the support they received; and, to establish the facilitators and barriers to the expansion of new graduate positions in midwifery continuity of care models. a qualitative descriptive study was undertaken framed by the concept of continuity of care. the new graduate midwives valued the relationship with the women and with the group of midwives they worked alongside. The ability to develop trusting relationships, consolidate skills and knowledge, be supported by the group and finally feeling prepared to work in midwifery continuity of care from their degree were all sub-themes. All of these factors led to the participants feeling as though they were 'becoming a real midwife'. this is the first study to demonstrate that new graduate midwives value working in midwifery continuity of care - they felt well prepared to work in this way from their degree and were supported by midwives they worked alongside. The participants reported having more confidence to practice when they have a relationship with the woman, as occurs in these models. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Constructive Alignment and the Research Skills Development Framework: Using Theory to Practically Align Graduate Attributes, Learning Experiences, and Assessment Tasks in Undergraduate Midwifery

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pretorius, Lynette; Bailey, Carolyn; Miles, Maureen

    2013-01-01

    Midwifery educators have to provide students with stimulating curricula that teach academic and vocational content, as well as transferable skills. The Research Skills Development (RSD) framework provides a conceptual model that allows educators to explicitly scaffold the development of their students' research skills. This paper aims to…

  19. Barriers and facilitators related to implementation of regulated midwifery in Manitoba: a case study.

    PubMed

    Thiessen, Kellie; Heaman, Maureen; Mignone, Javier; Martens, Patricia; Robinson, Kristine

    2016-03-15

    In 2000, midwifery was regulated in the Canadian Province of Manitoba. Since the establishment of the midwifery program, little formal research has analyzed the utilization of regulated midwifery services. In Manitoba, the demand for midwifery services has exceeded the number of midwives in practice. The specific objective of this study was to explore factors influencing the implementation and utilization of regulated midwifery services in Manitoba. The case study design incorporated qualitative exploratory descriptive methods, using data derived from two sources: interviews and public documents. Twenty-four key informants were purposefully selected to participate in semi-structured in-depth interviews. All documents analyzed were in the public domain. Content analysis was employed to analyze the documents and transcripts of the interviews. The results of the study were informed by the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. Three main topic areas were explored: facilitators, barriers, and future strategies and recommendations. The most common themes arising under facilitators were funding of midwifery services and strategies to integrate the profession. Power and conflict, and lack of a productive education program emerged as the most prominent themes under barriers. Finally, future strategies for sustaining the midwifery profession focused on ensuring avenues for registration and education, improving management strategies and accountability frameworks within the employment model, enhancing the work environment, and evaluating both the practice and employment models. Results of the document analysis supported the themes arising from the interviews. These findings on factors that influenced the implementation and integration of midwifery in Manitoba may provide useful information to key stakeholders in Manitoba, as well as other provinces as they work toward successful implementation of regulated midwifery practice. Funding for new positions and programs was

  20. Nursing and midwifery students' experiences with the course of infertility and assisted reproductive techniques: A focus group study from Turkey.

    PubMed

    Isbir, Gozde Gokçe; Ozan, Yeter Durgun

    2018-01-01

    Nurses and midwifes without sufficient knowledge of infertilitare not likely to provide counseling and support for people suffering from infertility. This study aimed to evaluate nursing and midwifery students' experiences with the Course on Infertility and Assisted Reproductive Techniques. Our study had a qualitative descriptive design. Total number of the participants was 75. The analysis revealed five primary themes and twenty-one sub-themes. The themes were (1) action, (2) learner centered method, (3) interaction, (4) nursing competencies, and (5) evaluation. The active learning techniques enabled the students to retrieve the knowledge that they obtained for a long time, contributed to social and cultural development and improved skills required for selfevaluation, communication and leadership, enhanced critical thinking, skills increased motivation and satisfaction and helped with knowledge integration. Infertility is a biopsychosocial condition, and it may be difficult for students to understand what infertile individuals experience. The study revealed that active learning techniques enabled the students to acquire not only theoretical knowledge but also an emotional and psychosocial viewpoint and attitude regarding infertility. The content of an infertility course should be created in accordance with changes in the needs of a given society and educational techniques. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. [Evaluation of the impact and efficiency of high-fidelity simulation for neonatal resuscitation in midwifery education].

    PubMed

    Coyer, C; Gascoin, G; Sentilhes, L; Savagner, C; Berton, J; Beringue, F

    2014-09-01

    Prompt initiation of appropriate neonatal resuscitation skills is critical for the neonate experiencing difficulty transitioning to extra-uterine life. Expertise in neonatal resuscitation is essential for personnel involved in the care of newborns, above all for midwives who are sometimes alone to initiate the first resuscitation. The use of simulation training is considered to be an indispensable tool to address these challenges, not only in continuing education but also in midwifery education. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact and efficiency of high-fidelity simulation for neonatal resuscitation in midwifery education. This was a prospective monocentric study conducted in the Angers university hospital between October and December 2012 and included two groups of midwifery students (n=40) who received high-fidelity simulation as part of their basic midwifery education. Participants' perceptions of the knowledge, skills, and confidence gained following training in high-fidelity simulation for neonatal resuscitation were determined using a pre-/post-test questionnaire design completed during the training and also several months after the course, as well as after the students had begun working. A satisfaction survey to evaluate this training was also completed at the same time. With a good participation rate (67.5%), the survey showed a high degree of satisfaction among the participants. This training was described as facilitating their hire in one third of cases. A significant increase in self-assessment of skills scores was observed between the pre-test and post-test (P<0.001), the pre-test and the distance test (P<0.001), and the post-test and distance test (P=0.007). Although a decrease in the median score was observed on the knowledge questionnaire given as a post-test, this median remained significantly higher than that obtained on the pre-test (P=0.03). The significant improvement in knowledge during the session and its preservation after a few

  2. Shaping the midwifery profession in Nepal - Uncovering actors' connections using a Complex Adaptive Systems framework.

    PubMed

    Bogren, Malin Upper; Berg, Marie; Edgren, Lars; van Teijlingen, Edwin; Wigert, Helena

    2016-12-01

    To explore how actors connect in a system aiming at promoting the establishment of a midwifery profession in Nepal. A qualitative explorative study based on the framework of Complex Adaptive Systems. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 key people representing eight different organisations (actors) promoting the development of the midwifery profession. The actors' connections can be described with a complex set of facilitators for and barriers to promoting the establishment of a midwifery profession. The identified facilitators for this establishment in Nepal are (1) a common goal and (2) a desire to collaborate, whilst the barriers are (1) different political interests and priorities, (2) competing interests of the nursing profession and societal views, (3) divergent academic opinions on a midwifery profession, and (4) insufficient communication. The results also showed that Nepalese society cannot distinguish between nursing and midwifery and that the public support for a midwifery profession was hence minimal. The move of midwifery from an occupation to a profession in Nepal is an on-going, challenging process. The study indicates the importance of understanding the motivations of, and barriers perceived by, actors that can promote or obstruct the establishment of the midwifery profession. It also points to the importance of informing the wider public about the role and responsibility of an autonomous midwifery profession. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. A methodological review of qualitative case study methodology in midwifery research.

    PubMed

    Atchan, Marjorie; Davis, Deborah; Foureur, Maralyn

    2016-10-01

    To explore the use and application of case study research in midwifery. Case study research provides rich data for the analysis of complex issues and interventions in the healthcare disciplines; however, a gap in the midwifery research literature was identified. A methodological review of midwifery case study research using recognized templates, frameworks and reporting guidelines facilitated comprehensive analysis. An electronic database search using the date range January 2005-December 2014: Maternal and Infant Care, CINAHL Plus, Academic Search Complete, Web of Knowledge, SCOPUS, Medline, Health Collection (Informit), Cochrane Library Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Wiley online and ProQuest Central. Narrative evaluation was undertaken. Clearly worded questions reflected the problem and purpose. The application, strengths and limitations of case study methods were identified through a quality appraisal process. The review identified both case study research's applicability to midwifery and its low uptake, especially in clinical studies. Many papers included the necessary criteria to achieve rigour. The included measures of authenticity and methodology were varied. A high standard of authenticity was observed, suggesting authors considered these elements to be routine inclusions. Technical aspects were lacking in many papers, namely a lack of reflexivity and incomplete transparency of processes. This review raises the profile of case study research in midwifery. Midwives will be encouraged to explore if case study research is suitable for their investigation. The raised profile will demonstrate further applicability; encourage support and wider adoption in the midwifery setting. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. The effect of four-phase teaching method on midwifery students’ emotional intelligence in managing the childbirth

    PubMed Central

    Mohamadirizi, Soheila; Fahami, Fariba; Bahadoran, Parvin; Ehsanpour, Soheila

    2015-01-01

    Background: An active teaching method has been used widely in medical education. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the four-phase teaching method on midwifery students’ emotional intelligence (EQ) in managing the childbirth. Materials and Methods: This was an experimental study that performed in 2013 in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. Thirty midwifery students were involved in this study and selected through a random sampling method. The EQ questionnaire (43Q) was completed by both the groups, before and after the education. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 14, the independent t-test, and the paired t-test. The statistically significant level was considered to be <0.05. Results: The findings of the independent t-test did not show any significant difference between EQ scores of the experimental and the control group before the intervention, whereas a statistically significant difference was observed after the intervention between the scores of two groups (P = 0.009). The paired t-test showed a statistically significant difference in EQ scores in the two groups after the intervention in the four-phase and the control group, respectively, as P = 0.005 and P = 0.018. Furthermore, the rate of self-efficiency has increased in the experimental group and control group as 66% and 13% (P = 0.024), respectively. Conclusion: The four-phase teaching method can increase the EQ levels of midwifery students. Therefore, the conduction of this educational model is recommended as an effective learning method. PMID:26097861

  5. The cost and value of pre-registration clinical placements for Project 2000 students.

    PubMed

    Jones, M L; Akehurst, R

    1999-07-01

    The research outlined in this article was commissioned by the Sheffield and North Trent College of Nursing and Midwifery to explore the cost implications of pre-registration clinical placements in the context of Project 2000. The authors outline the methodology and findings of an exercise designed to collect relevant cost information which was not readily available. On the basis of these findings, they suggest that: at 1995/1996 pay and prices, clinical placements cost the education provider approximately pound 890 per student per annum; in terms of real resources, the value to service providers of the service contribution made by second- and third-year nursing and midwifery students on ward-based placements outweighs the value of the time spent by qualified staff on their supervision and education. Once the funding assumptions underlying the introduction of Project 2000 have been taken into account, second- and third-year nursing and midwifery students benefit the service provider by on average pound 3.46 for every hour they spend in an unrostered ward-based placement. The service contribution made by students in community-based clinical placements cannot free staff time in the same way as on the wards and, because qualified staff in these areas are generally more highly graded, the value of the time they spend on the supervision and education of students on placement is higher than in ward-based placements. Second- and third-year students therefore appear to cost the service provider on average pound 0.48 for each hour they spend in a community-based placement. It was not possible to determine whether this cost translates into a reduction in patient contacts.

  6. Peer mentoring: Enhancing the transition from student to professional.

    PubMed

    Fisher, Margaret; Stanyer, Rachel

    2018-05-01

    to share the experience of a model of peer mentoring in a pre-qualification midwifery programme DESIGN: description of the framework and benefits of the model SETTING: University and practice PARTICIPANTS: third year midwifery students INTERVENTIONS: practical activities meeting regulatory body requirements in a pre-qualification mentorship module MEASUREMENTS AND FINDINGS: informal evaluations by students of key activities undertaken during peer mentoring demonstrated a range of positive outcomes. These included enhanced confidence, self-awareness, interpersonal and teaching skills, team-working and leadership - factors also associated with emotional intelligence. Students developed an appreciation of the accountability of the mentor including making practice assessment decisions. They stated that the learning achieved had aided their professional development and enhanced employability. this module equips students with skills for their future role in facilitating learners and contributes to development of a 'professional persona', enhancing their transition to qualified midwives. The Peer Mentoring Model would be easily adapted to other programmes and professional contexts. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Midwifery empowerment: National surveys of midwives from Australia, New Zealand and Sweden.

    PubMed

    Hildingsson, Ingegerd; Gamble, Jenny; Sidebotham, Mary; Creedy, Debra K; Guilliland, Karen; Dixon, Lesley; Pallant, Julie; Fenwick, Jennifer

    2016-09-01

    the predicted midwifery workforce shortages in several countries have serious implications for the care of women during pregnancy, birth and post partum. There are a number of factors known to contribute to midwifery shortages and work attrition. However, midwives assessment of their own professional identity and role (sense of empowerment) are perhaps among the most important. There are few international workforce comparisons. to compare midwives' sense of empowerment across Australia, New Zealand and Sweden using the Perceptions of Empowerment in Midwifery Scale-R (PEMS-Revised). a self-administered survey package was distributed to midwives through professional colleges and networks in each country. The surveys asked about personal, professional and employment details and included the Perceptions of Empowerment in Midwifery Scale-R (PEMS-Revised). Descriptive statistics for the sample and PEMS were generated separately for the three countries. A series of analysis of variance with posthoc tests (Tukey's HSD) were conducted to compare scale scores across countries. Effect size statistics (partial eta squared) were also calculated. completed surveys were received from 2585 midwives (Australia 1037; New Zealand 1073 and Sweden 475). Respondents were predominantly female (98%), aged 50-59 years and had significant work experience as a midwife (+20 years). Statistically significant differences were recorded comparing scores on all four PEMS subscales across countries. Moderate effects were found on Professional Recognition, Skills and Resources and Autonomy/Empowerment comparisons. All pairwise comparisons between countries reached statistical significance (p<.001) except between Australia and New Zealand on the Manager Support subscale. Sweden recorded the highest score on three subscales except Skills and Resources which was the lowest score of the three countries. New Zealand midwives scored significantly better than both their Swedish and Australian counterparts

  8. Psychological Distress and Coping amongst Higher Education Students: A Mixed Method Enquiry

    PubMed Central

    Deasy, Christine; Coughlan, Barry; Pironom, Julie; Jourdan, Didier; Mannix-McNamara, Patricia

    2014-01-01

    Background Psychological distress among higher education students is of global concern. Students on programmes with practicum components such as nursing and teacher education are exposed to additional stressors which may further increase their risk for psychological distress. The ways in which these students cope with distress has potential consequences for their health and academic performance. An in-depth understanding of how nursing/midwifery and teacher education students experience psychological distress and coping is necessary to enable higher education providers to adequately support these students. Methods This mixed method study was employed to establish self-reported psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire), coping processes (Ways of Coping Questionnaire) and lifestyle behaviour (Lifestyle Behaviour Questionnaire) of a total sample (n = 1557) of undergraduate nursing/midwifery and teacher education students in one university in Ireland. Individual interviews (n = 59) provided an in-depth understanding of students experiences of psychological distress and coping. Results A significant percentage (41.9%) of respondents was psychologically distressed. The factors which contributed to their distress, included study, financial, living and social pressures. Students used varied coping strategies including seeking social support, problem solving and escape avoidance. The positive relationship between elevated psychological distress and escape avoidance behaviours including substance use (alcohol, tobacco and cannabis) and unhealthy diet is of particular concern. Statistically significant relationships were identified between “escape-avoidance” and gender, age, marital status, place of residence, programme/year of study and lifestyle behaviours such as diet, substance use and physical inactivity. Conclusion The paper adds to existing research by illuminating the psychological distress experienced by undergraduate nursing/midwifery and

  9. Mentoring nursing students in the sexual health setting.

    PubMed

    Brown, Kate; Plant, Selina

    2014-05-06

    The sexual health setting provides many opportunities for nursing students to meet the competencies set out in the Nursing and Midwifery Council's Standards for Pre-Registration Nursing Education. However, students who are daunted by the setting may adopt a passive, observer role. Mentors may find it a challenge to facilitate the learning of pre-registration nursing students in this setting. This article explores several strategies that mentors can adopt to make learning active and relevant for nursing students. These strategies may also be relevant to other nursing fields and to midwifery students.

  10. A protocol for evaluating progressive levels of simulation fidelity in the development of technical skills, integrated performance and woman centred clinical assessment skills in undergraduate midwifery students

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Simulation as a pedagogical approach has been used in health professional education to address the need to safely develop effective clinical skills prior to undertaking clinical practice. However, evidence for the use of simulation in midwifery is largely anecdotal, and research evaluating the effectiveness of different levels of simulation fidelity are lacking. Woman centred care is a core premise of the midwifery profession and describes the behaviours of an individual midwife who demonstrates safe and effective care of the individual woman. Woman centred care occurs when the midwife modifies the care to ensure the needs of each individual woman are respected and addressed. However, a review of the literature demonstrates an absence of a valid and reliable tool to measure the development of woman centred care behaviours. This study aims to determine which level of fidelity in simulated learning experiences provides the most effective learning outcomes in the development of woman centred clinical assessment behaviors and skills in student midwives. Methods/Design Three-arm, randomised, intervention trial. In this research we plan to: a) trial three levels of simulation fidelity - low, medium and progressive, on student midwives performing the procedure of vaginal examination; b) measure clinical assessment skills using the Global Rating Scale (GRS) and Integrated Procedural Performance Instrument (IPPI); and c) pilot the newly developed Woman Centred Care Scale (WCCS) to measure clinical behaviors related to Woman-Centredness. Discussion This project aims to enhance knowledge in relation to the appropriate levels of fidelity in simulation that yield the best educational outcomes for the development of woman centred clinical assessment in student midwives. The outcomes of this project may contribute to improved woman centred clinical assessment for student midwives, and more broadly influence decision making regarding education resource allocation for

  11. Freestanding midwifery units: Maternal and neonatal outcomes following transfer.

    PubMed

    Monk, Amy R; Grigg, Celia P; Foureur, Maralyn; Tracy, Mark; Tracy, Sally K

    2017-03-01

    the viability of freestanding midwifery units in Australia is restricted, due to concerns over their safety, particularly for women and babies who, require transfer. to compare the maternal and neonatal birth outcomes of women who planned, to give birth at freestanding midwifery units and subsequently, transferred to a tertiary maternity unit to the maternal and neonatal, outcomes of a low-risk cohort of women who planned to give birth in, tertiary maternity unit. a descriptive study compared two groups of women with low-risk singleton, pregnancies who were less than 28 weeks pregnant at booking: women who, planned to give birth at a freestanding midwifery unit (n=494) who, transferred to a tertiary maternity unit during the antenatal, intrapartum or postnatal periods (n=260) and women who planned to give, birth at a tertiary maternity unit (n=3157). Primary outcomes were mode, of birth, Apgar score of less than 7 at 5minutes and admission to, special care nursery or neonatal intensive care. the proportion of women who experienced a caesarean section was lower, among the freestanding midwifery unit women who transferred during the, intrapartum/postnatal period compared to women in the tertiary maternity, unit group (16.1% versus 24.8% respectively). Other outcomes were, comparable between the cohorts. Rates of primary outcomes in relation to, stage of transfer varied when stratified by parity. these descriptive results support the provision of care in freestanding, midwifery units as an alternative to tertiary maternity units for women, with low risk pregnancies at the time of booking. A larger study, powered, to determine statistical significance of any differences in outcomes, is, required. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Humanising midwifery care.

    PubMed

    Way, Susan; Scammell, Janet

    2016-03-01

    Since the publication of the Francis Report (2013), providing care that is kind and compassionate is high on the agenda of all NHS services, including maternity. This article introduces the humanising values framework that explores aspects of what it is to be human and offers practical examples of how it can be incorporated into midwifery care. Susan Way and Janet Scammell consider the advantages of woman-centred care, highlighting the benefits of humanising care.

  13. Professional midwifery in Guatemala: A qualitative exploration of perceptions, attitudes and expectations among stakeholders.

    PubMed

    Summer, Anna; Guendelman, Sylvia; Kestler, Edgar; Walker, Dilys

    2017-07-01

    Despite recommendations that women give birth with a skilled birth attendant (SBA), 70% of births in Guatemala occur outside health facilities with informally trained traditional birth attendants (TBAs). To increase SBA in rural, indigenous communities, a professional midwifery school accredited by the government is scheduled to open in 2017. Drawing from Filby's model on barriers to the successful integration of professional midwifery into health systems, this paper aims to identify threats - and facilitators-toward professional midwifery's re-introduction in Guatemala. To elucidate perceptions, attitudes and expectations towards professional midwifery, qualitative, in-depth interviews were conducted with 32 physicians, nurses, and TBAs in six health centers and with key decision makers and professional midwives (PMs) in Guatemala City. We conducted open and axial coding in Atlas.ti and performed normative comparisons of participants' attitudes, perceptions, and expectations with the National Vision for professional midwifery and relative comparisons within and across disciplinary subgroups. Unprompted, physicians, nurses and TBAs were unable to correctly define professional midwifery. Yet, when professional midwifery was defined for them, they expressed willingness to work with PMs, seeing them as a needed human resource, instrumental in providing intercultural care and strengthening facility relationships with TBAs. Some stakeholders anticipated resistance toward PMs due to provider turf issues. Notable differences in expectations among all groups included ideas for supervision of and by the PMs and the PM's role in monitoring women and conducting births in communities alongside TBAs. Facilitators to professional midwifery's success include national political will, stakeholders' uniformity of vision, and the potential for improved intercultural care. Barriers are mostly professional in nature, including impediments to autonomous practice by PMs, hierarchical

  14. State Scope of Practice Laws, Nurse-Midwifery Workforce, and Childbirth Procedures and Outcomes.

    PubMed

    Yang, Y Tony; Attanasio, Laura B; Kozhimannil, Katy B

    2016-01-01

    Despite research indicating that health, cost, and quality of care outcomes in midwife-led maternity care are comparable with and in some case preferable to those for patients with physician-led care, midwifery plays a more important role in some U.S. states than in others. However, this variability is not well-understood. This study estimates the association between state scope of practice laws related to the autonomy of midwifery practice with the certified nurse-midwifery (CNM) workforce, access to midwife-attended births, and childbirth-related procedures and outcomes. Using multivariate regression models, we analyzed Natality Detail File data from births occurring from 2009 to 2011. Each state was classified regarding autonomous midwifery practice (not requiring supervision or contractual agreements) based on Lexis legal search. States with autonomous practice laws had an average of 4.85 CNMs per 1,000 births, compared with 2.17 in states where CNM practice is subject to collaborative agreement. In states with autonomous CNM practice, women had higher odds of having a CNM-attended birth (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.59; p = .004), compared with women in states where midwifery is subject to collaborative agreement. In addition, women in states with autonomous practice had lower odds of cesarean delivery (AOR, 0.87; p = .016), preterm birth (AOR, 0.87; p < .001), and low birth weight (AOR, 0.89; p = .001), compared with women in states without such practice. States with regulations that support autonomous midwifery practice have a larger nurse-midwifery workforce, and a greater proportion of CNM-attended births. Correlations between autonomous practice laws and better birth outcomes suggest future policy efforts to enhance access to midwifery services may be beneficial to pregnancy outcomes and infant health. Copyright © 2016 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Delivering diversity: newly regulated midwifery returns to Manitoba, Canada, one community at a time.

    PubMed

    Kreiner, Meta

    2009-01-01

    Through its publicly funded health care system, Canada is committed to offering accessible, quality maternity health services to all its citizens, yet this remains a challenge in its First Nations, rural and immigrant communities. With the implementation of midwifery as a self-regulating health profession in Manitoba, Canada, in 2000, initiatives were incorporated into the structure of the profession to try to address this issue. This qualitative investigation documents and explores these initiatives through a case study combining semistructured interviews and documentary sources. The innovations discussed include the development of an Aboriginal midwifery degree program, the supports put in place to assist rural midwifery practices, and the efforts to increase ethnic diversity and cultural competence within the midwifery profession. What unites these efforts is a community building approach which attempts to strengthen communities through local midwifery services and midwives drawn from community members.

  16. Midwifery 2030: a woman's pathway to health. What does this mean?

    PubMed

    ten Hoope-Bender, Petra; Lopes, Sofia Tavares Castro; Nove, Andrea; Michel-Schuldt, Michaela; Moyo, Nester T; Bokosi, Martha; Codjia, Laurence; Sharma, Sheetal; Homer, Caroline

    2016-01-01

    The 2014 State of the World's Midwifery report included a new framework for the provision of woman-centred sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health care, known as the Midwifery2030 Pathway. The Pathway was designed to apply in all settings (high-, middle- and low-income countries, and in any type of health system). In this paper, we describe the process of developing the Midwifery2030 Pathway and explain the meaning of its different components, with a view to assisting countries with its implementation. The Pathway was developed by a process of consultation with an international group of midwifery experts. It considers four stages of a woman's reproductive life: (1) pre-pregnancy, (2) pregnancy, (3) labour and birth, and (4) postnatal, and describes the care that women and adolescents need at each stage. Underpinning these four stages are ten foundations, which describe the systems, services, workforce and information that need to be in place in order to turn the Pathway from a vision into a reality. These foundations include: the policy and working environment in which the midwifery workforce operates, the effective coverage of sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent services (i.e. going beyond availability and ensuring accessibility, acceptability and high quality), financing mechanisms, collaboration between different sectors and different levels of the health system, a focus on primary care nested within a functional referral system when needed, pre- and in-service education for the workforce, effective regulation of midwifery and strengthened leadership from professional associations. Strengthening of all of these foundations will enable countries to turn the Pathway from a vision into reality. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  17. Student midwives and paramedic students' experiences of shared learning in pre-hospital childbirth.

    PubMed

    Feltham, Christina; Foster, Julie; Davidson, Tom; Ralph, Stewart

    2016-06-01

    To explore the experiences of midwifery and paramedic students undertaking interprofessional learning. A one day interprofessional learning workshop incorporating peer assisted learning for undergraduate pre-registration midwifery and paramedic students was developed based on collaborative practice theory and simulation based learning. Twenty-five student midwives and thirty-one paramedic students participated in one of two identical workshops conducted over separate days. Videoed focus group sessions were held following the workshop sessions in order to obtain qualitative data around student experience. Qualitative data analysis software (ATLAS.ti) was used to collate the transcriptions from the focus group sessions and the video recordings were scrutinised. Thematic analysis was adopted. Four main themes were identified around the understanding of each other's roles and responsibilities, the value of interprofessional learning, organisation and future learning. Students appeared to benefit from a variety of learning opportunities including interprofessional learning and peer assisted learning through the adoption of both formal and informal teaching methods, including simulation based learning. A positive regard for each other's profession including professional practice, professional governing bodies, professional codes and scope of practice was apparent. Students expressed a desire to undertake similar workshops with other professional students. Interprofessional learning workshops were found to be a positive experience for the students involved. Consideration needs to be given to developing interprofessional learning with other student groups aligned with midwifery at appropriate times in relation to stage of education. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. A Survey of Knowledge, Individual Perceived Risk, General Perceived Risk, and Behavioral Intentions Regarding Hepatitis B among Students in the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health at Shahrekord Islamic Azad University in 2014.

    PubMed

    Karimiankakolaki, Zohreh; Baghianimoghadam, Mohammad Hossein; Gerayllo, Sakineh; Sheikh Samani, Nadia; Hadipour, Hajar

    2016-07-01

    Hepatitis B is the most common cause of liver disease, and medical students are a risk group for the disease given their future occupations. The aim of the study was to assess of predictors of hepatitis B in the Faculty of nursing, midwifery and health at Shahrekord Islamic Azad University in 2014. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 300 students from the Faculty of nursing, midwifery and health at Shahrekord Islamic Azad University. The students answered questionnaires with items covering demographic characteristics, individual knowledge, public risk perception, perceived personal risk, and behavioral intentions regarding hepatitis B. The data were analyzed with SPSS version 18 software. The mean knowledge score of the students was 4.77 ± 1.71, the mean public risk perception score was 24.22 ± 3.44, the mean perceived personal risk score was 6.51 ± 1.97, and the mean behavioral intention score was 12.06 ± 2.97. There were significant differences in the mean knowledge scores in terms of gender, level of awareness, and level of education. There were also differences in the mean behavioral intention scores in terms of gender and field of study, the mean perceived personal risk scores in terms of level of education and field of study, and the mean public risk perception scores in terms of field of study. According to the results of this study, it is necessary to implement educational intervention in order to allow students to identify risk factors and overcome barriers to understanding the implications of the disease in this context.

  19. Professors, principals and textbooks from the Midwifery school in Zadar.

    PubMed

    Maksimović, Jovan; Maksimović, Marko

    2017-06-01

    Midwifery in Dalmatia was highly undeveloped at the beginning of the XIX century. The health report from 1813 suggested that there were only 48 midwives in the whole province, and none of them with a degree from the midwifery school. After abolishing the Central Schools ("Ecoles Centrales"), which were founded at the time of French reign, and which had the university range, the professors who stayed in Zadar continued their work and teaching in the Midwifery School, which was founded in 1820 according to the decision made by Emperor Franz I, and started working in 1821. Since the school was working continuously for the whole century, a lot of professors and principals passed through. Protomedicus of Dalmatia officially performed the duty of principals of the Midwifery School. Their life and work biographies were gathered in this paper. Although the newcomers were mostly illiterate, very contemporary and valuable textbooks were used at that time. The professors of this school wrote some of these textbooks. This paper analyses those textbooks from the current medical science and praxis point of view, which points out to its significance and contribution of its authors to the reputation that the School enjoyed at that time.

  20. The Evolution of World Health Organization's Initiatives for the Strengthening of Nursing and Midwifery.

    PubMed

    Ventura, Carla Aparecida Arena; Mendes, Isabel Amélia Costa; Fumincelli, Laís; Trevizan, Maria Auxiliadora

    2015-09-01

    To describe the evolution in the resolutions approved by World Health Organization (WHO)'s World Health Assembly (WHA) to strengthen nursing and midwifery. Qualitative and descriptive study, undertaken through a search of resolutions presented by WHA, on the WHO website, regarding the theme "strengthening of nursing and midwifery." The resolutions on the theme "nursing and midwifery" were included, whose titles were available and whose full texts were accessed, excluding those on general health themes. The key words used were resolutions, strengthening, and nursing and midwifery. Among the 20 resolutions found, 12 were selected, adopted between 1948 and 2013, in accordance with the study inclusion criteria. The data were interpreted using thematic qualitative analysis, identifying and grouping the data in categories related to the study theme. Based on the content analysis of the 12 resolutions studied, three thematic categories were defined: "nursing and midwifery in primary health"; "role of nursing and midwifery in health for all"; and "nurses and midwives' professional training." Based on the categories, the evolution in the strengthening of nursing and midwifery was demonstrated through the initiatives and resolutions approved by WHA, highlighting the importance of nurses and midwives as multiprofessional health team members and their fundamental role in the improvements of the health system. Therefore, in accordance with the needs of each country, the member states can implement strategies presented by the WHA resolutions to strengthen nursing and midwifery services. This study has relevance for the development of health policies considering the relevant contributions of nurses and midwives to healthcare systems and services, based on the analysis of WHO resolutions involving these professions. © 2015 Sigma Theta Tau International.

  1. Teaching spirituality to student midwives: a creative approach.

    PubMed

    Mitchell, Mary; Hall, Jenny

    2007-11-01

    The nature of midwifery both as an art and a science requires methods of teaching students that will enhance this understanding. A philosophy of holistic care of women should underpin education of student midwives and these concepts should be put across to the students in meaningful ways. In the formal midwifery curriculum this has been a neglected aspect (Hall, 2001) [Hall, J., 2001. Midwifery Mind and spirit: emerging issues of care. Books for Midwives, Oxford]. We have developed a teaching session on 'Spirituality and the meaning of birth'. A creative approach, using mediums of video, music, aroma and storytelling, combined with an opportunity for the students to express their selves through art have been utilised (Cameron, 1993) [Cameron, J., 1993. The Artists Way--A course in discovering and recovering your creative self. Pan Macmillan, London]. Although creative approaches in teaching arts based disciplines is well established, these approaches have not been evaluated for their effectiveness within midwifery education. We conducted a study which aimed to develop an understanding of student's views on the meaning of birth by examining creative work produced by the student midwives. This aspect is reported elsewhere. Further exploration through open-ended questionnaires was made of the effectiveness and value of the activity as a teaching method. This paper will describe the innovative teaching methods used. In addition student's views of birth established through their art and their views of the teaching session elicited through our research will be explored.

  2. Gap between the Expectations and Perceptions of Students regarding the Educational Services Offered in a School of Nursing and Midwifery.

    PubMed

    Asefi, Fariba; Delaram, Masoumeh; Deris, Fatemeh

    2017-04-01

    Awareness of students' opinions about the various aspects of training provided is an essential factor to evaluate the quality of education. The aim of this study was to determine the gap between the students' expectations and perceptions from the educational services provided to them in the School of Nursing and Midwifery in Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences. In this cross-sectional study, 320 students were selected by stratified random sampling method and data were collected by SERVQUAL questionnaire to examine the areas of assurance, responsiveness, empathy, tangibles and confidence. Data analysis was conducted by descriptive (frequency, percentage, mean±SD) and analytical (paired t-test, independent t-test and One-Way ANOVA) statistics in SPSS 20. The mean scores of the students' expectations and perceptions of the educational services delivered to them were 4.34±0.63 and 3.56±0.68, respectively, with a significant, negative gap (-0.77±0.77, p<0.001). The lowest gap of quality was derived for assurance (-0.65) followed by reliability (-0.69), accountability (-0.74), and empathy (-0.81), and the greatest gap observed in tangibles (-0.96). A negative gap was observed between the students' expectations and perceptions of the quality of educational services delivered to them. This means that the quality of services delivered to students was less than what they expected. The highest gap was related to the tangibles. In order to improve the educational services, paying attention to different areas of quality of educational services, especially, the tangibles, is necessary.

  3. Leadership and emotional intelligence in nursing and midwifery education and practice: a discussion paper.

    PubMed

    Carragher, Jean; Gormley, Kevin

    2017-01-01

    A discussion of the concepts of leadership and emotional intelligence in nursing and midwifery education and practice. The need for emotionally intelligent leadership in the health professions is acknowledged internationally throughout the nursing and midwifery literature. The concepts of emotional intelligence and emotional-social intelligence have emerged as important factors for effective leadership in the healthcare professions and require further exploration and discussion. This paper will explore these concepts and discuss their importance in the healthcare setting with reference to current practices in the UK, Ireland and internationally. Discussion paper. A search of published evidence from 1990-2015 using key words (as outlined below) was undertaken from which relevant sources were selected to build an informed discussion. Fostering emotionally intelligent leadership in nursing and midwifery supports the provision of high quality and compassionate care. Globally, leadership has important implications for all stakeholders in the healthcare professions with responsibility for maintaining high standards of care. This includes all grades of nurses and midwives, students entering the professions, managerial staff, academics and policy makers. This paper discusses the conceptual models of leadership and emotional intelligence and demonstrates an important link between the two. Further robust studies are required for ongoing evaluation of the different models of emotional intelligence and their link with effective leadership behaviour in the healthcare field internationally. This is of particular significance for professional undergraduate education to promote ongoing compassionate, safe and high quality standards of care. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. The more things change, the more they stay the same: whither midwifery?

    PubMed

    Bennett, M J

    1997-12-01

    The pace of change is said to increase over the next few years. One of the most significant recent changes has been the "McDonaldization of Society". The notion of "fastness" is permeating all society, including health and education. The concentration of rationalization through the principles of efficiency, calculability predictability and control, when extended to its logical conclusion, results in irrationality or dehumanization. Childbirth has been "McDonaldized" by the medical profession, but modern midwifery, is leading the way in an anti McDonald's movement to rehumanize it. Returning to past values contained in aesthetics, use of the partnership model, different forms of research and political action, midwifery is taking control of childbirth away from the rationalists and returning it to women. It is reclaiming childbirth by placing value on women and empowering them to take control of their own childbirth.

  5. Unsettling moods in rural midwifery practice.

    PubMed

    Crowther, Susan; Smythe, Liz; Spence, Deb

    2018-02-01

    Rural midwifery and maternity care is vulnerable due to geographical isolation, staffing recruitment and retention. Highlighting the concerns within rural midwifery is important for safe sustainable service delivery. Hermeneutic phenomenological study undertaken in New Zealand (NZ). 13 participants were recruited in rural regions through snowball technique and interviewed. Transcribed interview data was interpretively analysed. Findings are discussed through the use of philosophical notions and related published literature. Unsettling mood of anxiety was revealed in two themes (a) 'Moments of rural practice' as panicky moments; an emergency moment; the unexpected moment and (b) 'Feelings of being judged' as fearing criticism; fear of the unexpected happening to 'me' fear of losing my reputation; fear of feeling blamed; fear of being identified. Although the reality of rural maternity can be more challenging due to geographic location than urban areas this need not be a reason to further isolate these communities through negative judgement and decontextualized policy. Fear of what was happening now and something possibly happening in the future were part of the midwives' reality. The joy and delight of working rurally can become overshadowed by a tide of unsettling and disempowering fears. Positive images of rural midwifery need dissemination. It is essential that rural midwives and their communities are heard at all levels if their vulnerability is to be lessened and sustainable safe rural communities strengthened. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  6. Negotiating competing discourses in narratives of midwifery leadership in the English NHS.

    PubMed

    Divall, Bernie

    2015-11-01

    to explore midwifery leaders' narratives of identity, within the context of one region of England. a qualitative study using narrative identity theory. Data were collected using in-depth, loosely structured narrative interviews. the study was undertaken in the Midlands region of England, in the context of a midwifery-specific leadership development programme. Participants were located in local NHS organisations and higher education institutions. the interviewees were midwives currently in one of a variety of formal leadership roles, who had recently completed a midwifery leadership development programme. Nine leaders were interviewed for the study. two central themes emerged: 'I am still a midwife' showed interviewees' continued self-identification according to their professional identity, despite the majority no longer holding a clinical role; 'Between a rock and a hard place' showed the challenges of maintaining a professionally-based identity narrative in the face of group and organisational discourses. among the midwifery leaders interviewed, narratives centred on a continued midwife self-identification. However, participants faced a number of challenges in maintaining this narrative, within the context of wider professional group and organisational discourses. midwifery leaders require the support of their professional group and organisational structures if they are to maintain a positive self- and social-identity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. The Five Attributes of a Supportive Midwifery Practice Climate: A Review of the Literature.

    PubMed

    Thumm, E Brie; Flynn, Linda

    2018-01-01

    A supportive work climate is associated with decreased burnout and attrition, and increased job satisfaction and employee health. A review of the literature was conducted in order to determine the unique attributes of a supportive practice climate for midwives. The midwifery literature was reviewed and synthesized using concept analysis technique guided by literature from related professions. The search was conducted primarily in PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Articles were included if they were conducted between 2006 and 2016 and addressed perceptions of the midwifery practice climate as it related to patient, provider, and organizational outcomes. The literature identified 5 attributes consistent with a supportive midwifery practice climate: effective leadership, adequate resources, collaboration, control of one's work, and support of the midwifery model of care. Effective leadership styles include situational and transformational, and 9 traits of effective leaders are specified. Resources consist of time, personnel, supplies, and equipment. Collaboration encompasses relationships with all members of the health care team, including midwives inside and outside of one's practice. Additionally, the patients are considered collaborating members of the team. Characteristics of effective collaboration include a shared vision, role clarity, and respectful communication. Support for the midwifery model of care includes value congruence, developing relationships with women, and providing high-quality care. The attributes of a supportive midwifery practice climate are generally consistent with theoretical models of supportive practice climates of advanced practice nurses and physicians, with the exception of a more inclusive definition of collaboration and support of the midwifery model of care. The proposed Midwifery Practice Climate Model can guide instrument development, determining relationships between the attributes of the practice climate and

  8. Recruitment, selection and retention of nursing and midwifery students in Scottish Universities.

    PubMed

    Rodgers, Sheila; Stenhouse, Rosie; McCreaddie, May; Small, Pauline

    2013-11-01

    High attrition rates from pre-registration nursing and midwifery programmes have been reported in both the UK and in other countries. A study was conducted to identify best practice in recruitment, selection and retention across Scottish Universities providing pre-registration programmes. A survey of all universities providing pre-registration programmes in Scotland was conducted. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key personnel in each university. Documentary evidence was collected to supplement interview data and evidence recruitment, selection and retention practices. All universities in Scotland providing pre-registration nursing and/or midwifery programmes. All 10 identified universities agreed to take part and a total of 18 interviews were conducted. Semi-structured face to face and telephone interviews were conducted. Relevant documentary evidence was collected. All data were subject to thematic analysis. Universities are predominantly concerned with recruiting to the institution and not to the professions. Interviews are widely used, and are a requirement in the United Kingdom. However, there is no evidence base within the literature that they have predictive validity despite creating scales and scoring systems which are largely unvalidated. The study identified initiatives aimed at addressing attrition/retention, however most had not been evaluated often due to the multi-factorial nature of attrition/retention and difficulties with measurement. Recruitment selection and retention initiatives were rarely evaluated, and if so, adopted a relatively superficial approach. Evidence from existing studies to support practices was mostly weakly supportive or absent. The study highlights the need for a coordinated approach, supporting the development of a robust evidence base through the evaluation of local initiatives, and evaluation of new strategies. Evaluation strategies must take account of the local context to facilitate transferability of findings

  9. Comparison of the effect of web-based, simulation-based, and conventional training on the accuracy of visual estimation of postpartum hemorrhage volume on midwifery students: A randomized clinical trial

    PubMed Central

    Kordi, Masoumeh; Fakari, Farzaneh Rashidi; Mazloum, Seyed Reza; Khadivzadeh, Talaat; Akhlaghi, Farideh; Tara, Mahmoud

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: Delay in diagnosis of bleeding can be due to underestimation of the actual amount of blood loss during delivery. Therefore, this research aimed to compare the efficacy of web-based, simulation-based, and conventional training on the accuracy of visual estimation of postpartum hemorrhage volume. Materials and Methods: This three-group randomized clinical trial study was performed on 105 midwifery students in Mashhad School of Nursing and Midwifery in 2013. The samples were selected by the convenience method and were randomly divided into three groups of web-based, simulation-based, and conventional training. The three groups participated before and 1 week after the training course in eight station practical tests, then, the students of the web-based group were trained on-line for 1 week, the students of the simulation-based group were trained in the Clinical Skills Centre for 4 h, and the students of the conventional group were trained for 4 h presentation by researchers. The data gathering tool was a demographic questionnaire designed by the researchers and objective structured clinical examination. Data were analyzed by software version 11.5. Results: The accuracy of visual estimation of postpartum hemorrhage volume after training increased significantly in the three groups at all stations (1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 (P = 0.001), 8 (P = 0.027)) except station 3 (blood loss of 20 cc, P = 0.095), but the mean score of blood loss estimation after training did not significantly different between the three groups (P = 0.95). Conclusion: Training increased the accuracy of estimation of postpartum hemorrhage, but no significant difference was found among the three training groups. We can use web-based training as a substitute or supplement of training along with two other more common simulation and conventional methods. PMID:27500175

  10. The relationship between gender role stereotypes and requisite managerial characteristics: the case of nursing and midwifery professionals.

    PubMed

    Berkery, Elaine; Tiernan, Siobhan; Morley, Michael

    2014-09-01

    To examine the relationship between gender role stereotypes and requisite managerial characteristics within the nursing and midwifery profession. Studies have been carried out to determine gender role stereotypes and requisite managerial characteristics across a number of industries and among student samples. No study has been carried out within the nursing and midwifery profession. In order to allow for direct comparisons with previous research Schein's Descriptive Index (SDI) was used. A total 239 undergraduate and 171 postexperience responses were collected. Female nurses and midwives did not gender type the managerial role, whereas males gender typed the managerial role in favour of men. Student nurses and midwives recorded a stronger correlation between women and management than their qualified counterparts. Males gender typed the managerial role in favour of men. With an increase in numbers of men joining the profession and increased representation of males at the Clinical Nurse Manager (CMN) level there is a possibility that the profession will become two tiered. Health care organisations should pay careful consideration to career development and implement career structures which ensure equal access to managerial roles for both genders. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Exercise of essential competencies for midwifery care by nurses in São Paulo, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Narchi, Nadia Zanon

    2011-02-01

    GENERAL OBJECTIVE: to analyse the exercise of essential competencies for midwifery care by nurses and/or midwives in the public health system of São Paulo (eastern zone), Brazil. to develop a profile of the public health institutions and of the nurses and/or midwives who care for women before, during and following childbirth; to identify the activities performed in providing such care, as well as their frequency; and to specify the possible obstacles or difficulties encountered by them when exercising their competencies. a descriptive and exploratory research design, using a quantitative approach. the study was conducted in all public health services of São Paulo (eastern zone), Brazil, namely 59 basic health-care units and six hospitals, during the period of October 2006-December 2007. the study population consisted of 272 nurses and/or midwives who provide care for pregnant women and newborns at the primary health-care units and maternity hospitals of the public health system. Participants comprised 100% of hospital nurse coordinators (n=6), 61% of hospital maternity nursing and/or midwifery staff (n=62) and 64% (n=204) of nursing and/or midwifery staff working at primary health-care units. the data collection was based on a single form given to the coordinators and two questionnaires, one handed out to antenatal and postnatal nursing and/or midwifery staff and another handed out to labour and birth nursing and/or midwifery staff. The results showed that nurses and/or midwives providing care for women during pregnancy, labour, birth and the postnatal period did not put the essential competencies for midwifery care into practice, because they encountered institutional barriers and personal resistance, and lacked protocols based on best practice and on the exercise of essential competencies needed for effective midwifery care. the model of care in the public health services of São Paulo (eastern zone) is based much more on hierarchical positions than on

  12. Enabling new graduate midwives to work in midwifery continuity of care models: A conceptual model for implementation.

    PubMed

    Cummins, Allison M; Catling, Christine; Homer, Caroline S E

    2017-12-04

    High-level evidence demonstrates midwifery continuity of care is beneficial for women and babies. Women have limited access to midwifery continuity of care models in Australia. One of the factors limiting women's access is recruiting enough midwives to work in continuity. Our research found that newly graduated midwives felt well prepared to work in midwifery led continuity of care models, were well supported to work in the models and the main driver to employing them was a need to staff the models. However limited opportunities exist for new graduate midwives to work in midwifery continuity of care. The aim of this paper therefore is to describe a conceptual model developed to enable new graduate midwives to work in midwifery continuity of care models. The findings from a qualitative study were synthesised with the existing literature to develop a conceptual model that enables new graduate midwives to work in midwifery continuity of care. The model contains the essential elements to enable new graduate midwives to work in midwifery continuity of care models. Each of the essential elements discussed are to assist midwifery managers, educators and new graduates to facilitate the organisational changes required to accommodate new graduates. The conceptual model is useful to show maternity services how to enable new graduate midwives to work in midwifery continuity of care models. Copyright © 2017 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Using a community of inquiry framework to teach a nursing and midwifery research subject: An evaluative study.

    PubMed

    Mills, Jane; Yates, Karen; Harrison, Helena; Woods, Cindy; Chamberlain-Salaun, Jennifer; Trueman, Scott; Hitchins, Marnie

    2016-08-01

    Postgraduate nursing students' negative perceptions about a core research subject at an Australian university led to a revision and restructure of the subject using a Communities of Inquiry framework. Negative views are often expressed by nursing and midwifery students about the research process. The success of evidence-based practice is dependent on changing these views. A Community of Inquiry is an online teaching, learning, thinking, and sharing space created through the combination of three domains-teacher presence (related largely to pedagogy), social presence, and cognitive presence (critical thinking). Evaluate student satisfaction with a postgraduate core nursing and midwifery subject in research design, theory, and methodology, which was delivered using a Communities of Inquiry framework. This evaluative study incorporated a validated Communities of Inquiry survey (n=29) and interviews (n=10) and was conducted at an Australian university. Study participants were a convenience sample drawn from 56 postgraduate students enrolled in a core research subject. Survey data were analysed descriptively and interviews were coded thematically. Five main themes were identified: subject design and delivery; cultivating community through social interaction; application-knowledge, practice, research; student recommendations; and technology and technicalities. Student satisfaction was generally high, particularly in the areas of cognitive presence (critical thinking) and teacher presence (largely pedagogy related). Students' views about the creation of a "social presence" were varied but overall, the framework was effective in stimulating both inquiry and a sense of community. The process of research is, in itself, the creation of a "community of inquiry." This framework showed strong potential for use in the teaching of nurse research subjects; satisfaction was high as students reported learning, not simply the theory and the methods of research, but also how to engage

  14. A Survey of Knowledge, Individual Perceived Risk, General Perceived Risk, and Behavioral Intentions Regarding Hepatitis B among Students in the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health at Shahrekord Islamic Azad University in 2014

    PubMed Central

    Karimiankakolaki, Zohreh; Baghianimoghadam, Mohammad Hossein; Gerayllo, Sakineh; Sheikh Samani, Nadia; Hadipour, Hajar

    2016-01-01

    Background Hepatitis B is the most common cause of liver disease, and medical students are a risk group for the disease given their future occupations. Objectives The aim of the study was to assess of predictors of hepatitis B in the Faculty of nursing, midwifery and health at Shahrekord Islamic Azad University in 2014. Materials and Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted with 300 students from the Faculty of nursing, midwifery and health at Shahrekord Islamic Azad University. The students answered questionnaires with items covering demographic characteristics, individual knowledge, public risk perception, perceived personal risk, and behavioral intentions regarding hepatitis B. The data were analyzed with SPSS version 18 software. Results The mean knowledge score of the students was 4.77 ± 1.71, the mean public risk perception score was 24.22 ± 3.44, the mean perceived personal risk score was 6.51 ± 1.97, and the mean behavioral intention score was 12.06 ± 2.97. There were significant differences in the mean knowledge scores in terms of gender, level of awareness, and level of education. There were also differences in the mean behavioral intention scores in terms of gender and field of study, the mean perceived personal risk scores in terms of level of education and field of study, and the mean public risk perception scores in terms of field of study. Conclusions According to the results of this study, it is necessary to implement educational intervention in order to allow students to identify risk factors and overcome barriers to understanding the implications of the disease in this context. PMID:27651804

  15. Problem based learning in midwifery - the teachers perspective.

    PubMed

    Rowan, Catherine J; McCourt, Christine; Bick, Debra; Beake, Sarah

    2007-02-01

    Problem- or evidence-based learning (PBL or EBL) has become more widely used in the education of health professionals. Although there has been research exploring its effectiveness and the student's perspective, there has been little research exploring the perceptions of the teacher. The objective of this study was to investigate the experiences of teachers facilitating a problem based learning curriculum in midwifery. The study took place at Thames Valley University, which has implemented this approach across the entire curriculum. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken following random selection from two groups of teachers; those more experienced as teachers and those who had entered teaching more recently. Aspects of the teacher's role identified included questioning students to draw out their knowledge and understanding and to help students challenge each other, discuss and evaluate their learning. Strategies used varied depending on the stage of the programme. Difficulties encountered were mostly in relation to facilitating groups of differing backgrounds and ability and seeking to enable the students to work well together. Key challenges for teachers were in relation to developing facilitation skills, balancing input or guidance with facilitating independent learning. Problem based learning was perceived to be beneficial in helping students relate theory to practice and in encouraging an active and enquiring approach to evidence, but teachers raised important questions about its practice. Tensions were identified between the constructivist theories on which the model of PBL rests and the formal requirements of an externally regulated professional curriculum.

  16. Qualitative Analysis of the American College of Nurse-Midwives Student Reports, 2005 to 2014.

    PubMed

    Doherty, Mary Ellen

    2015-01-01

    The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is changing the health care landscape in the United States. It is now more important than ever to understand the needs of students who are preparing for roles as health care providers. The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) Student Reports from 2005 through 2014 to acquire a better understanding of student needs in light of the historic change in health care reform. A document analysis was conducted to review and evaluate 10 student reports using qualitative content analysis. Data were coded, categories were formed, and themes were discovered. The interpretation of the student reports elicited meaning, gained understanding, and developed empirical knowledge. Eight themes emerged from the data contained in the 10 student reports. These were: 1) public awareness and marketing; 2) midwifery education; 3) funding for midwifery education; 4) preceptor issues; 5) communication and professional issues; 6) diversity and inclusion; 7) transition to practice; and 8) the ACNM Annual Meeting. Students bring a unique perspective to the profession of midwifery and ACNM. This study revealed 8 themes emanating from the student reports spanning 10 years. Each theme showcased in this study is presented through a student lens and was deemed important enough to be mentioned in the majority of the student reports. These themes identify key areas affecting students such as education program content and clinical experiences, diversity and inclusion, preceptor availability and relationships, funding for graduate school and for attending the ACNM Annual Meeting, and a myriad of other significant topics. These students will begin their new careers with the changing structure of the health care industry under the ACA. At this complex and vulnerable time, it is imperative that student voices be heard and that their professional organization remains receptive to their concerns. A

  17. Building midwifery educator capacity in teaching in low and lower-middle income countries. A review of the literature.

    PubMed

    West, Florence; Homer, Caroline; Dawson, Angela

    2016-02-01

    midwifery educators play a critical role in strengthening the midwifery workforce in low and lower-middle income countries (LMIC) to ensure that women receive quality midwifery care. However, the most effective approach to building midwifery educator capacity is not always clear. This paper will explore approaches used to build midwifery educator capacity in LMIC and identify evidence to inform improved outcomes for midwifery education. a structured search of bibliographic electronic databases (CINAHL, OVID, MEDLINE, PubMed) and the search engine Google Scholar was performed. It was decided to also review peer reviewed research, grey literature and descriptive papers. Papers were included in the review if they were written in English, published between 2000 and 2014 and addressed building knowledge and/or skills in teaching and/or clinical practice in midwifery educators who work in training institutions in LMIC. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) was used to guide the reporting process. The quality of papers was appraised in discussion with all authors. The findings sections of the research papers were analysed to identify successful elements of capacity building approaches. eighteen (six research and 12 discursive) papers were identified as related to the topic, meeting the inclusion criteria and of sufficient quality. The findings were themed according to the key approaches used to build capacity for midwifery education. These approaches are: skill and knowledge updates associated with curriculum review, involvement in leadership, management and research training and, participation in a community of practice within regions to share resources. the study provides evidence to support the benefits of building capacity for midwifery educators. Multilevel approaches that engaged individuals and institutions in building capacity alongside an enabling environment for midwifery educators are needed but more research specific

  18. A qualitative study of how caseload midwifery is constituted and experienced by Danish midwives.

    PubMed

    Jepsen, Ingrid; Mark, Edith; Nøhr, Ellen Aagaard; Foureur, Maralyn; Sørensen, Erik Elgaard

    2016-05-01

    the aim of this study is to advance knowledge about the working and living conditions of midwives in caseload midwifery and how this model of care is embedded in a standard maternity unit. This led to two research questions: 1) What constitutes caseload midwifery from the perspectives of the midwives? 2) How do midwives experience working in caseload midwifery? phenomenology of practice was the analytical approach to this qualitative study of caseload midwifery in Northern Denmark. The methodology was inspired by ethnography, and applied methods were field observations followed by interviews. thirteen midwives working in caseloads were observed during one or two days in the antenatal clinic and were interviewed at a later occasion. being recognised and the feeling of doing high quality care generate high job satisfaction. The obligation and pressure to perform well and the disadvantages to the midwives׳ personal lives are counterbalanced by the feeling of doing a meaningful and important job. Working in caseload midwifery creates a feeling of working in a self-governing model within the public hospital, without losing the technological benefits of a modern birth unit. Midwives in caseload midwifery worked on welcoming and including all pregnant women allocated to their care; even women/families where relationships with the midwives were challenging were recognised and respected. caseload midwifery is a work-form with an embedded and inevitable commitment and obligation that brings forward the midwife׳s desire to do her utmost and in return receive appreciation, social recognition and a meaningful job with great job satisfaction. There is a balance between the advantages of a meaningful job and the disadvantages for the personal life of the midwife, but benefits were found to outweigh disadvantages. In expanding caseload midwifery, it is necessary to understand that the midwives׳ personal lives need to be prepared for this work-form. The number of women per full

  19. Midwifery across the generations: a modernizing midwife in Guatemala.

    PubMed

    Cosminksy, S

    2001-01-01

    This article examines change and continuity in midwifery knowledge and practice by comparing a mother and daughter, both of whom are local midwives, or comadronas, on a Guatemalan plantation. The daughter apprenticed with the mother, who died in 1997. Like her mother, she received a government midwifery license after attending an official training course. I discuss the applicability of the concept of "postmodern midwifery" as I trace how both mother and daughter adapted to the pressures of medicalization and modernization. The daughter negotiates with biomedical personnel and copes with increasing government regulations, and she tends to accept biomedical authority more readily than did her mother. Unlike her mother, she sometimes uses this authority to enhance her own status. Nevertheless, her acceptance of the biomedical model is not complete, for she recognizes the practical constraints of poverty, under which both she and her clients live, and she also insists upon the superiority of such practices as massage. Furthermore, biomedicalization is countered by a process of sacralization, which, I suggest, enables midwives both to contest biomedical authority and to deliver meaningful care.

  20. Determinants of Social Accountability in Iranian Nursing and Midwifery Schools: A Delphi Study.

    PubMed

    Salehmoghaddam, Amir Reza; Mazloom, Seyed Reza; Sharafkhani, Mohammad; Gholami, Hassan; Emami Zeydi, Amir; Khorashadizadeh, Fatemeh; Emadzadeh, Ali

    2017-04-01

    Revising the medical education programs to meet the needs of society has become both a necessity and an important priority due to the considerable increase of population, changing patterns of diseases, and new health priorities. While this necessity has been highlighted in Iran's Fifth Development Plan as well as its National 2025 Vision Plan, the determinants of social accountability have not been explained yet. This study aimed to develop determinants of social accountability in the Iranian Nursing and Midwifery Schools. This classic Delphi study included thirty experts in Nursing and Midwifery Education, Research and Services selected based on purposive sampling and three rounds of Delphi technique and conducted in Nursing and Midwifery School of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. The primary data were collected using an initial structured questionnaire prepared through extensive review of literature. SPSS 11.5 software was used to analyze the data. The interquartile deviation and percentage of agreement were also used to study the consensus of opinion by experts. Finding obtained from the rounds of Delphi resulted in selecting 69 determinants out of the initial pool of 128 primary determinants of social accountability. The items were selected based on experts' consensus and categorized under three main activities of Nursing and Midwifery School, namely education, research, and service. Social accountability determinants were explained by 69 items for Schools of Nursing and Midwifery in Iran. The proposed determinants can be used by managers and authorities of Nursing and Midwifery School, policy makers, and evaluating institutions associated with them to ensure realizing social accountability goals.

  1. One-to-one midwifery.

    PubMed

    Farmer, E; Chipperfield, C

    1996-04-01

    Key elements: Problems of One-to-One midwifery developing a caseload relationships with other staff--perceived 'elitism' boundaries of care for high-risk mothers long hours isolation women's unrealistic expectations of midwife, including overdependence Solutions maintain dialogue with other professionals hospital midwives invited to join OTO midwives on community visits clarify roles and responsibilities direct referral to on-call registrar partnerships with teams peer support weekly group meeting empowering women, reducing overdependence

  2. What does it take to have a strong and independent profession of midwifery? Lessons from the Netherlands.

    PubMed

    De Vries, Raymond; Nieuwenhuijze, Marianne; Buitendijk, Simone E

    2013-10-01

    In the 1970s, advocates of demedicalising pregnancy and birth 'discovered' Dutch maternity care. The Netherlands presented an attractive model because its maternity care system was characterised by a strong and independent profession of midwifery, close co-operation between obstetricians and midwives, a very high rate of births at home, little use of caesarean section, and morbidity and mortality statistics that were among the best in the developed world. Over the course of the following 40 years much has changed in the Netherlands. Although the home birth rate remains quite high when compared to other modern countries, it is half of what it was in the 1970s. Midwifery is still an independent medical profession, but a move toward 'integrated care' threatens to bring midwives into hospitals under the direction of medical specialists, more women are interested in medical pain relief, and there is a growing concern that current, albeit slight, increases in rates of intervention in physiological births foreshadow the end of the unique approach to birth in the Netherlands. The story of Dutch maternity care thus offers an ideal opportunity to examine the social, organisational, and cultural factors that work to support, and to diminish, the independent practice of midwifery in high-resource countries. We may wish to believe that providing ample and convincing evidence of the value of midwifery care will be enough to promote more and better use of midwifery, but the lessons from the Netherlands make clear that an array of social forces play a critical role determining the place of midwives in the health care system and how the care they provide is deployed. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Disciplinary discourses: rates of cesarean section explained by medicine, midwifery, and feminism.

    PubMed

    Lee, Amy Su May; Kirkman, Maggie

    2008-05-01

    In the context of international concern about increasing rates of cesarean sections, we used discourse analysis to examine explanations arising from feminism and the disciplines of medicine and midwifery, and found that each was positioned differently in relation to the rising rates. Medical discourses asserted that doctors are authorities on birth and that, although cesareans are sometimes medically necessary, women recklessly choose unnecessary cesareans against medical advice. Midwifery discourses portrayed medicine as paternalistic toward both women and midwifery, and feminist discourses situated birth and women's bodies in the context of a patriarchally structured society. The findings illustrate the complex ways in which this intervention in birth is discursively constructed, and demonstrate its significance as a site of disciplinary conflict.

  4. Does Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) impact on clinical practice? A qualitative exploration of midwifery graduates' perceptions.

    PubMed

    Nallen, Kathleen; Spence, Dale; Porter, Sam

    2018-08-01

    To elicit perceptions of midwifery graduates regarding the impact of Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) on their clinical practice. A qualitative approach utilising semi-structured interviews and content analysis. A midwifery education provider in the Republic of Ireland. Purposive sampling was employed to recruit fourteen midwifery graduates, from a total of twenty eight, from two cohorts who had successfully completed a Higher Diploma in Midwifery programme. Findings centred on the theme 'Effect of EBL on clinical practice', with positive perceptions of EBL reported in relation to its connexion to midwifery practice. Findings affirm the view that EBL augments linkage of theory to clinical practice in addition to linking clinical practice to theory. Consequently, competent practitioners are cultivated and an array of transferable skills developed, thus demonstrating the significant contribution of EBL in enriching clinical practice. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Interprofessional simulation of birth in a non-maternity setting for pre-professional students.

    PubMed

    McLelland, Gayle; Perera, Chantal; Morphet, Julia; McKenna, Lisa; Hall, Helen; Williams, Brett; Cant, Robyn; Stow, Jill

    2017-11-01

    Simulation-based learning is an approach recommended for teaching undergraduate health professionals. There is a scarcity of research around interprofessional simulation training for pre-professional students in obstetric emergencies that occur prior to arrival at the maternity ward. The primary aims of the study were to examine whether an interprofessional team-based simulated birth scenario would improve undergraduate paramedic, nursing, and midwifery students' self-efficacy scores and clinical knowledge when managing birth in an unplanned location. The secondary aim was to assess students' satisfaction with the newly developed interprofessional simulation. Quasi-experimental descriptive study with repeated measures. Simulated hospital emergency department. Final year undergraduate paramedic, nursing, and midwifery students. Interprofessional teams of five students managed a simulated unplanned vaginal birth, followed by debriefing. Students completed a satisfaction with simulation survey. Serial surveys of clinical knowledge and self-efficacy were conducted at three time points. Twenty-four students participated in one of five simulation scenarios. Overall, students' self-efficacy and confidence in ability to achieve a successful birth outcome was significantly improved at one month (p<0.001) with a magnitude of increase (effect) of 40% (r=0.71) and remained so after a further three months. Clinical knowledge was significantly increased in only one of three student groups: nursing (p=0.04; r=0.311). Students' satisfaction with the simulation experience was high (M=4.65/5). Results from this study indicate that an interprofessional simulation of a birth in an unplanned setting can improve undergraduate paramedic, nursing and midwifery students' confidence working in an interprofessional team. There was a significant improvement in clinical knowledge of the nursing students (who had least content about managing birth in their program). All students were highly

  6. An exploratory study of complementary and alternative medicine in hospital midwifery: models of care and professional struggle.

    PubMed

    Adams, Jon

    2006-02-01

    Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasingly popular amongst midwives in Australia. A growing number of hospital midwives are personally integrating one or a range of CAM within their midwifery practice. Despite this trend we still know little about CAM in midwifery, particularly at a grass-roots level. This paper reports findings from one section of a larger exploratory study examining grass-root practitioners' understandings and experiences of complementary therapies in nursing and midwifery. Thirteen in-depth interviews were conducted with midwives working in New South Wales public hospitals and currently integrating CAM within their general midwifery practice. Analysis illustrates how midwives' explanations of, and affinity claims regarding, CAM feed into wider ongoing issues relating to professional autonomy and the relationship between midwifery and obstetrics.

  7. Students' experiences of blended learning across a range of postgraduate programmes.

    PubMed

    Smyth, Siobhan; Houghton, Catherine; Cooney, Adeline; Casey, Dympna

    2012-05-01

    The article describes the students' experiences of taking a blended learning postgraduate programme in a school of nursing and midwifery. The indications to date are that blended learning as a pedagogical tool has the potential to contribute and improve nursing and midwifery practice and enhance student learning. Little is reported about the students' experiences to date. Focus groups were conducted with students in the first year of introducing blended learning. The two main themes that were identified from the data were (1) the benefits of blended learning and (2) the challenges to blended learning. The blended learning experience was received positively by the students. A significant finding that was not reported in previous research was that the online component meant little time away from study for the students suggesting that it was more invasive on their everyday life. It is envisaged that the outcomes of the study will assist educators who are considering delivering programmes through blended learning. It should provide guidance for further developments and improvements in using Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and blended learning in nurse education. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Joys and challenges of relationships in Scotland and New Zealand rural midwifery: A multicentre study.

    PubMed

    Crowther, Susan; Deery, Ruth; Daellenbach, Rea; Davies, Lorna; Gilkison, Andrea; Kensington, Mary; Rankin, Jean

    2018-04-21

    Globally there are challenges meeting the recruitment and retention needs for rural midwifery. Rural practice is not usually recognised as important and feelings of marginalisation amongst this workforce are apparent. Relationships are interwoven throughout midwifery and are particularly evident in rural settings. However, how these relationships are developed and sustained in rural areas is unclear. To study the significance of relationships in rural midwifery and provide insights to inform midwifery education. Multi-centre study using online surveys and discussion groups across New Zealand and Scotland. Descriptive and template analysis were used to organise, examine and analyse the qualitative data. Rural midwives highlighted how relationships with health organisations, each other and women and their families were both a joy and a challenge. Social capital was a principal theme. Subthemes were (a) working relationships, (b) respectful communication, (c) partnerships, (d) interface tensions, (e) gift of time facilitates relationships. To meet the challenges of rural practice the importance of relationship needs acknowledging. Relationships are created, built and sustained at a distance with others who have little appreciation of the rural context. Social capital for rural midwives is thus characterised by social trust, community solidarity, shared values and working together for mutual benefit. Rural communities generally exhibit high levels of social capital and this is key to sustainable rural midwifery practice. Midwives, educationalists and researchers need to address the skills required for building social capital in rural midwifery practice. These skills are important in midwifery pre- and post-registration curricula. Copyright © 2018 Australian College of Midwives. All rights reserved.

  9. A model for upscaling global partnerships and building nurse and midwifery capacity.

    PubMed

    Spies, L A; Garner, S L; Faucher, M A; Hastings-Tolsma, M; Riley, C; Millenbruch, J; Prater, L; Conroy, S F

    2017-09-01

    To provide a unique model for use in guiding global collaboration and policy to upscale nursing and midwifery partnerships. Nurses and midwives across nations need skills reaching beyond the bedside and unit level in today's complex, global, multifaceted healthcare milieu. Thoughtful consideration, research and concomitant development of models to guide appropriate upscaling of nurse and midwifery capacity within and between nations are needed. This article explores an integrated global approach to upscaling nurse and midwifery capacity using examples of partnerships between nursing and midwifery programmes across multiple continents. Global nurse and midwifery capacity is effectively being developed using a myriad of approaches. A new model is presented to illustrate supports, strategies and activities to achieve intermediate and long-term goals for capacity building through strong and sustainable global partnerships. Development of global skills can focus the nurse and midwife to influence policy-level decisions. Human resource planning that can impact countrywide provision of health care begins in the preservice setting for both nurses and midwives. A global experience can be a value-added component to the well-rounded education of future nurses. Education during preparation for entry into practice is a strategic way to develop a worldview. Incorporating reflective practice can build skills and shape attitudes to prepare the new nurse to be comfortable as a global healthcare provider. An expanded world view is the springboard to more robust and informed involvement and inclusion in policy-level discussions. © 2017 International Council of Nurses.

  10. 'Twin2twin' an innovative method of empowering midwives to strengthen their professional midwifery organisations.

    PubMed

    Cadée, Franka; Perdok, Hilde; Sam, Betty; de Geus, Myrte; Kweekel, Liselotte

    2013-10-01

    midwives need professional support from a national midwifery organisation to be able to provide the services that are by regulatory mechanisms and accreditation expected of them. Not all midwives in the world are united in a professional organisation. The aim of this project was to strengthen the midwifery organisations of Sierra Leone and the Netherlands. During the process of the project it was realised that the development of a platform of exchange at organisational level would be enhanced by introducing personal exchange between individual midwives. In response to this new insight the original project plan was adjusted by incorporating the twin2twin method. twin2twin is a feminist methodology of mutual exchange between twenty pairs of midwives from different organisations (in this case Sierra Leone and the Netherlands). The method can be distinguished by 10 specific steps. It was developed, used and (re)evaluated through focus group discussions, storytelling and written evaluations. twinning of organisations was strengthened by adding a human component to the process. With the use of the 'twin2twin' method, midwives were encouraged to invested in a professional and personal bond with their 'twin sister'. This bond was independent and went beyond the relatively short four year project period. Through personal engagement and mutual exchange of knowledge and skills, midwives empowered each other to build and strengthen their midwifery organisations both in Sierra Leone and the Netherlands. (Empowerment refers to the expansion in people's ability to make strategic life choices in a context where this ability was previously denied to them (Narayan, 2005); organisational empowerment includes processes and structures that enhance members' skills and provides them with the mutual support necessary to effect community level change (Zimmerman, 1995).). despite challenges we are convinced that twin2twin can be of additional benefit for the success of other projects

  11. Opportunities, challenges and strategies when building a midwifery profession. Findings from a qualitative study in Bangladesh and Nepal.

    PubMed

    Bogren, Malin; Erlandsson, Kerstin

    2018-06-01

    The aim of this paper was to identify opportunities and challenges when building a midwifery profession in Bangladesh and Nepal. Data were collected through 33 semi-structured interviews with government officials, policy-makers, donors, and individuals from academia and non-government organizations with an influence in building a midwifery profession in their respective countries. Data were analyzed using content analysis. The opportunities and challenges found in Bangladesh and Nepal when building a midwifery profession emerged the theme "A comprehensive collaborative approach, with a political desire, can build a midwifery profession while competing views, interest, priorities and unawareness hamper the process". Several factors were found to facilitate the establishment of a midwifery profession in both countries. For example, global and national standards brought together midwifery professionals and stakeholders, and helped in the establishment of midwifery associations. The challenges for both countries were national commitments without a full set of supporting policy documents, lack of professional recognition, and competing views, interests and priorities. This study demonstrated that building a midwifery profession requires a political comprehensive collaborative approach supported by a political commitment. Through bringing professionals together in a professional association will bring a professional status. Global standards and guidelines need to be contextualized into national policies and plans where midwives are included as part of the national health workforce. This is a key for creating recognized midwives with a protected title to autonomously practice midwifery, to upholding the sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and girls. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Nurse-midwifery in rural Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Woods, A B

    1991-01-01

    Pakistan is a relatively new nation of predominantly Islamic influence. Like many developing countries, it is plagued by extensive communicable diseases, malnutrition, inadequate sewage systems, and illiteracy. Religious beliefs and cultural influences impact heavily on access to health care and on maternal-child health outcomes. This paper examines the major maternal-child health problems encountered, as well as implications for midwifery practice in an Islamic country.

  13. Retraction of publications in nursing and midwifery research: A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Al-Ghareeb, Amal; Hillel, Stav; McKenna, Lisa; Cleary, Michelle; Visentin, Denis; Jones, Martin; Bressington, Daniel; Gray, Richard

    2018-05-01

    Rates of manuscript retraction in academic journals are increasing. Papers are retracted because of scientific misconduct or serious error. To date there have been no studies that have examined rates of retraction in nursing and midwifery journals. A systematic review of Journal Citation Report listed nursing science journals. The Medline database was searched systematically from January 1980 through July 2017, and www.retractionwatch.com was manually searched for relevant studies that met the inclusion criteria. Two researchers undertook title and abstract and full text screening. Data were extracted on the country of the corresponding author, journal title, impact factor, study design, year of retraction, number of citations after retraction, and reason for retraction. Journals retraction index was also calculated. Twenty-nine retracted papers published in nursing science journals were identified, the first in 2007. This represents 0.029% of all papers published in these journals since 2007. We observed a significant increase in the retraction rate of 0.44 per 10,000 publications per year (95% CI; 0.03-0.84, p = .037). There was a negative association between a journal's retraction index and impact factor with a significant reduction in retraction index of -0.57 for a one-point increase in impact factor (95% CI; -1.05 to -0.09, p = .022). Duplicate publication was the most common reason for retraction (n = 18, 58%). The mean number of citations manuscripts received after retraction was seven, the highest was 52. Most (n = 27, 93.1%) of the retracted papers are still available online (with a watermark indicating they are retracted). Compared to more established academic disciplines, rates of retraction in nursing and midwifery are low. Findings suggest that unsound research is not being identified and that the checks and balances incumbent in the scientific method are not working. In a clinical discipline, this is concerning and may indicate that

  14. Evidence-based Draft Guideline for Prevention of Midwifery Malpractices based on Referred Cases to the Forensic Medicine Commission and the Medical Council from 2006-2011.

    PubMed

    Asadi, Leila; Beigi, Marjan; Valiani, Mahbube; Mardani, Fardin

    2017-01-01

    Medical errors are the main concerns in health systems, which considering their ascending rate in the recent years, especially in the field of midwifery, have caused a medical crisis. Considering the importance of evidence-based health services as a way to improve health systems, the aim of this study was to suggest a guideline for preventing malpractice in midwifery services. In this cross-sectional study that was conducted in 2013, we investigated 206 cases that were referred to the Isfahan Legal Medicine Organization and Medical Council of Forensic Medicine from 2006-2011. Data were collected by a checklist and were analyzed using SPSS-16 software. Descriptive statistical tests (mean, maximum, minimum, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage agreement) were used to describe the data. Then, we used the Delphi technique with the participation from 17 experts in midwifery, gynecology, and legal medicine to provide an evidence-based draft guideline for prevention of midwifery errors. A total of 206 cases were reviewed. In 66 cases (32%) the verdict for malpractice in midwifery services was approved. A practical draft guideline for preventing clinical errors for midwifery in the fields of pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum period was developed. This evidence-based draft guideline can improve the attention of all the healthcare providers, especially midwives and physicians to prevent urgent problems and offer effective health services for mothers and infants.

  15. The Impact of Racism and Midwifery's Lack of Racial Diversity: A Literature Review.

    PubMed

    Wren Serbin, Jyesha; Donnelly, Elizabeth

    2016-11-01

    The United States is increasingly racially diverse. Racial disparities in maternal-child health persist. Despite national calls for workforce diversification, more than 90% of certified nurse-midwives are white. This systematic review examines how racism and midwifery's lack of racial diversity impact both midwives and their patients. Databases were searched in January 2016 for studies that explored 1) racially concordant or racially discordant maternity care provided, at least in part, by midwives; 2) women of color's experience of race and discrimination in maternity care provided, at least in part, by midwives; and 3) midwives of color's experience of race and discrimination in clinical, educational, and/or professional settings. Studies were excluded if they were conducted outside the United States, focused on recent immigrant populations, or didn't have an English-language abstract. Selected studies were each reviewed by 2 independent reviewers, and data from the studies were entered into literature tables and synthesized for discussion. A total of 7 studies was retained for review-3 on the experience of patients and 4 on the experience of providers. The studies show racism is common in midwifery education, professional organizations, and clinical practices. Racism and midwifery's lack of racial diversity act as a barrier to people of color completing midwifery education programs and fully participating in midwifery professional organizations. Both patients and midwives of color identified midwives of color as uniquely positioned to provide high-quality care for communities of color. The midwifery profession and its patients stand to substantially benefit from diversification of the field, which requires addressing racism within the profession. Structural competency is a new theory that offers an effective framework to guide these efforts. © 2016 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  16. Midwives' experiences of labour care in midwifery units. A qualitative interview study in a Norwegian setting.

    PubMed

    Skogheim, Gry; Hanssen, Tove A

    2015-12-01

    In some economically developed countries, women's choice of birth care and birth place is encouraged. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of midwives who started working in alongside/free-standing midwifery units (AMU/FMU) and their experiences with labour care in this setting. A qualitative explorative design using a phenomenographic approach was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten strategically sampled midwives working in midwifery units. The analysis revealed the following five categories of experiences noted by the midwives: mixed emotions and de-learning obstetric unit habits, revitalising midwifery philosophy, alertness and preparedness, presence and patience, and coping with time. Starting to work in an AMU/FMU can be a distressing period for a midwife. First, it may require de-learning the medical approach to birth, and, second, it may entail a revitalisation (and re-learning) of birth care that promotes physiological birth. Midwifery, particularly in FMUs, requires an especially careful assessment of the labouring process, the ability to be foresighted, and capability in emergencies. The autonomy of midwives may be constrained also in AMUs/FMUs. However, working in these settings is also viewed as experiencing "the art of midwifery" and enables revitalisation of the midwifery philosophy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Exploring Student Midwives Creative Expression of the Meaning of Birth

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hall, Jennifer; Mitchell, Mary

    2008-01-01

    This paper presents a study which explored creative pieces made by student midwives during an educational session on spirituality in relation to midwifery. Background: Exploration of methods of teaching relating to midwifery has been limited, specifically relating to effective learning about spirituality. There is a current expectation in the UK…

  18. A descriptive analysis of midwifery education, regulation and association in 73 countries: the baseline for a post-2015 pathway.

    PubMed

    Castro Lopes, Sofia; Nove, Andrea; Ten Hoope-Bender, Petra; de Bernis, Luc; Bokosi, Martha; Moyo, Nester T; Homer, Caroline S E

    2016-06-08

    Education, regulation and association (ERA) are the supporting pillars of an enabling environment for midwives to provide quality care. This study explores these three pillars in the 73 low- and middle-income countries who participated in the State of the World's Midwifery (SoWMy) 2014 report. It also examines the progress made since the previous report in 2011. A self-completion questionnaire collected quantitative and qualitative data on ERA characteristics and organisation in the 73 countries. The countries were grouped according to World Health Organization (WHO) regions. A descriptive analysis was conducted. In 82% of the participating countries, the minimum education level requirement to start midwifery training was grade 12 or above. The average length of training was higher for direct-entry programmes at 3.1 years than for post-nursing/healthcare provider programmes at 1.9 years. The median number of supervised births that must be conducted before graduation was 33 (range 0 to 240). Fewer than half of the countries had legislation recognising midwifery as an independent profession. This legislation was particularly lacking in the Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions. In most (90%) of the participating countries, governments were reported to have a regulatory role, but some reported challenges to the role being performed effectively. Professional associations were widely available to midwives in all regions although not all were exclusive to midwives. Compared with the 2011 SoWMy report, there is evidence of increasing effort in low- and middle-income countries to improve midwifery education, to strengthen the profession and to follow international ERA standards and guidelines. However, not all elements are being implemented equally; some variability persists between and within regions. The education pillar showed more systematic improvement in the type of programme and length of training. The reinforcement of regulation through the development of

  19. STRATEGIES FOR FUTURE NURSING AND MIDWIFERY EDUCATION.

    PubMed

    Gillham, David

    2016-10-01

    Major challenges can be expected for nurse education in the near future in response to changes in healthcare practice, technology, regulation and funding. The advancement of nursing and midwifery professions is largely dependent upon what occurs at the teaching-research-practice nexus.

  20. A mixed-methods study exploring sign-off mentorship practices in relation to the Nursing and Midwifery Council standards.

    PubMed

    Newton, Joanna; Taylor, Rachel M; Crighton, Liz

    2017-10-01

    To investigate the current practice and experience of sign-off mentors in one NHS trust. In the UK, sign-off mentors support nursing students in their last clinical placement and are accountable for the final assessment of fitness to practice as a registered nurse. Mixed-methods study. The focus was on two key Nursing and Midwifery Council standards: the requirement for students to work at least 40% of their time on clinical placement with a sign-off mentor/mentor; the sign-off mentor had one-hour-per-week protected time to meet the final placement student. Data were collected through two audits of clinical and university documents and an experience survey administered to all sign-off mentors in one trust. The audits showed that only 22/42 (52%) of students were supervised by their sign-off mentor/mentor at least 40% of the time, whilst 10/42 (24%) students never worked a shift with their sign-off mentor. Only one student met their sign-off mentor every week. Complete data were available in 31/64 (47%) sign-off mentors, of whom 21/30 (70%) rarely/never had reduced clinical commitment to mentor final placement students. Furthermore, 19/28 (68%) met their student after their shift had ended with 24/30 (80%) reporting not getting any protected time. Sign-off mentors have inadequate time and resources to undertake their role, yet are accountable for confirming the student has the required knowledge and skills to practise safely. The current model needs urgent review to improve mentoring standards. Understanding how the role of the sign-off mentor is working in practice is critical to ensuring that the Nursing and Midwifery Council standards are met, ensuring students are well supported and appropriately assessed in practice, and mentoring is given the high profile it deserves to guarantee high-quality care and protecting the public. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Increasing skilled birth attendance through midwifery workforce management.

    PubMed

    Rosskam, Ellen; Pariyo, George; Hounton, Sennen; Aiga, Hirotsugu

    2013-01-01

    Policy makers and development partners struggle to help find solutions to the high rates of maternal and newborn mortality in many low and middle income countries. Increasing access to midwives and health workers skilled in midwifery can help to alleviate the situation. We aim to contribute to the debate on strategies to increase access to skilled birth attendance by sharing our views, illustrated with as yet unpublished case stories that were recognized with Awards of Excellence at the Second Global Forum on Human Resources for Health, 2011, held in Bangkok, Thailand. The correlation between access to skilled birth attendance and the density of midwives, nurses and doctors has been well established in the literature. How to cost-effectively scale up skilled birth attendance in low and middle income countries, however, remains a matter of debate. This article is based on a review of success stories in midwifery workforce management and innovations in increasing population access to midwives and other health workers skilled in midwifery. We draw on case stories from three low resource settings: Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nigeria. Addressing the problem of access to skilled birth attendance, some countries are making good progress towards achieving Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5. Unshakeable political will and financial commitment are fundamental. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. Caseload midwifery as organisational change: the interplay between professional and organisational projects in Denmark.

    PubMed

    Burau, Viola; Overgaard, Charlotte

    2015-05-27

    The large obstetric units typical of industrialised countries have come under criticism for fragmented and depersonalised care and heavy bureaucracy. Interest in midwife-led continuity models of care is growing, but knowledge about the accompanying processes of organisational change is scarce. This study focuses on midwives' role in introducing and developing caseload midwifery. Sociological studies of midwifery and organisational studies of professional groups were used to capture the strong interests of midwives in caseload midwifery and their key role together with management in negotiating organisational change. We studied three hospitals in Denmark as arenas for negotiating the introduction and development of caseload midwifery and the processes, interests and resources involved. A qualitative multi-case design was used and the selection of hospitals aimed at maximising variance. Ten individual and 14 group interviews were conducted in spring 2013. Staff were represented by caseload midwives, ward midwives, obstetricians and health visitors, management by chief midwives and their deputies. Participants were recruited to maximise the diversity of experience. The data analysis adopted a thematic approach, using within- and across-case analysis. The analysis revealed a highly interdependent interplay between organisational and professional projects in the change processes involved in the introduction and development of caseload midwifery. This was reflected in three ways: first, in the key role of negotiations in all phases; second, in midwives' and management's engagement in both types of projects (as evident from their interests and resources); and third in a high capacity for resolving tensions between the two projects. The ward midwives' role as a third party in organisational change further complicated the process. For managers tasked with the introduction and development of caseload midwifery, our study underscores the importance of understanding the

  3. The lived experiences of autonomous Angolan midwives working in midwifery-led, maternity units.

    PubMed

    Pettersson, K O; Svensson, M L; Christensson, K

    2001-06-01

    to describe the lived experiences of autonomous midwives working in Angolan midwifery-led maternity units. a qualitative approach using semi-structured, audiotaped interviews, in Portugese. Data were analysed in a six-step process. three midwifery-led maternity units in the most densely populated suburbs in the capital of Angola, Luanda. The average number of deliveries per unit was 2500 per year. 11 midwives from the three maternity units. four main areas emerged: society/culture, significant others, personal self and professional self. Sub-areas, concepts and supporting statements were defined in each area. the midwives served within a population living in rough circumstances but which maintained strong traditional roots. The midwives did not support homebirths, but did assist when needed. The midwives described their professional role as a 'calling', which was very independent. Cure, was considered more important than care, and strong emotions were expressed when discussing cases of failure. The partograph was viewed as an important instrument and continuous learning as crucial in their role as autonomous midwives. the model of a midwifery-led delivery unit described in this study may be used in other countries facing the same problems as Angola. Difficulties concerning transfer should be seriously considered as well as adequate education for the midwives. A pre-requisite in order for peripheral maternity units to have any impact on maternal morbidity and mortality, is a well-organised first-referral level. Copyright 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.

  4. The Impact and Cost of Scaling up Midwifery and Obstetrics in 58 Low- and Middle-Income Countries

    PubMed Central

    Bartlett, Linda; Weissman, Eva; Gubin, Rehana; Patton-Molitors, Rachel; Friberg, Ingrid K.

    2014-01-01

    Background and Methods To guide achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, we used the Lives Saved Tool to provide a novel simulation of potential maternal, fetal, and newborn lives and costs saved by scaling up midwifery and obstetrics services, including family planning, in 58 low- and middle-income countries. Typical midwifery and obstetrics interventions were scaled to either 60% of the national population (modest coverage) or 99% (universal coverage). Findings Under even a modest scale-up, midwifery services including family planning reduce maternal, fetal, and neonatal deaths by 34%. Increasing midwifery alone or integrated with obstetrics is more cost-effective than scaling up obstetrics alone; when family planning was included, the midwifery model was almost twice as cost-effective as the obstetrics model, at $2,200 versus $4,200 per death averted. The most effective strategy was the most comprehensive: increasing midwives, obstetricians, and family planning could prevent 69% of total deaths under universal scale-up, yielding a cost per death prevented of just $2,100. Within this analysis, the interventions which midwifery and obstetrics are poised to deliver most effectively are different, with midwifery benefits delivered across the continuum of pre-pregnancy, prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum-postnatal care, and obstetrics benefits focused mostly on delivery. Including family planning within each scope of practice reduced the number of likely births, and thus deaths, and increased the cost-effectiveness of the entire package (e.g., a 52% reduction in deaths with midwifery and obstetrics increased to 69% when family planning was added; cost decreased from $4,000 to $2,100 per death averted). Conclusions This analysis suggests that scaling up midwifery and obstetrics could bring many countries closer to achieving mortality reductions. Midwives alone can achieve remarkable mortality reductions, particularly when they also perform family

  5. State laws and the practice of lay midwifery.

    PubMed Central

    Butter, I H; Kay, B J

    1988-01-01

    A national survey was conducted to assess the current status and characteristics of state legislation regulating the practice of lay midwives. As of July 1987, 10 states have prohibitory laws, five states have grandmother clauses authorizing practicing midwives under repealed statutes, five states have enabling laws which are not used, and 10 states explicitly permit lay midwives to practice. In the 21 remaining states, the legal status of midwives is unclear. Much of the enabling legislation restricts midwifery practice often resulting in situations similar to those in states with prohibitory laws. Given the growth of an extensive grassroots movement of lay midwives committed to quality of care, this outcome suggests that 21 states with no legislation may provide better opportunities for midwifery practice than states with enabling laws. PMID:3407812

  6. Including the nonrational is sensible midwifery.

    PubMed

    Parratt, Jenny A; Fahy, Kathleen M

    2008-03-01

    Since the subordination of midwifery by medicine and nursing in the 19th and 20th centuries the standard approach to childbirth has been dominated by rationality. This approach proceeds by creating dichotomies and then prioritising one half of the dichotomy whilst rejecting the opposite term. Rationality itself is prioritised, for example, by contrasting it with the rejected opposite: irrationality. Expert clinical practice is, however, increasingly identified as being inclusive of more than merely rational ways of knowing and behaving. This paper is based on a post-structural study concerning changes to women's embodied sense of self during childbearing. We expose the limitations of pure rationality in the context of childbirth and use the concept of safety to exemplify the limitations that pure rationality imposes. The paper draws on philosophical and spiritual theory to present an analysis of ideas about mind, body, soul and spirit. The standard rational/irrational dichotomy is critiqued and contrasted with the embodied reality of nonrational experiences that are individual, contextual and 'in-the-moment'. Nonrational experiences are identified to be inclusive of power and knowledge that are both rational and nonrational. This revised conceptualisation provides a theoretical basis that allows for and promotes more possibilities and thus more holistic ways of knowing in midwifery. Our thesis is that midwives and women need to take conscious account of nonrational knowledge and power during the childbearing year. We argue that pure rational thinking limits possibilities by excluding the midwife's embodied ways of knowing along with the ways of knowing embodied by the woman. The inclusion of women's and midwives'nonrational ways of knowing in childbearing situations opens us up to knowledge and power that provides for a more complete, and therefore a more optimal, decision-making process.

  7. A Rapid Assessment Tool for affirming good practice in midwifery education programming.

    PubMed

    Fullerton, Judith T; Johnson, Peter; Lobe, Erika; Myint, Khine Haymar; Aung, Nan Nan; Moe, Thida; Linn, Nay Aung

    2016-03-01

    to design a criterion-referenced assessment tool that could be used globally in a rapid assessment of good practices and bottlenecks in midwifery education programs. a standard tool development process was followed, to generate standards and reference criteria; followed by external review and field testing to document psychometric properties. review of standards and scoring criteria were conducted by stakeholders around the globe. Field testing of the tool was conducted in Myanmar. eleven of Myanmar׳s 22 midwifery education programs participated in the assessment. the clinimetric tool was demonstrated to have content validity and high inter-rater reliability in use. a globally validated tool, and accompanying user guide and handbook are now available for conducting rapid assessments of compliance with good practice criteria in midwifery education programming. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  8. Case Study: The Role of eLearning in Midwifery Pre-Service Education in Ghana.

    PubMed

    Appiagyei, Martha; Trump, Alison; Danso, Evans; Yeboah, Alex; Searle, Sarah; Carr, Catherine

    The issues and challenges of implementing eLearning in pre-service health education were explored through a pilot study conducted in six nurse-midwifery education programs in Ghana. Case-based, interactive computer mediated eLearning modules, targeted to basic emergency and obstetrical signal functions, were delivered both online and offline using a free-for-use eLearning platform, skoool HE(®). Key success factors included broad stakeholder support, an established curriculum and student and tutor interest. Challenges included infrastructure limitations, large class sizes and added workloads for tutors and information technology staff. National scale up is planned.

  9. A randomised controlled trial of caseload midwifery care: M@NGO (Midwives @ New Group practice Options).

    PubMed

    Tracy, Sally K; Hartz, Donna; Hall, Bev; Allen, Jyai; Forti, Amanda; Lainchbury, Anne; White, Jan; Welsh, Alec; Tracy, Mark; Kildea, Sue

    2011-10-26

    Australia has an enviable record of safety for women in childbirth. There is nevertheless growing concern at the increasing level of intervention and consequent morbidity amongst childbearing women. Not only do interventions impact on the cost of services, they carry with them the potential for serious morbidities for mother and infant.Models of midwifery have proliferated in an attempt to offer women less fragmented hospital care. One of these models that is gaining widespread consumer, disciplinary and political support is caseload midwifery care. Caseload midwives manage the care of approximately 35-40 a year within a small Midwifery Group Practice (usually 4-6 midwives who plan their on call and leave within the Group Practice.) We propose to compare the outcomes and costs of caseload midwifery care compared to standard or routine hospital care through a randomised controlled trial. A two-arm RCT design will be used. Women will be recruited from tertiary women's hospitals in Sydney and Brisbane, Australia. Women allocated to the caseload intervention will receive care from a named caseload midwife within a Midwifery Group Practice. Control women will be allocated to standard or routine hospital care. Women allocated to standard care will receive their care from hospital rostered midwives, public hospital obstetric care and community based general medical practitioner care. All midwives will collaborate with obstetricians and other health professionals as necessary according to the woman's needs. Data will be collected at recruitment, 36 weeks antenatally, six weeks and six months postpartum by web based or postal survey. With 750 women or more in each of the intervention and control arms the study is powered (based on 80% power; alpha 0.05) to detect a difference in caesarean section rates of 29.4 to 22.9%; instrumental birth rates from 11.0% to 6.8%; and rates of admission to neonatal intensive care of all neonates from 9.9% to 5.8% (requires 721 in each arm

  10. Learning to create new solutions together: A focus group study exploring interprofessional innovation in midwifery education.

    PubMed

    Johnsen, Helle

    2016-01-01

    Undergraduate students can learn how to be innovative in partnerships with health care institutions and private enterprises. This study portrays how a three phase innovation model was applied in an interprofessional health education context at a Danish university college. The aim of the study was to explore midwifery, nutrition and health as well physiotherapy students' perceptions of participating in a real-life innovation project situated in antenatal care. A total of eighteen students participated in five focus group interviews. Thematic analysis was used to interpret data findings. Data analysis revealed three themes: 'Navigating in uncertainty', 'Being part of a team' and 'Impact of project learning'. Students found project learning to be the most relevant with regards to their clinical practice. Furthermore, study findings suggest that innovation is promoted by teamwork, interprofessional participation, mentor support and external partnerships. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Piloting a stress management and mindfulness program for undergraduate nursing students: student feedback and lessons learned.

    PubMed

    van der Riet, Pamela; Rossiter, Rachel; Kirby, Dianne; Dluzewska, Teresa; Harmon, Charles

    2015-01-01

    Widespread reports of high stress levels and mental health problems among university student populations indicate the use of interventions to facilitate stress reduction and support student resilience and wellbeing. There is growing evidence that regular mindfulness practice may confer positive health benefits and reduced stress levels. The aim of this pilot project was to explore the impact of a seven-week stress management and mindfulness program as a learning support and stress reduction method for nursing and midwifery students. The program was conducted at a large regional university in Australia. Fourteen first-year undergraduate nursing and midwifery students agreed to attend the program and to participate in a follow-up focus group. A descriptive qualitative design was utilised to examine the impact of the program. A semi-structured focus group interview was conducted with a thematic analysis undertaken of the transcript and process notes. Ten students completed the research component of this project by participating in the focus group interview. Three main themes capture the participants' experience: attending to self, attending to others and attending to program related challenges. Data indicate a positive impact on sleep, concentration, clarity of thought and a reduction in negative cognitions. Participants also identified challenges related to timetabling, program structure and venue. Overall, this pilot program enhanced the participants' sense of well-being. Despite the challenges, benefits were identified on a personal and professional level. Valuable feedback was provided that will be used to further develop and expand stress management and mindfulness programs offered to students attending this university. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. Nursing and midwifery regulation and HIV scale-up: establishing a baseline in east, central and southern Africa

    PubMed Central

    McCarthy, Carey F; Voss, Joachim; Verani, Andre R; Vidot, Peggy; Salmon, Marla E; Riley, Patricia L

    2013-01-01

    Introduction Shifting HIV treatment tasks from physicians to nurses and midwives is essential to scaling-up HIV services in sub-Saharan Africa. Updating nursing and midwifery regulations to include task shifting and pre-service education reform can help facilitate reaching new HIV targets. Donor-supported initiatives to update nursing and midwifery regulations are increasing. However, there are gaps in our knowledge of current practice and education regulations and a lack of information to target and implement regulation strengthening efforts. We conducted a survey of national nursing and midwifery councils to describe current nursing and midwifery regulations in 13 African countries. Methods A 30-item survey was administered to a convenience sample of 13 national nursing and midwifery regulatory body leaders in attendance at the PEPFAR-supported African Health Profession Regulatory Collaborative meeting in Nairobi, Kenya on 28 February, 2011. The survey contained questions on task shifting and regulations such as registration, licensure, scope of practice, pre-service education accreditation, continuing professional development and use of international guidelines. Survey data were analyzed to present country-level, comparative and regional findings. Results Task shifting to nurses and midwives was reported in 11 of the 13 countries. Eight countries updated their scope of practice within the last five years; only one reported their regulations to reflect task shifting. Countries vary with regard to licensure, pre-service accreditation and continuing professional development regulations in place. There was no consistency in terms of what standards were used to design national practice and education regulations. Discussion Many opportunities exist to assist countries to modernise regulations to incorporate important advancements from task shifting and pre-service reform. Appropriate, revised regulations can help sustain successful health workforce strategies and

  13. Evidence-based Draft Guideline for Prevention of Midwifery Malpractices based on Referred Cases to the Forensic Medicine Commission and the Medical Council from 2006–2011

    PubMed Central

    Asadi, Leila; Beigi, Marjan; Valiani, Mahbube; Mardani, Fardin

    2017-01-01

    Background: Medical errors are the main concerns in health systems, which considering their ascending rate in the recent years, especially in the field of midwifery, have caused a medical crisis. Considering the importance of evidence-based health services as a way to improve health systems, the aim of this study was to suggest a guideline for preventing malpractice in midwifery services. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study that was conducted in 2013, we investigated 206 cases that were referred to the Isfahan Legal Medicine Organization and Medical Council of Forensic Medicine from 2006–2011. Data were collected by a checklist and were analyzed using SPSS-16 software. Descriptive statistical tests (mean, maximum, minimum, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage agreement) were used to describe the data. Then, we used the Delphi technique with the participation from 17 experts in midwifery, gynecology, and legal medicine to provide an evidence-based draft guideline for prevention of midwifery errors. Results: A total of 206 cases were reviewed. In 66 cases (32%) the verdict for malpractice in midwifery services was approved. A practical draft guideline for preventing clinical errors for midwifery in the fields of pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum period was developed. Conclusions: This evidence-based draft guideline can improve the attention of all the healthcare providers, especially midwives and physicians to prevent urgent problems and offer effective health services for mothers and infants. PMID:28904546

  14. Collaborative approaches towards building midwifery capacity in low income countries: a review of experiences.

    PubMed

    Dawson, Angela; Brodie, Patricia; Copeland, Felicity; Rumsey, Michele; Homer, Caroline

    2014-04-01

    to explore collaborative approaches undertaken to build midwifery education, regulation and professional association in low income countries and identify evidence of strategies that may be useful to scale-up midwifery to achieve MDG 5. an integrative review involving a mapping exercise and a narrative synthesis of the literature was undertaken. The search included peer reviewed research and discursive literature published between 2002 and 2012. fifteen papers were found that related to this topic: 10 discursive papers and five research studies. Collaborative approaches to build midwifery capacity come mainly from Africa and involve partnerships between low income countries and between low and high income countries. Most collaborations focus on building capacity across more than one area and arose through opportunistic and strategic means. A number of factors were found to be integral to maintaining collaborations including the establishment of clear processes for communication, leadership and appropriate membership, effective management, mutual respect, learning and an understanding of the context. Collaborative action can result in effective clinical and research skill building, the development of tailored education programmes and the establishment of structures and systems to enhance the midwifery workforce and ultimately, improve maternal and child health. between country collaborations are one component to building midwifery workforce capacity in order to improve maternal health outcomes. the findings provide insights into how collaboration can be established and maintained and how the contribution collaboration makes to capacity building can be evaluated. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Midwifery in American Institutes of Higher Education: Women's Work, Vocations and the 21st Century

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brucker, Mary C.

    2009-01-01

    Midwifery is one of the universal professions. At the end of the nineteenth century, midwives in the United States were disenfranchised from the mainstream. A concerted effort was waged by male physicians to characterize midwifery practices as unscientific while simultaneously preventing midwives from obtaining formal education. Although midwifery…

  16. Cultural safety in New Zealand midwifery practice. Part 1.

    PubMed

    Farry, Annabel; Crowther, Susan

    2014-06-01

    Midwives in New Zealand work within a unique cultural context. This calls for an understanding and appreciation of biculturalism and the equal status of Mãori and Europeans as the nation's founding peoples. This paper is the first of two papers that explore the notions of cultural safety and competence. Exploration and discussion take place in the New Zealand context, yet have transferable implications for midwives everywhere. This first paper provides a background to practice in a bicultural country where cultural safety strategies were introduced over 20 years ago to help reduce health disparities. The implications of these strategies are examined. The second paper will focus on midwifery education and practice.

  17. The politics of midwifery education and training in New South Wales during the last decades of the 19th Century.

    PubMed

    Purcal, Nita K

    2008-03-01

    This paper focuses on the introduction and development of midwifery education and training in Sydney during the last decades of the 19th century. The aim of the training, it is argued, was to displace the lay midwives by trained midwifery nurses who would work under medical control. The lay midwives were one of the largest occupational groups among women and two-thirds of births in NSW were being delivered by them in the late 19th century. It was a period of professionalisation of medicine and medical men laid claim to midwifery as a legitimate sphere of their practice and saw it as the gateway for establishing a family practice. The lay midwife stood in the way of their claim. The training programs were established purportedly to control maternal mortality. From the beginning in 1887 medical men were in control of midwifery nurse training. In addition to training at the Benevolent Society Asylum, three more women's hospitals were established in the 1890s in Sydney making it possible to train a stream of midwifery nurses. The midwifery nurses were charged exorbitant fees for their training; the fees contributed substantially towards running the new hospitals that delivered birth services to the poor and destitute women mostly in their homes. The midwifery nurses worked hard in miserable conditions under the guise of clinical experience required for training. When a critical mass of poorly trained midwifery nurses were in the offing, a Bill was introduced into the Parliament in 1895, restricting registration to midwifery nurses and this would have eliminated the lay midwife if passed. It took more than two decades to get a Registration Bill passed in the NSW Parliament.

  18. "It's like a puzzle": Pregnant women's perceptions of professional support in midwifery care.

    PubMed

    Bäckström, Caroline A; Mårtensson, Lena B; Golsäter, Marie H; Thorstensson, Stina A

    2016-12-01

    Pregnant women are not always satisfied with the professional support they receive during their midwifery care. More knowledge is needed to understand what professional support pregnant women need for childbirth and parenting. Childbearing and the transition to becoming a parent is a sensitive period in one's life during which one should have the opportunity to receive professional support. Professional support does not always correspond to pregnant women's needs. To understand pregnant women's needs for professional support within midwifery care, it is crucial to further illuminate women's experiences of this support. To explore pregnant women's perceptions of professional support in midwifery care. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Fifteen women were interviewed during gestational weeks 36-38. Data was analysed using phenomenography. The women perceived professional support in midwifery care to be reassuring and emotional, to consist of reliable information, and to be mediated with pedagogical creativity. The professional support facilitated new social contacts, partner involvement and contributed to mental preparedness. The findings of the study were presented in six categories and the category Professional support contributes to mental preparedness was influenced by the five other categories. Pregnant women prepare for childbirth and parenting by using several different types of professional support in midwifery care: a strategy that could be described as piecing together a puzzle. When the women put the puzzle together, each type of professional support works as a valuable piece in the whole puzzle. Through this, professional support could contribute to women's mental preparedness for childbirth and parenting. Copyright © 2016 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Determining the psychometric properties of the Enhancing Decision-making Assessment in Midwifery (EDAM) measure in a cross cultural context.

    PubMed

    Jefford, Elaine; Jomeen, Julie; Martin, Colin R

    2016-04-28

    The ability to act on and justify clinical decisions as autonomous accountable midwifery practitioners, is encompassed within many international regulatory frameworks, yet decision-making within midwifery is poorly defined. Decision-making theories from medicine and nursing may have something to offer, but fail to take into consideration midwifery context and philosophy and the decisional autonomy of women. Using an underpinning qualitative methodology, a decision-making framework was developed, which identified Good Clinical Reasoning and Good Midwifery Practice as two conditions necessary to facilitate optimal midwifery decision-making during 2nd stage labour. This study aims to confirm the robustness of the framework and describe the development of Enhancing Decision-making Assessment in Midwifery (EDAM) as a measurement tool through testing of its factor structure, validity and reliability. A cross-sectional design for instrument development and a 2 (country; Australia/UK) x 2 (Decision-making; optimal/sub-optimal) between-subjects design for instrument evaluation using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency and known-groups validity. Two 'expert' maternity panels, based in Australia and the UK, comprising of 42 participants assessed 16 midwifery real care episode vignettes using the empirically derived 26 item framework. Each item was answered on a 5 point likert scale based on the level of agreement to which the participant felt each item was present in each of the vignettes. Participants were then asked to rate the overall decision-making (optimal/sub-optimal). Post factor analysis the framework was reduced to a 19 item EDAM measure, and confirmed as two distinct scales of 'Clinical Reasoning' (CR) and 'Midwifery Practice' (MP). The CR scale comprised of two subscales; 'the clinical reasoning process' and 'integration and intervention'. The MP scale also comprised two subscales; women's relationship with the midwife' and 'general

  20. Consumerism 2: preregistration nursing and midwifery curricula.

    PubMed

    Fox, Jane

    This article, the second of two parts, presents findings from a four-stage study exploring the extent to which consumerism and its related aspects have been incorporated into the preregistration nursing and midwifery curriculum. The study was undertaken in recognition that NHS policy (as considered in the first article: Vol 12(5): 321-6) increasingly gave emphasis to the development of a health service that was more consumer and user focused. The study involved use of a Delphi panel, postal questionnaire, review of curriculum documentation, and timetables, together with a small focused group discussion. Findings indicate some aspects relevant to consumerism in health care, e.g. communication and ethical principles were included in the curriculum. Other aspects, such as advocacy, quality assurance, and lay health beliefs, were viewed logically from the perspective of the professional role. In essence, no curriculum transparently addressed consumerism in a central and focused way, although midwifery--and to some extent mental health, learning disabilities, and child branches--gave more overt attention to consumerism than adult branches.

  1. Not addressing the root cause: An analysis of submissions made to the South Australian Government on a Proposal to Protect Midwifery Practice.

    PubMed

    Rigg, Elizabeth; Schmied, Virginia; Peters, Kath; Dahlen, Hannah

    2015-06-01

    Reports of unregulated birth workers attending birth at home, with no registered midwife in attendance (freebirth), have become more frequent in Australia in recent years. A Coronial Inquiry (2012) into the deaths of three babies born at home in South Australia resulted in a call for legislation to restrict the practice of midwifery to registered midwives. A Proposal to Protect Midwifery Practice in South Australia was issued as a consultation paper in January 2013. To report the views of those making a submission to the Proposal to Protect Midwifery Practice in South Australia. Thirty submissions to the South Australian Government were downloaded, read and thematically analysed. Twenty-five (81%) submissions supported the legislation, 5 (16%) opposed it and 2 (6%) were neither for nor against. Support for the proposed legislation was strong, however the underlying root causes that have led to the rise of UBWs attending homebirth in Australia were not addressed. Recommendations called for all stakeholders to work with women to develop a better framework of care that respected and met their needs and choices whilst safeguarding maternal and neonatal health. The Proposal to Protect Midwifery Practice may promote greater protection of midwifery practice however, Private Indemnity Insurance (PII), collaborative agreements and power struggles associated with the medical domination of childbirth continue to marginalise homebirth and prevent women from accessing the care they want and need. These unresolved issues represent the root causes for UBWs attending homebirth; hence the proposal is only a partial solution. Copyright © 2014 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Midwives' perceptions of women's preferences related to midwifery care in Germany: A focus group study.

    PubMed

    Lohmann, Susanne; Mattern, Elke; Ayerle, Gertrud M

    2018-06-01

    To explore how midwives perceive patient preferences related to midwifery care in Germany. This qualitative study, which was part of a larger study, used a hermeneutic-interpretive approach and involved focus group interviews with midwives. Data collection and analysis were done in a conjoined fashion between April 2015 and September 2016. Four focus group interviews were conducted in four different federal states of Germany. The sample of 20 qualified midwives was heterogeneous with regards to age, educational level, professional experience, type of midwifery care provided, and setting (employed, caseload, education) in which they provided services. Three main themes were identified: Strengths and limitations of midwives' present professional profile (midwives' area of responsibility, range of services, and competency); lack of midwives and midwifery services; women's experiences of conflict in interprofessional care. Each main theme is broken down into several aspects of content. Many women are not aware of the scope of professional knowledge and expertise of midwives. Moreover, the poor delineation of midwives' and obstetricians' areas of competency in Germany's hospitals seems to be disadvantageous for the women. Midwives feel that due to context implications they cannot live up to the quality of midwifery care they aspire to. Lack of midwives results in midwives being overwhelmed, women underserved, and both disappointed. On the one hand, new models of midwifery/maternity care need to be developed to solve some of the existing problems; on the other hand, new forms of interprofessional cooperation and management of transition of care points are required. Overall it is important that changes are implemented in such a way that women are enabled, and welcome, to clearly state their preferences for midwifery and maternity care. Particularly in Germany, tertiary education of midwives is needed to broaden their expertise and place them on an equal footing with

  3. Working in caseload midwifery care: the experience of midwives working in a birth centre in North Queensland.

    PubMed

    Edmondson, Marissa C; Walker, Sandra B

    2014-03-01

    Pregnancy, birth and child rearing are significant life events for women and their families. The demand for services that are family friendly, women focused, safe and accessible is increasing. These demands and rights of women have led to increased government and consumer interest in continuity of care and the establishment in Australia of birth centres, and the introduction of caseload midwifery models of care. The aim of this research project was to uncover how birth centre midwives working within a caseload model care constructed their midwifery role in order to maintain a positive work-life balance. A Grounded Theory study using semi-structured individual interviews was undertaken with seven midwives who work at a regional hospital birth centre to ascertain their views as to how they construct their midwifery role while working in a caseload model of care. The results showed that caseload midwifery care enabled the midwives to practice autonomously within hospital policies and guidelines for birth centre midwifery practice and that they did not feel too restricted in regards to the eligibility of women who could give birth at the centre. Work relationships were found to be a key component in being able to construct their birth centre midwifery role. The midwives valued the flexibility that came with working in supportive partnerships with many feeling this enabled them to achieve a good work-life balance. The research contributes to the current body of knowledge surrounding working in a caseload model of care as it shows how the birth centre midwives construct their midwifery role. It provides information for development and improvement of these models of care to ensure that sustainability and quality of care is provided to women and their families. Copyright © 2013 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Developing nursing and midwifery research priorities: a Health Service Executive (HSE) North West study.

    PubMed

    Parlour, Randal; Slater, Paul

    2014-06-01

    The primary purpose of this study was to identify research priorities for nurses and midwives across the Health Service Executive (HSE) North West region. The rationale for the study was underlined during meetings of HSE North West Directors of Nursing and Midwifery in January 2011. It was agreed that a more strategic approach to generating synergy among nursing and midwifery research, evaluation, and evidence-based practice should be developed through the Nursing and Midwifery Planning and Development Unit. The research design was founded upon collaborative processes for consensus building that included the Delphi technique and nominal group technique. The study sample included a panel of experts. Data were collected between March 2011 and December 2011. Findings from this study validate the efficacy of the research methodology in enabling the effective identification of priority areas for research. These include: (a) an evaluation of the impact of postgraduate nursing and midwifery education programs focusing upon patient, professional, and organizational outcomes; (b) development and evaluation of an effective culture of nurse- and midwife-led audit across all services within a Regional Health Trust in Ireland; (c) an examination of the efficacy of approaches to clinical supervision within the context of the Irish health system; (d) an evaluation of the impact of an Advanced Nurse Practitioner role in supporting the effective management of long-term conditions within the context of Regional Health Trust primary care settings in Ireland; and (e) Supporting and developing an ethical framework for nursing and midwifery research within a Regional Health Trust in Ireland. It is anticipated that future work, outlined within this paper, will lead to important improvements in patient care and outcomes. Furthermore, this study provides evidence that a strong nursing and midwifery research agenda can be established upon genuine collaborations and partnerships across

  5. Midwifery and quality care: findings from a new evidence-informed framework for maternal and newborn care.

    PubMed

    Renfrew, Mary J; McFadden, Alison; Bastos, Maria Helena; Campbell, James; Channon, Andrew Amos; Cheung, Ngai Fen; Silva, Deborah Rachel Audebert Delage; Downe, Soo; Kennedy, Holly Powell; Malata, Address; McCormick, Felicia; Wick, Laura; Declercq, Eugene

    2014-09-20

    In this first paper in a series of four papers on midwifery, we aimed to examine, comprehensively and systematically, the contribution midwifery can make to the quality of care of women and infants globally, and the role of midwives and others in providing midwifery care. Drawing on international definitions and current practice, we mapped the scope of midwifery. We then developed a framework for quality maternal and newborn care using a mixed-methods approach including synthesis of findings from systematic reviews of women's views and experiences, effective practices, and maternal and newborn care providers. The framework differentiates between what care is provided and how and by whom it is provided, and describes the care and services that childbearing women and newborn infants need in all settings. We identified more than 50 short-term, medium-term, and long-term outcomes that could be improved by care within the scope of midwifery; reduced maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity, reduced stillbirth and preterm birth, decreased number of unnecessary interventions, and improved psychosocial and public health outcomes. Midwifery was associated with more efficient use of resources and improved outcomes when provided by midwives who were educated, trained, licensed, and regulated. Our findings support a system-level shift from maternal and newborn care focused on identification and treatment of pathology for the minority to skilled care for all. This change includes preventive and supportive care that works to strengthen women's capabilities in the context of respectful relationships, is tailored to their needs, focuses on promotion of normal reproductive processes, and in which first-line management of complications and accessible emergency treatment are provided when needed. Midwifery is pivotal to this approach, which requires effective interdisciplinary teamwork and integration across facility and community settings. Future planning for maternal and

  6. The Politics of Representation: A Personal Reflection on the Problematic Positioning of the Midwifery Educator

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    MacKenzie, Claire

    2004-01-01

    The changing face of midwifery practice and education in Australia is challenging the previously accepted notions of the birth experience, the options of care that are available for women and their families, and the role of the midwife in that experience. The role of the midwifery educator is also challenged by the move away from a predominantly…

  7. Introducing students to clinical audit.

    PubMed

    Parkes, Jacqueline; O'Dell, Cindy

    2015-11-01

    It is more than a decade since the UK Central Council for Nursing Midwifery and Health Visiting said that engaging with clinical audit is 'the business of every registered practitioner', yet there appears to be little evidence that nursing has embraced the process. To address this issue, Northampton General Hospital and the University of Northampton implemented a pilot project in which two third-year adult nursing students worked on a 'real life' audit. Supported by the hospital's audit department, and supervised by academic tutors with the relevant experience, the students worked on a pressure-ulcer care audit for their final year dissertation. This article describes the process undertaken by the hospital audit team and the university academic team to develop the pilot project and support the students. Based on the positive evaluations, the university has extended the project to a second phase, incorporating two new partner organisations.

  8. Identifying key performance indicators for nursing and midwifery care using a consensus approach.

    PubMed

    McCance, Tanya; Telford, Lorna; Wilson, Julie; Macleod, Olive; Dowd, Audrey

    2012-04-01

    The aim of this study was to gain consensus on key performance indicators that are appropriate and relevant for nursing and midwifery practice in the current policy context. There is continuing demand to demonstrate effectiveness and efficiency in health and social care and to communicate this at boardroom level. Whilst there is substantial literature on the use of clinical indicators and nursing metrics, there is less evidence relating to indicators that reflect the patient experience. A consensus approach was used to identify relevant key performance indicators. A nominal group technique was used comprising two stages: a workshop involving all grades of nursing and midwifery staff in two HSC trusts in Northern Ireland (n = 50); followed by a regional Consensus Conference (n = 80). During the workshop, potential key performance indicators were identified. This was used as the basis for the Consensus Conference, which involved two rounds of consensus. Analysis was based on aggregated scores that were then ranked. Stage one identified 38 potential indicators and stage two prioritised the eight top-ranked indicators as a core set for nursing and midwifery. The relevance and appropriateness of these indicators were confirmed with nurses and midwives working in a range of settings and from the perspective of service users. The eight indicators identified do not conform to the majority of other nursing metrics generally reported in the literature. Furthermore, they are strategically aligned to work on the patient experience and are reflective of the fundamentals of nursing and midwifery practice, with the focus on person-centred care. Nurses and midwives have a significant contribution to make in determining the extent to which these indicators are achieved in practice. Furthermore, measurement of such indicators provides an opportunity to evidence of the unique impact of nursing/midwifery care on the patient experience. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  9. Continuous professional development of Liberia's midwifery workforce-A coordinated multi-stakeholder approach.

    PubMed

    Michel-Schuldt, Michaela; Billy Dayon, Matilda; Toft Klar, Robin; Subah, Marion; King-Lincoln, Esther; Kpangbala-Flomo, Cecelia; Broniatowski, Raphaël

    2018-03-03

    Maternal and newborn mortality remains high in Liberia. There is a severe rural-urban gap in accessibility to health care services. A competent midwifery workforce is able to meet the needs of mothers and newborns. Evidence shows that competence can be assured through initial education along with continuous professional development (CPD). In the past, CPD was not regulated and coordinated in Liberia which is cpommon in the African region. To Support a competent regulated midwifery workforce through continuous professional development. A new CPD model was developed by the Liberian Board for Nursing and Midwifery. With its establishment, all midwives and nurses are required to undertake CPD programmes consisting of certified training and mentoring in order to renew their practicing license. The new model is being piloted in one county in which regular mentoring visits that include skills training are being conducted combined with the use of mobile learning applications addressing maternity health issues. Quality control of the CPD pilot is assured by the Liberian Board for Nursing and Midwifery. The mentoring visits are conducted on a clinical level but are coordinated on the national and county level. CPD using mobile learning on smartphones and regular mentoring visits not only improved knowledge and skills of midwives and nurses but also provided a solution to enhance accessibility in rural areas through improved communication and transportation, as well as improved career development of health personnel working in remote areas. Mentors were trained on a national, county, and health facility level in the pilot county with mentoring visits conducted regularly. The CPD programme of the Liberian Board for Nursing and Midwifery, currently in pilot-testing by various partners, aims to highlight the positive impact of the coordinating role of both the regulatory body and health authorities. Using regular process and programme reviews to improve capacity, knowledge, and

  10. Midwifery and society in restoration York.

    PubMed

    Thomas, Samuel S

    2003-04-01

    This article is a micro-historical study of the social networks of an elite mid-wife in seventeenth-century England, and discusses the implications of these networks for our understanding of early modem midwifery. Bridget Hodgson was the daughter-in-law to the former Lord Mayor of York, and closely connected to some of the city's most influential families. Analysis of the connections found in her will and the depositions from a defamation trial in which she was involved illustrates Hodgson's place among York's elite, but also indicates that her work as a midwife took her outside of these circles. This article also compares Hodgson's experience with that of her maidservant and deputy, discussing the different meanings that midwifery could have for its practitioners, depending on their social background. Testimony from the defamation case indicates the ways in which her work as a midwife shaped her relationship to parish authorities and to the female community. Midwives were expected to report illegitimate births to parish officials, an obligation which overlapped with female efforts to control the sexuality of neighbourhood women through gossip. This article highlights the complexity of the midwife's place in early modern society, and contributes to our understanding of this important class of women.

  11. Midwifery: "at the edge of history".

    PubMed

    Dahlen, H

    2006-03-01

    The paper focuses on possible future pathways in maternity care for midwives and nations to consider. The paper blends personal and professional experiences to outline priority areas facing midwives in the future. It begins by examining maternal mortality and morbidity in the developing world and considering the potential of the ten high priority action messages (1997) in helping to improve the plight of women and children in the future. The paper then examines major issues facing midwives in the developed world including: the way birth is viewed; the medical-midwifery divide; marketing midwifery; and finally the challenge of dealing with fear around birth. The third part of the paper examines a part of society where the two worlds meet and there are issues from both the developed and developing world to consider. The paper focuses on women from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and women birthing in remote and rural areas. By looking at these three worlds separately the paper examines different concerns facing midwives in the future but also draws on common issues that face us all as citizens of this planet and particularly as predominantly women. The paper challenges midwives to be politically active and dare to change the world.

  12. Creating a More Diverse Midwifery Workforce in the United States: A Historical Reflection.

    PubMed

    Dawley, Katy; Walsh, Linda V

    2016-09-01

    As nurse-midwifery practice expanded beyond areas surrounding early nurse-midwifery education programs, leaders in the profession wanted to establish a strong diverse, inclusive professional organization, a necessary step in creating a diverse workforce (defined here as open to nurse-midwives of all colors, ethnicities, and national origins) that would maintain standards, provide continuing education, and facilitate communication among nurse-midwives. This research presents historical context and organizational factors supporting and limiting development of a workforce reflective of communities served by nurse-midwives. Searches in the National Library of Medicine Historical Collection, American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) Collections, and the Rockefeller Archives Center, as well as recorded interview data, provided primary sources for analysis. Secondary sources include research and opinions in scholarly publications including journals and books released from 1930 to the present. Nurse-midwifery leaders developed relationships with well-respected philanthropists, as well as maternal and child health administrators in state departments of health and the US Children's Bureau, to implement initiatives to recruit and retain midwives of color. Continued interest in the goal of inclusion, work of midwives of color, and commitment to creating a diverse workforce led to the creation of the standing ACNM Midwives of Color Committee in 1990 and the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, which released its report, "Shifting the Frame: A Report on Diversity and Inclusion in the American College of Nurse-Midwives," 1 in June 2015. Over the past 60 years, ACNM leadership and midwives of color have continued to explore new and effective means to create a workforce that reflects the communities in which nurse-midwives practice. © 2016 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  13. Comparing women's assessment of midwifery and medical care in Québec, Canada.

    PubMed

    De Koninck, M; Blais, R; Joubert, P; Gagnon, C

    2001-01-01

    In 1990, the province of Québec, Canada, adopted a law that authorized the evaluation of the practice of midwifery through pilot projects before its legalization. A key objective of this evaluation, as defined by the law, was the documentation of women's assessment of maternity care, especially with regard to humanization and continuity of care. Two to 3 months after birth, 933 midwifery clients and 1,000 physicians' clients, matched on several characteristics, responded to a mailed questionnaire (response rates were 93% and 76%, respectively). Results showed that women from both groups were generally satisfied with the care they received, although women who received midwifery care were assessed as more positive on every issue surveyed. Objective measures supported impressions that were also confirmed through qualitative data analysis: midwifery clients had a greater number of and longer prenatal visits, their care was perceived to be more personalized, and a greater number of midwives' clients breastfed their infants. However, the interpretation of these results must take into account that the two groups had different personal expectations and values with regard to health and health care. These findings are enlightening in evaluating women's needs, expectations, and satisfaction with health care services and should be included in future development of maternity care, including idwifery services, in Québec and other locations.

  14. Supervision and assessment: the new Nursing and Midwifery Council standards.

    PubMed

    Duffy, Kathleen; Gillies, Alan

    2018-06-27

    In the UK, mentors of pre-registration nurses must achieve the stage 2 outcomes of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) (2008) standards to support learning and assessment in practice. Approval for new standards for student supervision and assessment was granted at the NMC meeting in March 2018 ( NMC 2018a ). The introduction of the new standards will see the dissolution of mentorship and the emergence of new roles to support students in academic and practice environments. This article gives an overview of these standards and, drawing on the recommendations from a collaborative event hosted by NHS Education for Scotland and some of the findings from a rapid literature review undertaken for that event, provides nurse managers with information to help inform their discussions as they work in partnership with approved education institution colleagues to realise, support and sustain the roles outlined in the new standards. The article concludes with some questions to consider during these collaborative discussions. © 2018 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.

  15. Do emotional intelligence and previous caring experience influence student nurse performance? A comparative analysis.

    PubMed

    Stenhouse, Rosie; Snowden, Austyn; Young, Jenny; Carver, Fiona; Carver, Hannah; Brown, Norrie

    2016-08-01

    Reports of poor nursing care have focused attention on values based selection of candidates onto nursing programmes. Values based selection lacks clarity and valid measures. Previous caring experience might lead to better care. Emotional intelligence (EI) might be associated with performance, is conceptualised and measurable. To examine the impact of 1) previous caring experience, 2) emotional intelligence 3) social connection scores on performance and retention in a cohort of first year nursing and midwifery students in Scotland. A longitudinal, quasi experimental design. Adult and mental health nursing, and midwifery programmes in a Scottish University. Adult, mental health and midwifery students (n=598) completed the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-short form and Schutte's Emotional Intelligence Scale on entry to their programmes at a Scottish University, alongside demographic and previous caring experience data. Social connection was calculated from a subset of questions identified within the TEIQue-SF in a prior factor and Rasch analysis. Student performance was calculated as the mean mark across the year. Withdrawal data were gathered. 598 students completed baseline measures. 315 students declared previous caring experience, 277 not. An independent-samples t-test identified that those without previous caring experience scored higher on performance (57.33±11.38) than those with previous caring experience (54.87±11.19), a statistically significant difference of 2.47 (95% CI, 0.54 to 4.38), t(533)=2.52, p=.012. Emotional intelligence scores were not associated with performance. Social connection scores for those withdrawing (mean rank=249) and those remaining (mean rank=304.75) were statistically significantly different, U=15,300, z=-2.61, p$_amp_$lt;0.009. Previous caring experience led to worse performance in this cohort. Emotional intelligence was not a useful indicator of performance. Lower scores on the social connection factor were associated

  16. Research capacity building in midwifery: Case study of an Australian Graduate Midwifery Research Intern Programme.

    PubMed

    Hauck, Yvonne L; Lewis, Lucy; Bayes, Sara; Keyes, Louise

    2015-09-01

    Having the research capacity to identify problems, create new knowledge and most importantly translate this knowledge into practice is essential within health care. Midwifery, as well as other health professions in Australia, is challenged in building its research capacity to contribute evidence to inform clinical practice. The aim of this project was to evaluate an innovative Graduate Midwifery Research Intern Programme offered at a tertiary obstetric hospital in Western Australia, to determine what was working well and how the programme could be improved. A case study approach was used to gain feedback from graduate midwives within a Graduate Research Intern (GRI) Programme. In addition outcomes were compiled of all projects the GRI midwives contributed to. Six GRI midwives participated in a survey comprising of four open ended questions to provide feedback about the programme. Findings confirm that the GRI programme increased the graduates understanding of how research works, its capacity to define a problem, generate new knowledge and inform clinical practice. The GRI midwives' feedback suggested the programme opened their thinking to future study and gave them enhanced insight into women's experiences around childbirth. To grow our knowledge as a professional group, midwives must develop and promote programmes to build our pool of research capable midwives. By sharing our programme evaluation we hope to entice other clinical settings to consider the value in replicating such a programme within their context. Copyright © 2015 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Birthin' Babies: The History of Midwifery in Appalachia.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buchanan, Patricia; Parker, Vicky K.; Zajdel, Ruth Hopkins

    This paper examines the history of midwifery in Appalachia. Throughout history, women in labor have been supported by other women. Midwives learned as apprentices, gaining skills and knowledge from older women. Eventually, formalized training for midwives was developed in Europe, but no professional training existed in the United States until…

  18. Learning lessons from a traditional midwifery workforce in western Kenya.

    PubMed

    Dietsch, Elaine; Mulimbalimba-Masururu, Luc

    2011-06-01

    To learn lessons from a traditional midwifery workforce in Western Kenya. With the assistance of an interpreter, qualitative data was collected during in-depth individual and group interviews with traditional midwives. English components of the interviews were transcribed verbatim and the data thematically analysed. A rural, economically disadvantaged area of Western Kenya. 84 participants who practise as traditional midwives. It was common for these traditional midwives to believe they had received a spiritual gift which enabled them to learn the skills required from another midwife, often but not always their mother. The participants commenced their midwifery practice by learning through an apprenticeship or mentoring model but they anticipated their learning to be lifelong. Lifelong learning occurred through experiential reflection and reciprocal learning from each other. Learning in colleges, hospitals and through seminars facilitated by non-government organisations was also desired and esteemed by the participants but considered a secondary, though more authoritative source of learning. The primary learning strategies used by the participants enabled them to have confidence in physiological birth; birthing women; and their own skills as traditional midwives. Learning from women and continued professional reflection are ways of learning for midwives that may increase their confidence in women, birthing and their midwifery skills. These attributes are essential for midwives, regardless of their workforce context. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. A feminist history of Australian midwifery from colonisation until the 1980s.

    PubMed

    Barclay, Lesley

    2008-03-01

    This paper uses a feminist interpretation and secondary sources to describe the history of Australian midwifery from colonisation until the 1980s. There have been too few midwife scholars who have had access to or used primary data collections to describe the role and place of midwives in the colonising community. I draw on a range of biography, medical literature and work by sociologists and economic historians to produce a limited picture of the history of professional midwifery. This helps to explain the position of midwives today and the problematic relationship we often have with medicine.

  20. The trials of Hanna Porn: the campaign to abolish midwifery in Massachusetts.

    PubMed Central

    Declercq, E R

    1994-01-01

    The case of Hanna Porn affords an opportunity to examine how the laws that led to the abolition of midwifery in Massachusetts evolved and were applied to the midwife whose case set the state legal precedent. Mrs Porn served primarily a Finnish-Swedish clientele of wives of laborers. The outcomes of the births she attended appear to have been positive, and she maintained a neonatal mortality rate of less than half that of local physicians. She also repeatedly defied court orders to stop practicing. Her case exemplifies the efforts that occurred nationally to abolish midwifery in the United States. PMID:8203670

  1. The trials of Hanna Porn: the campaign to abolish midwifery in Massachusetts.

    PubMed

    Declercq, E R

    1994-06-01

    The case of Hanna Porn affords an opportunity to examine how the laws that led to the abolition of midwifery in Massachusetts evolved and were applied to the midwife whose case set the state legal precedent. Mrs Porn served primarily a Finnish-Swedish clientele of wives of laborers. The outcomes of the births she attended appear to have been positive, and she maintained a neonatal mortality rate of less than half that of local physicians. She also repeatedly defied court orders to stop practicing. Her case exemplifies the efforts that occurred nationally to abolish midwifery in the United States.

  2. Staff Report to the Senior Department Official on Recognition Compliance Issues. Recommendation Page: Midwifery Education Accreditation Council

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    US Department of Education, 2010

    2010-01-01

    The Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC) is both a programmatic and an institutional accreditor. It accredits direct-entry midwifery educational programs and institutions awarding degrees and certificates throughout the United States. MEAC accredits or pre-accredits two programs and eight institutions located in nine states. Four of…

  3. Investigating the efficiency of nursing education program from the perspective of graduate students of nursing and midwifery.

    PubMed

    Salehi, Shayesteh; Taleghani, Fariba; Afghari, Parastoo; Moghadasi, Mohammad Hassan

    2012-05-01

    Continuous evaluation is required in order to ensure the university system's efficiency. One of the important aspects of evaluating the educational system's effectiveness is judging the system's ability in meeting environmental needs. The present research's goal has been to investigate nursing education's efficiency through investigating the graduate's condition and their views on education and studying in Isfahan University's School of Nursing and Midwifery in 2008. This is a descriptive research which has investigated the nursing graduate's view on the nursing education efficiency. The sample of the present research contains one hundred graduates between the years 2001 and 2005 which have been chosen randomly to complete the questionnaire. The questionnaire is divided into five sections including; growth, demographic information, and satisfaction with professional development and the acquired scientific experiences during the education. The criteria of achieving educational goals, and acquiring individual and social development were used to determine the content of the questionnaire. Through further examination the validity of the questionnaire was calculated to be 0.85. The final analysis was done using the SPSS statistics software. The majority of the participants were female and with an age range of 24 to 30. Among these, 55% were unemployed and 67% of them had no education higher than a bachelor degree. The mean scores of each of the efficiency fields were as following (the total score was 4): Professional growth 2.13 ± 0.36, Satisfaction with the obtained scientific achievement during studies 2.80 ± 0.48, achievement of the educational objectives1.95 ± 0.51 and individual and social improvement 2.70 ± 0.36, neither of which are desirable. There was no significant difference between the demographic information and education efficiency index. Considering the results of the present research, the nursing education system's efficiency level in Isfahan

  4. Practice development for midwifery education: an innovative way forward.

    PubMed

    Donsante, Jackie; Edgar, Denise; Gill, Leeanne; Thomson, Ceri; Williamson, Moira; Walsh, Kenneth

    2013-01-01

    Within workplaces there can be several different cultures operating, and it is widely recognised that this occurs in health services. Midwifery and maternity care has, and continues to face many challenges as services continually change and develop to meet the needs of women and their families. To help meet these challenges a practice development initiative was undertaken within a large maternity service in Australia to improve the learning and workplace culture. This service consisted of four separate units providing care for women and their families in the antenatal, birthing, postnatal and neonatal periods. The coming together of these four units as a service began with the creation of a shared values statement which was adopted by all midwifery staff. To obtain evidence of the current workplace, observations of practice, the review of women's stories, and audits of clinical data were undertaken. Nine midwives were trained and supported to facilitate critical discussions of the data. These critical discussions, reflections and analysis of the data, led to the identification of four domains or key areas the staff prioritised for change. This led to practice development groups being formed within the maternity service, who developed collaborative and creative ways of thinking about the issues or problems identified. This paper highlights how the processes of practice development were implemented to improve one of these domains "the learning and workplace culture", especially in relation to educational information and resources for women, their families and staff. The journey began over three years ago and continues to evolve. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Nurse and midwifery education and intimate partner violence: a scoping review.

    PubMed

    Crombie, Nerissa; Hooker, Leesa; Reisenhofer, Sonia

    2017-08-01

    This scoping review aims to identify the scope of current literature considering nurse/midwife educational practices in the areas of intimate partner violence to inform future nursing/midwifery educational policy and practice. Intimate partner violence is a global issue affecting a significant portion of the community. Healthcare professionals including nurses/midwives in hospital- and community-based environments are likely to encounter affected women and need educational strategies that support best practice and promote positive outcomes for abused women and their families. Scoping review of relevant literature from January 2000 to July 2015. Search of databases: CINHAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PROQUEST Central and COCHRANE Library. Reference lists from included articles were searched for relevant literature as were several grey literature sources. This review demonstrates low levels of undergraduate or postregistration intimate partner violence education for nursing/midwifery staff and students. Existing intimate partner violence education strategies are varied in implementation, method and content. Outcomes of these educational programmes are not always rigorously evaluated for staff or client-based outcomes. Further research is needed to evaluate existing intimate partner violence education programmes for nurses/midwives and identify the most effective strategies to promote improved clinical practice and outcomes for abused women and their families. Intimate partner violence has a significant social and public health impact. The World Health Organization has identified the need to ensure that healthcare professionals are adequately trained to meet the needs of abused women. Intimate partner violence education programmes, commencing at undergraduate studies for nurses/midwives, need to be implemented with rigorously evaluated programmes to ensure they meet identified objectives, promote best practice and improve care for abused women. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Conceptualising a model to guide nursing and midwifery in the community guided by an evidence review.

    PubMed

    Leahy-Warren, Patricia; Mulcahy, Helen; Benefield, Lazelle; Bradley, Colin; Coffey, Alice; Donohoe, Ann; Fitzgerald, Serena; Frawley, Tim; Healy, Elizabeth; Healy, Maria; Kelly, Marcella; McCarthy, Bernard; McLoughlin, Kathleen; Meagher, Catherine; O'Connell, Rhona; O'Mahony, Aoife; Paul, Gillian; Phelan, Amanda; Stokes, Diarmuid; Walsh, Jessica; Savage, Eileen

    2017-01-01

    Successful models of nursing and midwifery in the community delivering healthcare throughout the lifespan and across a health and illness continuum are limited, yet necessary to guide global health services. Primary and community health services are the typical points of access for most people and the location where most care is delivered. The scope of primary healthcare is complex and multifaceted and therefore requires a practice framework with sound conceptual and theoretical underpinnings. The aim of this paper is to present a conceptual model informed by a scoping evidence review of the literature. A scoping evidence review of the literature was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. Databases included CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and SocINDEX using the EBSCO platform and the Cochrane Library using the keywords: model, nursing, midwifery, community, primary care. Grey literature for selected countries was searched using the Google 'advanced' search interface. Data extraction and quality appraisal for both empirical and grey literature were conducted independently by two reviewers. From 127 empirical and 24 non-empirical papers, data extraction parameters, in addition to the usual methodological features, included: the nature of nursing and midwifery; the population group; interventions and main outcomes; components of effective nursing and midwifery outcomes. The evidence was categorised into six broad areas and subsequently synthesised into four themes. These were not mutually exclusive: (1) Integrated and Collaborative Care; (2) Organisation and Delivery of Nursing and Midwifery Care in the Community; (3) Adjuncts to Nursing Care and (4) Overarching Conceptual Model. It is the latter theme that is the focus of this paper. In essence, the model depicts a person/client on a lifespan and preventative-curative trajectory. The health related needs of the client, commensurate with their point

  7. The state of the world's midwifery: making the invisible visible.

    PubMed

    Day-Stirk, Frances; Fauveau, Vincent

    2012-10-01

    This paper presents the evidence for maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity, and provides the background to the publication of the ground-breaking Global State of the World's Midwifery Report (SoWMy) in 2011. Supported by 30 agencies, the SoWMy provides data gathered from 58 countries on their maternity services, and makes recommendations for improving the care of and services for childbearing women by improving the status, education, and regulation of midwives globally. If governments, policy makers, professional associations, international organizations, donor agencies, and civil society take the recommended steps and invest accordingly, this will effectively lead to an improvement in access to quality midwifery services and maternal and newborn health globally. Copyright © 2012 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Building nursing and midwifery leadership capacity in the Pacific.

    PubMed

    Rumsey, M; Catling, C; Thiessen, J; Neill, A

    2017-03-01

    The Australian Award Fellowship Program aimed to strengthen nursing and midwifery leadership and capacity in developing countries in the Pacific. It is necessary to build an optimal global health workforce, and leadership and mentorship are central to this need. This is especially important in small island states such as the Pacific who have limited capacity and resources. This health system strengthening program addressed quality improvement in education, through the mentorship of potential nursing and midwifery leaders in the South Pacific Region. Program participants between 2013 and 2015 were interviewed. Data were audio-taped, transcribed and analysed thematically using an inductive process. Thirty-four nurses and midwives from 12 countries participated. There were four main themes arising from the data which were: having a country-wide objective, learning how to be a leader, negotiating barriers and having effective mentorship. Our study showed that participants deemed their mentorship from country leaders highly valuable in relation to completing their projects, networking and role modelling. Similar projects are described. The limitation of this study was its small size. There is a need to continue to build the momentum of the program and Fellows in each country in order to build regional networks. The Program has provided beneficial leadership education and mentorship for nurses and midwives from Pacific countries. It has provided a platform to develop quality improvement projects in line with national priorities. Global aid programs and the recipients of the program would benefit from comparable health strengthening approaches to nursing and midwifery in similar developing countries. © 2016 International Council of Nurses.

  9. Evaluation of primary care midwifery in The Netherlands: design and rationale of a dynamic cohort study (DELIVER).

    PubMed

    Manniën, Judith; Klomp, Trudy; Wiegers, Therese; Pereboom, Monique; Brug, Johannes; de Jonge, Ank; van der Meijde, Margreeth; Hutton, Eileen; Schellevis, Francois; Spelten, Evelien

    2012-03-20

    In the Netherlands, midwives are autonomous medical practitioners and 78% of pregnant women start their maternity care with a primary care midwife. Scientific research to support evidence-based practice in primary care midwifery in the Netherlands has been sparse. This paper describes the research design and methodology of the multicenter multidisciplinary prospective DELIVER study which is the first large-scale study evaluating the quality and provision of primary midwifery care. Between September 2009 and April 2011, data were collected from clients and their partners, midwives and other healthcare professionals across the Netherlands. Clients from twenty midwifery practices received up to three questionnaires to assess the expectations and experiences of clients (e.g. quality of care, prenatal screening, emotions, health, and lifestyle). These client data were linked to data from the Netherlands Perinatal Register and electronic client records kept by midwives. Midwives and practice assistants from the twenty participating practices recorded work-related activities in a diary for one week, to assess workload. Besides, the midwives were asked to complete a questionnaire, to gain insight into collaboration of midwives with other care providers, their tasks and attitude towards their job, and the quality of the care they provide. Another questionnaire was sent to all Dutch midwifery practices which reveals information regarding the organisation of midwifery practices, provision of preconception care, collaboration with other care providers, and provision of care to ethnic minorities. Data at client, midwife and practice level can be linked. Additionally, partners of pregnant women and other care providers were asked about their expectations and experiences regarding the care delivered by midwives and in six practices client consults were videotaped to objectively assess daily practice. In total, 7685 clients completed at least one questionnaire, 136 midwives and

  10. Evaluation of primary care midwifery in the Netherlands: design and rationale of a dynamic cohort study (DELIVER)

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background In the Netherlands, midwives are autonomous medical practitioners and 78% of pregnant women start their maternity care with a primary care midwife. Scientific research to support evidence-based practice in primary care midwifery in the Netherlands has been sparse. This paper describes the research design and methodology of the multicenter multidisciplinary prospective DELIVER study which is the first large-scale study evaluating the quality and provision of primary midwifery care. Methods/Design Between September 2009 and April 2011, data were collected from clients and their partners, midwives and other healthcare professionals across the Netherlands. Clients from twenty midwifery practices received up to three questionnaires to assess the expectations and experiences of clients (e.g. quality of care, prenatal screening, emotions, health, and lifestyle). These client data were linked to data from the Netherlands Perinatal Register and electronic client records kept by midwives. Midwives and practice assistants from the twenty participating practices recorded work-related activities in a diary for one week, to assess workload. Besides, the midwives were asked to complete a questionnaire, to gain insight into collaboration of midwives with other care providers, their tasks and attitude towards their job, and the quality of the care they provide. Another questionnaire was sent to all Dutch midwifery practices which reveals information regarding the organisation of midwifery practices, provision of preconception care, collaboration with other care providers, and provision of care to ethnic minorities. Data at client, midwife and practice level can be linked. Additionally, partners of pregnant women and other care providers were asked about their expectations and experiences regarding the care delivered by midwives and in six practices client consults were videotaped to objectively assess daily practice. Discussion In total, 7685 clients completed at least

  11. Reforming maternity services in Australia: Outcomes of a private practice midwifery service.

    PubMed

    Wilkes, E; Gamble, J; Adam, Ghazala; Creedy, D K

    2015-10-01

    recent legislative changes in Australia have enabled eligible midwives to provide private primary maternity care with fee rebates through Medicare. This paper (1) discusses these changes affecting midwifery practice; (2) describes Australia's first private midwifery service with visiting rights to hospital for labour and birth care since Medicare funding for midwives was introduced in 2010; and (3) compares outcomes with National Core Maternity Indicators. an audit of all client records (n=323) for the survey period from September 2012 to February 2014 was undertaken. Data were extracted and compared with the 10 perinatal indicators using Chi square statistics. this convenience sample of all-risk women was similar to the national birthing population for age and parity. Compared to national indicators, women were significantly more likely to have spontaneous commencement of labour (79.6% versus 54.8%) (χ(2)=79.88, p<.001), lower rates of induction (10.2% versus 26%) (χ(2)=79.88, p<.001), and not require pharmacological pain relief (54.8% versus 23.9%) (χ(2)=152.2, p<.001). The majority of women had a normal vaginal birth (70.3% versus 55.1%) (χ(2)=28.13, p<.001). The caesarean section rate (22% versus 32.3%) was significantly lower (χ(2)=15.64, p<.001) than the national rate. Average gestation of neonates was 39.3 weeks; average birth weight was 3525 gms, and fewer required transfer to the special care nursery (8.4% versus 15.3%) (χ(2)=11.89, p<.001). this is the first report of maternal and neonatal outcomes for a private midwifery service in Australia since the introduction of access to Medicare for midwives. Maternal and newborn outcomes were statistically better than national rates. Routinely reporting and publishing clinical outcomes needs to become the norm for private maternity care. this private midwifery caseload model has been instrumental in the ground-breaking change to primary maternity services that extends women׳s access to safe midwifery care

  12. Engagement and Creation of Professional Identity in Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Convention-Style Orientation Event.

    PubMed

    Burkhardt, Melanie Sue; Gower, Shelley; Flavell, Helen; Taplin, John

    2015-12-01

    In an innovative event that challenged traditional orientation programs, the Curtin University School of Nursing and Midwifery brought together nursing students, academic and student support staff, and health industry representatives. This unique whole-of-school convention consisted of sessions tailored to each student year group and aimed to promote nursing identity, highlight leadership opportunities, and showcase employer pathways. To evaluate the event, a survey approach was used to collect quantitative data via questionnaire and qualitative data via open-ended questions from first-year students (n = 113), staff (n = 24), and industry representatives (n = 14). Students, staff, and industry evaluations indicated a successful event that achieved its goals, including student engagement and motivation and community building. This orientation model could be used as a basis for institution-wide engagement activities. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

  13. Empathy and spiritual care in midwifery practice: Contributing to women's enhanced birth experiences.

    PubMed

    Moloney, Sharon; Gair, Susan

    2015-12-01

    Research has identified empathy as a crucial ingredient in effective practice for health professionals, including midwifery. Equally, the role of spirituality has been recognised as enhancing the quality of the birth experience through the care, compassion and presence of the midwife. Yet literature discussing birthing women's lived experiences of caregiver empathy and spiritual care appears uncommon. The aim of this article is to highlight women's stories about midwives' empathy and spiritual care or lack thereof during birth, in order to contribute to the promotion of more empathic, spiritually aware midwifery practice. Ten interviews and seven focus groups were conducted with forty-eight women, including mothers, midwives and staff from a women's service. A secondary analysis of the data was conducted examining women's descriptions and reflections on midwives' levels of empathy and spiritual care. When midwives' empathy and spiritual care were evident, women's birth experiences appeared enhanced, providing a solid foundation for confident mothering. Conversely, participants appeared to link a lack of caregiver empathy, compassion or spiritual care with more enduring consequences, birth trauma and difficulty bonding with their babies. Midwives' empathy and spiritual care can play a key role in creating positive birth and mothering experiences. More research into the role of empathy and spiritual care in enhancing midwifery practice in all birth settings is recommended, as is the increased embeddedness of empathic regard and the notion of 'birth as sacred' into midwifery curricula. Copyright © 2015 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Midwives in medical student and resident education and the development of the medical education caucus toolkit.

    PubMed

    Radoff, Kari; Nacht, Amy; Natch, Amy; McConaughey, Edie; Salstrom, Jan; Schelling, Karen; Seger, Suzanne

    2015-01-01

    Midwives have been involved formally and informally in the training of medical students and residents for many years. Recent reductions in resident work hours, emphasis on collaborative practice, and a focus on midwives as key members of the maternity care model have increased the involvement of midwives in medical education. Midwives work in academic settings as educators to teach the midwifery model of care, collaboration, teamwork, and professionalism to medical students and residents. In 2009, members of the American College of Nurse-Midwives formed the Medical Education Caucus (MECA) to discuss the needs of midwives teaching medical students and residents; the group has held a workshop annually over the last 4 years. In 2014, MECA workshop facilitators developed a toolkit to support and formalize the role of midwives involved in medical student and resident education. The MECA toolkit provides a roadmap for midwives beginning involvement and continuing or expanding the role of midwives in medical education. This article describes the history of midwives in medical education, the development and growth of MECA, and the resulting toolkit created to support and formalize the role of midwives as educators in medical student and resident education, as well as common challenges for the midwife in academic medicine. This article is part of a special series of articles that address midwifery innovations in clinical practice, education, interprofessional collaboration, health policy, and global health. © 2015 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  15. Birth Territory: a theory for midwifery practice.

    PubMed

    Fahy, Kathleen M; Parratt, Jenny Anne

    2006-07-01

    The theory of Birth Territory describes, explains and predicts the relationships between the environment of the individual birth room, issues of power and control, and the way the woman experiences labour physiologically and emotionally. The theory was synthesised inductively from empirical data generated by the authors in their roles as midwives and researchers. It takes a critical post-structural feminist perspective and expands on some of the ideas of Michel Foucault. Theory synthesis was also informed by current research about the embodied self and the authors' scholarship in the fields of midwifery, human biology, sociology and psychology. In order to demonstrate the significance of the theory, it is applied to two clinical stories that both occur in hospital but are otherwise different. This analysis supports the central proposition that when midwives use 'midwifery guardianship' to create and maintain the ideal Birth Territory then the woman is most likely to give birth naturally, be satisfied with the experience and adapt with ease in the post-birth period. These benefits together with the reduction in medical interventions also benefit the baby. In addition, a positive Birth Territory is posited to have a broader impact on the woman's partner, family and society in general.

  16. Are Fourth-Year Medical Students Effective Teachers of the Physical Examination to First-Year Medical Students?

    PubMed Central

    Haist, Steven A; Wilson, John F; Fosson, Sue E; Brigham, Nancy L

    1997-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To determine if fourth-year medical students are as effective as faculty in teaching the physical examination to first-year medical students. DESIGN Stratified randomization of the first-year students. SETTING A public medical school. PARTICIPANTS All 100 first-year medical students in one medical school class were randomly assigned (controlling for gender) to either a faculty or a fourth-year student preceptor for the Physical Examination Module. MAIN RESULTS The first-year students of faculty preceptors scored no differently on the written examination than the students of the fourth-year medical student preceptors (82.8% vs 80.3%, p = .09) and no differently on a standardized patient practical examination (95.5% vs 95.4%, p = .92). Also, the first-year students rated the two groups of preceptors similarly on an evaluation form, with faculty rated higher on six items and the student preceptors rated higher on six items (all p > .10). The fourth-year student preceptors rated the experience favorably. CONCLUSIONS Fourth-year medical students were as successful as faculty in teaching first-year medical students the physical examination as measured by first-year student’s performances on objective measures and ratings of teaching effectiveness.

  17. Developing leadership roles in nursing and midwifery.

    PubMed

    McGuire, Clare; Ray, Devashish

    2014-11-04

    This article is the first in a series of seven articles on an initiative undertaken in NHS Lanarkshire where a creative partnership with the University of the West of Scotland established a shared commitment to developing nursing and midwifery leadership. This article describes the national context within Scotland. It provides an overview of the innovative programmes of work and systems devised to support leadership throughout the organisation with a particular focus on quality of care.

  18. Who am I now? The experience of being a post-registration children's student nurse in the first clinical placement.

    PubMed

    Begley, Thelma

    2007-07-01

    Role transition from staff nurse to post-registration student is not a well researched area of nursing. Two previous Irish studies have been reported of the experiences of post-registration midwifery students [McCrea, H., Thompson, K., Carswell, L., Whittington, D., 1994. Student midwives' learning experience on the wards. Journal of Clinical Nursing 3, 97-102; Begley, C., 1997. Midwives in the making: a longitudinal study of the experiences of student midwives during their two-year training in Ireland. Unpublished PhD Thesis, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College, Dublin.] but there is limited research into post-registration children's student nurses experiences. A broadly phenomenological approach was employed to interpret what it means to be a post-registration children's student nurse during the first clinical placement. Data was collected from a purposive sample of six students, using unstructured tape recorded interviews. Thematic content analysis was utilised to produce an interpretation of nurses' experience within the first clinical placement. The findings reflect the participants' role confusion when changing from being a staff nurse in one discipline of nursing to being a post-registration student in another. They find previous experience is not recognised and that students originating from different disciplines in nursing have different experiences within the first placement. Coping mechanisms are discussed along with preparation for and supports available in the clinical area.

  19. The Midwifery Services Framework: Lessons learned from the initial stages of implementation in six countries.

    PubMed

    Garg, Shantanu; Moyo, Nester T; Nove, Andrea; Bokosi, Martha

    2018-07-01

    In 2015, the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) launched the Midwifery Services Framework (MSF): an evidence-based tool to guide countries through the process of improving their sexual, reproductive, maternal and newborn health services through strengthening and developing the midwifery workforce. The MSF is aligned with key global architecture for sexual, reproductive, maternal and newborn health and human resources for health. This third in a series of three papers describes the experience of starting to implement the MSF in the first six countries that requested ICM support to adopt the tool, and the lessons learned during these early stages of implementation. The early adopting countries selected a variety of priority work areas, but nearly all highlighted the importance of improving the attractiveness of midwifery as a career so as to improve attraction and retention, and several saw the need for improvements to midwifery regulation, pre-service education, availability and/or accessibility of midwives. Key lessons from the early stages of implementation include the need to ensure a broad range of stakeholder involvement from the outset and the need for an in-country lead organisation to maintain the momentum of implementation even when there are changes in political leadership, security concerns or other barriers to progress. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  20. Rotation placements help students' understanding of intensive care.

    PubMed

    Abbott, Lisa

    2011-07-01

    It is vital that children's nursing students are fit for practice when they qualify and are able to meet various essential skills as defined by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). To gain the knowledge and skills required, students need placements in areas where high dependency and potentially intensive care are delivered. Efforts to maximise the number of students experiencing intensive care as a placement have led to the development of the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) rotation, increasing placements on the PICU from 5 to 40 per cent of the student cohort per year. The lecturer practitioner organises the rotation, providing credible links between university and practice areas, while supporting students and staff in offering a high-quality placement experience. Students say the rotation offers a positive insight into PICU nursing, helping them develop knowledge and skills in a technical area and creating an interest in this specialty.

  1. Normal birth, magical birth: the role of the 36-week birth talk in caseload midwifery practice.

    PubMed

    Kemp, Joy; Sandall, Jane

    2010-04-01

    to obtain a detailed description of the 36-week birth talk, and how it is delivered to and perceived by women and their birth partners. two qualitative methods: ethnography and interpretative phenomenological analysis. Non-participant observation of five birth talks and in-depth semi-structured interviews with midwives, women and their birth partners. two caseload midwifery practices in an inner city area of England, and women's homes. five birth talks, five case-loading midwives, five childbearing women and five birth partners. a rich description of the content and conduct of the birth talk emerged from the data. In addition, three master themes were identified: a new philosophy for birth ('don't forget the magic'); the construction of authoritative midwifery knowledge ('they make you believe that you can have what you want'); and achieving a sense of coherence ('making sense of the birth'). IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE, POLICY, EDUCATION AND RESEARCH: the majority of data from this study suggest that the effectiveness of a birth talk cannot be separated from the philosophy and continuity associated with caseload midwifery practice. The birth talk is therefore probably not transferable per se into different models of care in order to achieve higher rates of normal birth. Further evaluation of the effectiveness of the birth talk in clinical practice, and further research into alternative birth philosophies in different settings is now required. Caseload midwifery practice has been shown to benefit women and midwives. This study would seem to concur with these previous findings. The sense of coherence concept could prove to be a useful tool to measure outcomes in future midwifery research. Copyright 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Rating and Ranking the Role of Bibliometrics and Webometrics in Nursing and Midwifery

    PubMed Central

    Davidson, Patricia M.; Newton, Phillip J.; Ferguson, Caleb

    2014-01-01

    Background. Bibliometrics are an essential aspect of measuring academic and organizational performance. Aim. This review seeks to describe methods for measuring bibliometrics, identify the strengths and limitations of methodologies, outline strategies for interpretation, summarise evaluation of nursing and midwifery performance, identify implications for metric of evaluation, and specify the implications for nursing and midwifery and implications of social networking for bibliometrics and measures of individual performance. Method. A review of electronic databases CINAHL, Medline, and Scopus was undertaken using search terms such as bibliometrics, nursing, and midwifery. The reference lists of retrieved articles and Internet sources and social media platforms were also examined. Results. A number of well-established, formal ways of assessment have been identified, including h- and c-indices. Changes in publication practices and the use of the Internet have challenged traditional metrics of influence. Moreover, measuring impact beyond citation metrics is an increasing focus, with social media representing newer ways of establishing performance and impact. Conclusions. Even though a number of measures exist, no single bibliometric measure is perfect. Therefore, multiple approaches to evaluation are recommended. However, bibliometric approaches should not be the only measures upon which academic and scholarly performance are evaluated. PMID:24550691

  3. Midwifery Management of Pregnant Women Who Are Obese.

    PubMed

    Reither, Margi; Germano, Elaine; DeGrazia, Michele

    2018-05-19

    Obesity is associated with increased risks for adverse health outcomes during and after pregnancy in both the woman with obesity and her infant. This study was designed to investigate midwifery management of pregnant women with obesity. Certified midwives and certified nurse-midwives who were members of the American College of Nurse-Midwives were sent a survey. The survey instrument was divided into 4 sections: demographic characteristics; practice guidelines and protocols; the role of the 2015 Levels of Maternal Care guidelines for referral, including transfer to a higher level of care; and factors that influence management of pregnant women with obesity. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data. In a sample of 546 midwives, 87% of respondents reported observing an increase in perinatal complications associated with obesity. Midwives reported increasing discomfort with the care of pregnant women with obesity as body mass index (BMI) increased. For pregnant women with extreme obesity, the respondents reported less frequent use of physiologic birth guidelines only and increased use of interventions, referral to physician care, and transfer to a higher level of care. Approximately half (270, 49.5%) reported having a guideline that addressed the care of women with obesity. Of these, 145 midwives (53.7%) reported that extreme obesity was the BMI threshold for identifying an increased or high risk for perinatal complications. Sixty percent (339) of midwives who participated requested guidance for management of laboring women who are obese. This study provides a greater understanding of midwifery management practices when caring for women with obesity and opportunities to improve care. The results suggest that midwifery management alters with increased BMI, specifically in the care of women with extreme obesity. Suggestions for future study include research on management of pregnant women with obesity and extreme obesity with outcome data examining management

  4. A cross-sectional survey of policies guiding second stage labor in urban Japanese hospitals, clinics and midwifery birth centers.

    PubMed

    Baba, Kaori; Kataoka, Yaeko; Nakayama, Kaori; Yaju, Yukari; Horiuchi, Shigeko; Eto, Hiromi

    2016-02-24

    The Japan Academy of Midwifery developed and disseminated the '2012 Evidence-based Guidelines for Midwifery Care (Guidelines for Midwives)' for low-risk births to achieve a more uniform standard of care during childbirth in Japan. The objective of this study was to cross-sectional survey policy implementation regarding care during the second stage of labor at Japanese hospitals, clinics, and midwifery birth centers, and to compare those policies with the recommendations in Guidelines for Midwives. This study was conducted in the four major urbanized areas (e.g. Tokyo) of the Kanto region of Japan. Respondents were chiefs of the institutions (obstetricians/midwives), nurse administrators (including midwives) of the obstetrical departments, or other nurse/midwives who were well versed in the routine care of the targeted institutions. The Guidelines implementation questionnaire comprised 12 items. Data was collected from October 2010 to July 2011. The overall response was 255 of the 684 institutions (37%). Of the total responses 46% were hospitals, 26% were clinics and 28% were midwifery birth centers. Few institutions reported perineal massage education for 'almost all cases'. Using 'active birth' were all midwifery birth centers, 56% hospitals and 32% clinics. Few institutions used water births. The majority of hospitals (73%) and clinics (80%) but a minority (39%) of midwifery birth centers reported 'not implemented' about applying warm compress to the perineum. Few midwifery birth centers (10%) and more hospitals (38%) and clinics (50%) had a policy for valsalva as routine care. Many hospitals (90%) and clinics (88%) and fewer midwifery birth centers (54%) offered hands-on technique to provide perineal support during birth. A majority of institutions used antiseptic solution for perineal disinfection. Few institutions routinely used episiotomies for multiparas, however routine use for primiparas was slightly more in hospitals (21%) and clinics (25%). All

  5. The motivation and capacity to go 'above and beyond': Qualitative analysis of free-text survey responses in the M@NGO randomised controlled trial of caseload midwifery.

    PubMed

    Allen, Jyai; Kildea, Sue; Hartz, Donna L; Tracy, Mark; Tracy, Sally

    2017-07-01

    to explore whether women allocated to caseload care characterise their midwife differently to those allocated to standard care. multi-site unblinded, randomised, controlled, parallel-group trial. the study was conducted in two metropolitan teaching hospitals across two Australian cities. women of all obstetric risk were eligible to participate. Inclusion criteria were: 18 years or older, less than 24 week's gestation with a singleton pregnancy. Women already booked with a care provider or planning to have an elective caesarean section were excluded. participants were randomised to caseload midwifery or standard care. The caseload model provided antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care from a primary midwife or 'back-up' midwife; as well as consultation with obstetric or medical physicians as indicated by national guidelines. The standard model included care from a general practitioner and/or midwives and obstetric doctors. participants' responses to open-ended questions were collected through a 6-week postnatal survey and analysed thematically. A total of 1748 women were randomised between December 2008 - May 2011; 871 to caseload midwifery and 877 to standard care. The response rate to the 6-week survey including free text items was 52% (n=901). Respondents from both groups characterised midwives as Informative, Competent and Kind. Participants in the caseload group perceived midwives with additional qualities conceptualised as Empowering and 'Endorphic'. These concepts highlight some of the active ingredients that moderated or mediated the effects of the midwifery care within the M@NGO trial. caseload midwifery attracts, motivates and enables midwives to go Above and Beyond such that women feel empowered, nurtured and safe during pregnancy, labour and birth. the concept of an Endorphic midwife makes a useful contribution to midwifery theory as it enhances our understanding of how the complex intervention of caseload midwifery influences normal birth rates and

  6. Evaluation of a filmed clinical scenario as a teaching resource for an introductory pharmacology unit for undergraduate health students: A pilot study.

    PubMed

    East, Leah; Hutchinson, Marie

    2015-12-01

    Simulation is frequently being used as a learning and teaching resource for both undergraduate and postgraduate students, however reporting of the effectiveness of simulation particularly within the pharmacology context is scant. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate a filmed simulated pharmacological clinical scenario as a teaching resource in an undergraduate pharmacological unit. Pilot cross-sectional quantitative survey. An Australian university. 32 undergraduate students completing a healthcare degree including nursing, midwifery, clinical science, health science, naturopathy, and osteopathy. As a part of an undergraduate online pharmacology unit, students were required to watch a filmed simulated pharmacological clinical scenario. To evaluate student learning, a measurement instrument developed from Bloom's cognitive domains (knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation) was employed to assess pharmacological knowledge conceptualisation and knowledge application within the following fields: medication errors; medication adverse effects; medication interactions; and, general pharmacology. The majority of participants were enrolled in an undergraduate nursing or midwifery programme (72%). Results demonstrated that the majority of nursing and midwifery students (56.52%) found the teaching resource complementary or more useful compared to a lecture although less so compared to a tutorial. Students' self-assessment of learning according to Bloom's cognitive domains indicated that the filmed scenario was a valuable learning tool. Analysis of variance indicated that health science students reported higher levels of learning compared to midwifery and nursing. Students' self-report of the learning benefits of a filmed simulated clinical scenario as a teaching resource suggest enhanced critical thinking skills and knowledge conceptualisation regarding pharmacology, in addition to being useful and complementary to other teaching and

  7. Preventing primary cesarean births: midwifery care.

    PubMed

    Cox, Kim J; King, Tekoa L

    2015-06-01

    The incidence of cesarean birth in the United States is alarmingly high and cesareans are associated with added morbidities for women and newborns. Thus strategies to prevent cesarean particularly for low-risk, nulliparous women at term with a singleton fetus are needed. This article addresses evidence-based practices that may be used during intrapartum to avoid primary cesarean, including patience with progress in labor, intermittent auscultation, continuous labor support, upright positions, and free mobility. Second-stage labor practices, such delayed pushing and manual rotation of the fetus, are also reviewed. This package of midwifery-style care practices can potentially lower primary cesarean rates.

  8. A method of teaching critical care skills to undergraduate student midwives using the Maternal-Acute Illness Management (M-AIM) training day.

    PubMed

    McCarthy, Rose; Nuttall, Janet; Smith, Joyce; Hollins Martin, Caroline J

    2014-11-01

    The most recent Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths (CMACE, 2011) identified human errors, specifically those of midwives and obstetricians/doctors as a fundamental component in contributing to maternal death in the U.K. This paper discusses these findings and outlines a project to provide training in Maternal-Acute Illness Management (M-AIM) to final year student midwives. Contents of the program are designed to educate and simulate AIM skills and increase confidence and clinical ability in early recognition, management and referral of the acutely ill woman. An outline of the Maternal-AIM program delivered at the University of Salford (Greater Manchester, UK) is presented to illustrate how this particular institution has responded to a perceived need voiced by local midwifery leaders. It is proposed that developing this area of expertise in the education system will better prepare student midwives for contemporary midwifery practice. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. "Friendly Racism" and White Guilt: Midwifery Students' Engagement with Aboriginal Content in Their Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thackrah, Rosalie D.; Thompson, Sandra C.

    2013-01-01

    Since 2011, all first year students in a health sciences faculty at a university in Western Australia complete a compulsory (half) Unit titled Indigenous Cultures and Health. The Unit introduces students to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, diversity, cultural protocols, social structures, patterns of communication, contemporary…

  10. Nursing students' career preferences: a Norwegian study.

    PubMed

    Kloster, Torill; Høie, Magnhild; Skår, Randi

    2007-07-01

    This paper is a report of a study to identify Norwegian undergraduate nursing students' career preferences at the beginning and end of their nursing education programme, together with their reasons for these preferences. International studies have shown that recruitment and retention of nurses in areas such as aged care and psychiatric nursing is difficult. It is important to know why some working areas are popular whilst others are not, so that nursing schools produce graduates who meet the needs of the community. All students starting their nursing education programme in 2001/2002 in five Norwegian university colleges were invited to complete questionnaires at the beginning and end of their nursing education programme. In phase 1, 620 of 782 commencing students completed questionnaires (response rate 79.2%). In their third year, phase 2, 473 questionnaires were distributed (response rate 82.6%, n = 386). The questionnaire included closed questions about career preferences and open-ended questions seeking the reasons for the preferences. The study revealed changes in preferences between the beginning and the end of the nursing education programme. In phase 1, midwifery and paediatric nursing were ranked highest and in phase 2 working in medical/surgical ward, midwifery and psychiatric nursing were preferred. Working in aged care institutions remained unpopular throughout. Clinical experiences and professional challenges were often given as reasons for preferences. Nursing educators, clinical nurses and policymakers must reconsider their priorities and improve working conditions for nurses in aged care in order to meet society's need for nurses.

  11. Definition of the ethical values and ethics codes for Turkish midwifery: a focused group study in kocaeli.

    PubMed

    Berkiten Ergin, Ayla; Ozcan, Müesser; Ersoy, Nermin; Acar, Zeynep

    2013-09-01

    The independent roles of midwives have not been properly defined, and midwifery ethical values and moral codes proper to Turkish culture have not been developed. The absence of legal regulations concerning midwifery has negatively affected midwifery in the process of professionalization. The purpose of this study was to identify the professional values of midwifery in Turkey. A focus group was created with the participation of nine midwives working at two state hospitals and a university hospital that provide birth service for women in Kocaeli, which is the most important industrial city in Turkey. The opinions of the midwives on the characteristics that a good midwife should possess and the professional values that a good midwife should observe were collected via in-depth interviews. The interviews were recorded. A total of three meetings were held with the participants. Finally, the notes taken by the reporter during these interviews were rearranged, and the recordings were transcribed by the researchers. THE CHARACTERISTICS SUGGESTED BY THE PARTICIPANTS WERE CLASSIFIED INTO THREE CATEGORIES: professional, personal, and interpersonal. Professional competence, capacity to properly inform interested parties, trustworthiness, respect for individuals and human dignity, and empathy were the most commonly named characteristics. As for the professional values of midwifery, professional competence, trustworthiness, responsibility, maximum benefit, and protection of privacy were the most often identified. Midwives also reported that most of the difficulties they faced in the exercise of daily tasks concerned protecting the privacy of their patients as well as the integrity and prestige of the profession, achieving the maximum benefit and least harm for patients, and providing a just and equal service. The professional values were mentioned by participant midwives were similar to the values proposed by international professional organizations. But there were some

  12. The effectiveness of peer mentoring in promoting a positive transition to higher education for first-year undergraduate students: a mixed methods systematic review protocol.

    PubMed

    Carragher, Jean; McGaughey, Jennifer

    2016-04-22

    The global transfer of nursing and midwifery education to higher education institutes has led to student nurses and midwives experiencing challenges previously faced by traditional third-level students, including isolation, loneliness, financial difficulties and academic pressure. These challenges can contribute to increased stress and anxiety levels which may be detrimental to the successful transition to higher education, thus leading to an increase in attrition rates. Peer mentoring as an intervention has been suggested to be effective in supporting students in the transition to third-level education through enhancing a sense of belongingness and improving student satisfaction, engagement and retention rates. This proposed systematic review aims to determine the effectiveness of peer mentoring in enhancing levels of student engagement, sense of belonging and overall satisfaction of first-year undergraduate students following transition into higher education. MEDLINE, Web of Knowledge, ProQuest, Embase, CINAHL, ERIC, PsycINFO and CENTRAL databases will be searched for qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies on the implementation of peer assessment strategies in higher education institutes (HEIs) or universities for full-time, first-year adult students (>17 years). Included studies will be limited to the English language. The quality of included studies will be assessed using a validated Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). The findings will be presented as a narrative synthesis or meta-analysis as appropriate following sequential explanatory synthesis. The review will provide clear, non-biased evidence-based guidance to all third-level educators on the effectiveness of peer-mentoring programmes for first-year undergraduates. The review is necessary to help establish which type of peer mentoring is most effective. The evidence from qualitative and quantitative studies drawn from the international literature will be utilised to illustrate the best way

  13. The Impact of Wireless Keypads in an Interprofessional Education Context with Health Science Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Brett; Lewis, Belinda; Boyle, Malcolm; Brown, Ted

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this study was to identify if wireless keypads could facilitate interprofessional interaction among undergraduate paramedic, nursing, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, health science, social work and midwifery students. Secondary research aims included the examination of students' perceptions of interprofessional education and how…

  14. Fathers' birth experience in relation to midwifery care.

    PubMed

    Hildingsson, Ingegerd; Cederlöf, Linnea; Widén, Sara

    2011-09-01

    The aim was to identify the proportion of fathers having a positive experience of a normal birth and to explore factors related to midwifery care that were associated with a positive experience. Research has mainly focused on the father's supportive role during childbirth rather than his personal experiences of birth. 595 new fathers living in a northern part of Sweden, whose partner had a normal birth, were included in the study. Data was collected by questionnaires. Odds Ratios with 95% confidence interval and logistic regression analysis were used. The majority of fathers (82%) reported a positive birth experience. The strongest factors associated with a positive birth experience were midwife support (OR 4.0; 95 CI 2.0-8.1), the midwife's ongoing presence in the delivery room (OR 2.0; 1.1-3.9), and information about the progress of labour (OR 3.1; 1.6-5.8). Most fathers had a positive birth experience. Midwifery support, the midwife's presence and sufficient information about the progress of labour are important aspects in a father's positive birth experience. The role of the midwife during birth is important to the father, and his individual needs should be considered in order to enhance a positive birth experience. Copyright © 2010 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. COSMOS: COmparing Standard Maternity care with One-to-one midwifery Support: a randomised controlled trial

    PubMed Central

    McLachlan, Helen L; Forster, Della A; Davey, Mary-Ann; Lumley, Judith; Farrell, Tanya; Oats, Jeremy; Gold, Lisa; Waldenström, Ulla; Albers, Leah; Biro, Mary Anne

    2008-01-01

    Background In Australia and internationally, there is concern about the growing proportion of women giving birth by caesarean section. There is evidence of increased risk of placenta accreta and percreta in subsequent pregnancies as well as decreased fertility; and significant resource implications. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of continuity of midwifery care have reported reduced caesareans and other interventions in labour, as well as increased maternal satisfaction, with no statistically significant differences in perinatal morbidity or mortality. RCTs conducted in the UK and in Australia have largely measured the effect of teams of care providers (commonly 6–12 midwives) with very few testing caseload (one-to-one) midwifery care. This study aims to determine whether caseload (one-to-one) midwifery care for women at low risk of medical complications decreases the proportion of women delivering by caesarean section compared with women receiving 'standard' care. This paper presents the trial protocol in detail. Methods/design A two-arm RCT design will be used. Women who are identified at low medical risk will be recruited from the antenatal booking clinics of a tertiary women's hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Baseline data will be collected, then women randomised to caseload midwifery or standard low risk care. Women allocated to the caseload intervention will receive antenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care from a designated primary midwife with one or two antenatal visits conducted by a 'back-up' midwife. The midwives will collaborate with obstetricians and other health professionals as necessary. If the woman has an extended labour, or if the primary midwife is unavailable, care will be provided by the back-up midwife. For women allocated to standard care, options include midwifery-led care with varying levels of continuity, junior obstetric care and community based general medical practitioner care. Data will be collected at recruitment (self

  16. Clinical nursing and midwifery research in Latin American and Caribbean countries: A scoping review.

    PubMed

    Iribarren, Sarah; Stonbraker, Samantha; Larsen, Brandon; Santos, Islane; Faria, Renata; Góes, Fernanda S N; Binfa, Lorena; Larson, Elaine

    2018-04-01

    To identify and describe published, nursing-led and midwifery-led, clinical research that has been conducted in Latin America and the Caribbean. Peer-reviewed published research may correspond to and elucidate country's realities, priorities, and needs. A 6-stage scoping review methodology was used to search scientific databases using an applied search strategy. Five databases were searched for articles published in English, Spanish, or Portuguese conducted in a Latin American or Caribbean country between January 1, 2006 and June 14, 2016. Articles were independently considered for inclusion by 2 researchers, data extracted, and study characteristics described. Of 6922 articles identified, 404 were included. The majority were conducted in Brazil (90.6%) followed by Chile (2.5%). Most were nurse-led (95.8%) and were implemented in hospitals (48.6%). Studies frequently explored patient knowledge or characterized patient populations (61.3%) and commonly assessed chronic disease (19.3%) or maternity/child health outcomes (15.9%). Findings revealed a large number of publications but an uneven geographical distribution of nurse-led clinical research and an evident gap of midwifery-related research in Latin America and the Caribbean. Results may be used to build research agendas to promote nursing and midwifery research capacity and further establish evidence-based practice. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  17. Getting the first birth right: A retrospective study of outcomes for low-risk primiparous women receiving standard care versus midwifery model of care in the same tertiary hospital.

    PubMed

    Wong, Nola; Browne, Jenny; Ferguson, Sally; Taylor, Jan; Davis, Deborah

    2015-12-01

    There is national and international concern for increasing obstetric intervention in childbirth and rising caesarean section rates. Repeat caesarean section is a major contributing factor, making primiparous women an important target for strategies to reduce unnecessary intervention and surgeries in childbirth. The aim was to compare outcomes for a cohort of low risk primiparous women who accessed a midwifery continuity model of care with those who received standard public care in the same tertiary hospital. A retrospective comparative cohort study design was implemented drawing on data from two databases held by a tertiary hospital for the period 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2011. Categorical data were analysed using the chi-squared statistic and Fisher's exact test. Continuous data were analysed using Student's t-test. Comparisons are presented using unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and p-values with significance set at 0.05. Data for 426 women experiencing continuity of midwifery care and 1220 experiencing standard public care were compared. The study found increased rates of normal vaginal birth (57.7% vs. 48.9% p=0.002) and spontaneous vaginal birth (38% vs. 22.4% p=<0.001) and decreased rates of instrumental birth (23.5% vs. 28.5% p=0.050) and caesarean sections (18.8% vs. 22.5% p=0.115) in the midwifery continuity cohort. There were also fewer interventions in this group. No differences were found in neonatal outcomes. Strategies for reducing caesarean section rates and interventions in childbirth should focus on primiparous women as a priority. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of continuity midwifery models, suggesting that this is an important strategy for improving outcomes in this population. Copyright © 2015 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Mobile technologies and communication strategies in an urban Midwifery Group Practice setting. An exploratory study.

    PubMed

    Forti, Amanda; Stapleton, Helen; Kildea, Sue

    2013-12-01

    Around-the-clock access to a known midwife is a distinct feature of Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) and caseload midwifery settings; although the literature suggests this aspect of working life may hinder recruitment and retention to this model of care. Mobile technologies, known as mHealth where they are used in health care, facilitate access and hence communication, however little is known about this area of midwifery practice. Which communication modalities are used, and most frequently, by MGP midwives and clients? A prospective, cross sectional design included a purposive sample of MGP midwives from an Australian tertiary maternity hospital. Data on modes of midwife-client contact were collected 24h/day, for two consecutive weeks, and included: visits, phone-calls, texts and emails. Demographic data were also collected. Details about 1442 midwife-client contacts were obtained. The majority of contact was via text, between the hours of 07:00 and 14:59, with primiparous women, when the primary midwife was on-call. An average of 96 contacts per fortnight occurred. The majority of contact was between the midwife and their primary clients, reiterating a key tenet of caseload models and confirming mobile technologies as a significant and evolving aspect of practice. The pattern of contact within social (or daytime) hours is reassuring for midwives considering caseload midwifery, who are concerned about the on-call burden. The use of text as the preferred communication modality raises issues regarding data security and retrieval, accountability, confidentiality and text management during off-duty periods. The development of Australian-wide guidelines to inform local policies and best practice is recommended. Copyright © 2013 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. An evaluative survey to assess the effectiveness of using an interactive workbook to deliver bereavement education to undergraduate student midwives.

    PubMed

    Hollins Martin, Caroline J; Forrest, Eleanor; Wylie, Linda; Martin, Colin R

    2014-08-01

    the NMSF (2009) reported that 74 Trusts (40%) in the UK lack expertise in delivering maternity based bereavement care. In response, three midwifery lecturers were issued with a small grant from NHS Scotland to devise and evaluate an interactive workbook intended to develop student midwives understanding of how to deliver high quality bereavement care. to develop a workbook called--'an interactive workbook to shape bereavement care for midwives in clinical practice'--and evaluate it for effectiveness at delivering learning objectives developed from the literature and from prior written lesson plans. an evaluative audit was carried out using a scored questionnaire--Understanding Bereavement Evaluation Tool (UBET)--to gather data before and post-workbook completion. The UBET was purposely designed to gather data about participants' perceived level of learning before and post-workbook completion. Participants were student midwives (n=179) in their second/third year of study on a three year midwifery degree programme at one of three universities. the mean pre-workbook UBET score equalled 16.04 (SD=3.81) and post-intervention 26.45 (SD=2.16). A significant main effect of observation point was observed (p<0.001), with post-intervention scores considerably higher than pre-intervention. findings demonstrate that the workbook is an effective method for teaching bereavement care to student midwives (it is available from the first author). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Special Deliveries: Certified Nurse-Midwifery Programs Lacking in New England

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Franzosa, Alyssa

    2012-01-01

    With Boston serving as a hub of both educational and medical excellence, it's no wonder that New England has a high reputation to uphold in both of these areas. However, Boston and the rest of the region lack a specific degree program that is putting New England below the radars of potential midwives. Certified nurse-midwifery is a popular field…

  1. Man-midwifery history: 1730-1930.

    PubMed

    Shelton, D C

    2012-11-01

    This paper seeks to determine whether the man-midwives William Smellie and William Hunter deserve continuing approbation as 'Founding Fathers' of the obstetrics profession. Scrutiny of their careers reveals their involvement in murders for dissection. In addition, the man-midwifery initiative of delivery in lying-in hospitals resulted in around 1 million more deaths in Britain and Ireland between 1730 and 1930, than would have occurred had home-births remained as the norm. While some may still credit Smellie and Hunter with obstetric discoveries, their knowledge was obtained by murder-for-dissection. That indictment, together with the lying-in hospital legacy, far outweighs their discoveries. The paper invites further constructive discussion and debate, but concludes the accolade of Founding Fathers is undeserved. Any continuing endorsement of Smellie and Hunter effectively demeans the high ethical standards and reputation of current obstetric professionals.

  2. Australian nursing and midwifery educators delivering evidence-based education in Tanzania: A qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Gower, Shelley; van den Akker, Jose; Jones, Mark; Dantas, Jaya A R; Duggan, Ravani

    2016-05-01

    Since 2011, Western Australian nursing and midwifery educators have been providing evidence-based continuing education to Tanzanian health professionals. Despite thorough preparation before departure, differences in local resource levels and available facilities have necessitated impromptu adaptation of curriculum content and delivery methods to ensure an effective program was delivered. This study explored the personal, cultural and teaching strategies utilised by Western Australian nursing and midwifery educators in Tanzania and examined if the transferability of education packages was influenced by the educators' cultural competence. Using a qualitative exploratory approach, data was collected from 15 Western Australian nursing and midwifery educators using a demographic survey and in-depth individual semi-structured interviews. The core themes identified from the analysis were Determination to learn, Assessing needs, Communication skills and Greater understanding. These findings are described using the conceptual framework of Campinha-Bacote's The Process of Cultural Competence in the Delivery of Healthcare Services. With appropriate levels of cultural competence, international health professionals can be effective at providing ongoing professional development to colleagues in developing country contexts, which may help address difficulties with retention and motivation of staff. It is essential that prior to departure cultural competence training is provided to educators to enhance their teaching capacity and effectiveness in international settings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Caseload midwifery care versus standard maternity care for women of any risk: M@NGO, a randomised controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Tracy, Sally K; Hartz, Donna L; Tracy, Mark B; Allen, Jyai; Forti, Amanda; Hall, Bev; White, Jan; Lainchbury, Anne; Stapleton, Helen; Beckmann, Michael; Bisits, Andrew; Homer, Caroline; Foureur, Maralyn; Welsh, Alec; Kildea, Sue

    2013-11-23

    Women at low risk of pregnancy complications benefit from continuity of midwifery care, but no trial evidence exists for women with identified risk factors. We aimed to assess the clinical and cost outcomes of caseload midwifery care for women irrespective of risk factors. In this unblinded, randomised, controlled, parallel-group trial, pregnant women at two metropolitan teaching hospitals in Australia were randomly assigned to either caseload midwifery care or standard maternity care by a telephone-based computer randomisation service. Women aged 18 years and older were eligible if they were less than 24 weeks pregnant at the first booking visit. Those who booked with another care provider, had a multiple pregnancy, or planned to have an elective caesarean section were excluded. Women allocated to caseload care received antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care from a named caseload midwife (or back-up caseload midwife). Controls received standard care with rostered midwives in discrete wards or clinics. The participant and the clinician were not masked to assignment. The main primary outcome was the proportion of women who had a caesarean section. The other primary maternal outcomes were the proportions who had an instrumental or unassisted vaginal birth, and the proportion who had epidural analgesia during labour. Primary neonatal outcomes were Apgar scores, preterm birth, and admission to neonatal intensive care. We analysed all outcomes by intention to treat. The trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, number ACTRN12609000349246. Publicly insured women were screened at the participating hospitals between Dec 8, 2008, and May 31, 2011. 1748 pregnant women were randomly assigned, 871 to caseload and 877 to standard care. The proportion of caesarean sections did not differ between the groups (183 [21%] in the caseload group vs 204 [23%] in the standard care group; odds ratio [OR] 0·88, 95% CI 0·70-1·10; p=0·26). The

  4. Development of a web-based learning medium on mechanism of labour for nursing students.

    PubMed

    Gerdprasert, Sailom; Pruksacheva, Tassanee; Panijpan, Bhinyo; Ruenwongsa, Pintip

    2010-07-01

    This study aimed to develop a web-based learning media on the process and mechanism of labour for the third-year university nursing and midwifery students. This media was developed based on integrating principles of the mechanism of labour with the 5Es inquiry cycle and interactive features of information technology. In this study, the web-based learning unit was used to supplement the conventional lecture as in the traditional teaching. Students' achievements were assessed by using the pre- and post-test on factual knowledge and semi-structured interviews on attitude to the unit. Supplementation with this learning unit made learning significantly more effective than the traditional lecture by itself. The students also showed positive attitude toward the learning unit. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. An exploration of student midwives' language to describe non-formal learning in professional practice.

    PubMed

    Finnerty, Gina; Pope, Rosemary

    2005-05-01

    The essence of non-formal learning in midwifery practice has not been previously explored. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the language of a sample of student midwives' descriptions of their practice learning in a range of clinical settings. The students submitted audio-diaries as part of a national study (Pope, R., Graham. L., Finnerty. G., Magnusson, C. 2003. An investigation of the preparation and assessment for midwifery practice within a range of settings. Project Report. University of Surrey). Participants detailed their learning activities and support obtained whilst working with their named mentors for approximately 10 days or shifts. The rich audio-diary data have been analysed using Discourse Analysis. A typology of non-formal learning (Eraut, M. 2000. Non-formal learning and implicit knowledge in professional work. British Journal of Educational Psychology 70, 113-136) has been used to provide a framework for the analysis. Non-formal learning is defined as any learning which does not take place within a formally organised learning programme (Eraut, M. 2000. Non-formal learning and implicit knowledge in professional work. British Journal of Educational Psychology 70, 113-136). Findings indicate that fear and ambiguity hindered students' learning. Recommendations include the protection of time by mentors within the clinical curriculum to guide and supervise students in both formal and non-formal elements of midwifery practice. This paper will explore the implications of the findings for practice-based education.

  6. Cultural safety in New Zealand midwifery practice. Part 2.

    PubMed

    Farry, Annabel; Crowther, Susan

    2014-01-01

    Midwives in New Zealand work within a unique cultural context. This calls for an understanding and appreciation of biculturalism and the equal status of Mãori and Europeans as the nation's founding peoples. This paper is the second of two papers that explore the notions of cultural safety and competence. Exploration and discussion take place in the New Zealand context, yet have transferable implications for midwives everywhere. This second paper focuses on midwifery education and practice.

  7. Mothering and midwifery: sometimes a challenge.

    PubMed

    Fenwick, J

    1998-12-01

    This paper attempts to present two levels of argument. Firstly it argues that the use of story, in its entirety, is a valid, relevant and useful tool for informing personal and professional knowing. The second level of debate is elicited by the story itself and the discourse surrounding the challenges of implementing continuity of midwifery care models within the mainstream maternity care system. The author hopes that the telling of the story provides a window through which others can share her experience. It is argued that 'identification' with the challenges involved in implementing innovative models of care is an important and vital step in the process, if these models are to begin, survive and achieve their aim of providing women-centred health care.

  8. The opinion of Iranian students about the society's perception on using surrogacy as an infertility treatment in the future community.

    PubMed

    Salehi, Kobra; Shakour, Mahsa; Pashaei Sabet, Fatemeh; Alizadeh, Shiva

    2015-03-01

    Surrogacy is one of the challengeable treatments for infertility; therefore, it seems necessary to learn the attitutude of people toward it, especially the opinion of those who are working in infertility treatment. Students studying midwifery, medicine, psychology and law are involved in this process to various degrees. The aim of this study was to investigate the students' opinions about the perception of the society on using surrogacy. This study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey. The sample of this study included 200 students of the Isfahan University and Isfahan University of Medical Sciences from the following courses: Midwifery, Medicine, Psychology and Law. Since the number of students in different discipline was not equal, we therefore used quota sampling. The data collection instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions on their knowledge, attitude and surrogacy acceptance in the future in Iran. The students of the medical course were mostly in the category "strongly agree" and "agree" with surrogacy (43 students which constitute 79.6%), then, midwifery students (15 students which constitute 78.9%) and finally, the students of other courses agreed less with this method. According to chi-square test, there was no significant difference between attitudes of students (P=0.08). Individuals mostly assert their acceptance of this method through "increasing tendency to this method in the future" (77.1%). Students in this study had a positive attitude toward surrogacy and they accepted it as a norm; despite this, it is essential to make some changes within cultures to improve the situation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Encourages and guides, or diagnoses and monitors: Woman centred-ness in the discourse of professional midwifery bodies.

    PubMed

    O'Malley-Keighran, M P; Lohan, G

    2016-12-01

    the purpose of this study was to conduct a preliminary exploration of the language used by midwifery professional bodies to define the scope of practice of midwives in relation to woman-centred care. this is a qualitative study in which Critical Discourse Analysis and Transitivity Analysis from the Systemic Functional Linguistics tradition were used. Data were sampled from nine international midwifery professional bodies. three general types of definitions of scope of practice were identified; a formal type which focused on midwifery practice in which the midwife and woman were largely absent as agents, a second, less formal type which focused on the midwife as agent, from which the woman was largely absent as an active participant and one exception to the pattern which featured the woman as agent. The main type of verb used in the definitions was Doing Processes such as monitor, diagnose. Saying (advise), Sensing (identify), and Being (be able to) processes were much less frequent in the data. The definitions of scope of practice explored in this study (with one exception) revealed a general lack of woman-centeredness and more of a focus on an orientation to birth as a medically managed event. definitions of scope of practice statements by professional bodies are systematically developed through much conscious thought and discussion by the writers on behalf of a community of practice and are formulated specifically for the purpose of being available to the general public as well as midwives. It can be assumed that the choices of wording and content are carefully constructed with public dissemination in mind. These ideologies communicated via the professional body texts emanate from a socio-cultural context that varies from country to country and professional bodies construct the definitions by drawing on the available, circulating discourses. Although woman-centred care is a key focus in contemporary maternity care, many definitions of scope of practice reveal a

  10. Predictors of Student Commitment at Two-Year and Four-Year Institutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Strauss, Linda C.; Volkwein, J. Fredericks

    2004-01-01

    The research presented in this article examines the predictors of institutional commitment of first-year students at 28 two-year and 23 four-year public institutions. Previous research has demonstrated that institutional commitment is a strong predictor of college students' intent to persist, and ultimately student persistence itself (Braxton,…

  11. Sharp Injuries Among Medical Students.

    PubMed

    Ghasemzadeh, Iman; Kazerooni, Mitra; Davoodian, Parivash; Hamedi, Yaghoob; Sadeghi, Payam

    2015-03-30

    Sharp injuries threaten the health of healthcare employees. They cause the transmission of many diseases such as hepatitis B and C, AIDS, etc., which can increase the associated costs associated with them. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of sharp injuries among the students of Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences. This cross-sectional study was conducted during 2012-2013 in Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, IR Iran. The target population consisted of the medical, nursing, midwifery, operating room technician, and medical laboratory students in the 2012-2013 academic year. Census sampling was conducted, and accordingly, 500 students participated in the study Data was collected using modified questionnaire of the University of San Diego's injury report form. The collected data were entered into SPSS V.19 and analyzed using descriptive statistical tests. Finally 377 students (75.4%) returned the questionnaire. Among the studied students, 184 students (39.3%) had had sharp injuries. The frequency of damaging Vein puncture was the most common mechanism of injury The prevalence of sharp injuries is high among students which can increase the risk of disease and its subsequent risks, and thus, increase the cost and stress among students. It seems that holding workshops and increasing students' awareness and skills to face these risks can be effective in mitigating them.

  12. Perceptions of nursing students of educational environment at a private undergraduate School of Nursing in Karachi.

    PubMed

    Farooq, Salima; Rehman, Rehana; Hussain, Mehwish; Dias, Jacqueline Maria

    2018-02-01

    To assess educational environment at a nursing school.. The cross-sectional survey was carried out from May to October 2016 at Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery, Karachi, using the Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure tool. The scores were obtained by merging five sub-scales of the inventory. The average scores of the scale and sub-scales were compared in terms of age, year of study, and living status using Mann-Whitney U test, and among years of study by Kruskal Wallis test.. Of the 442 students, 228(51.6%) had age below 20 years. Overall, 131(29.1%) subjects were in the first year, 152(33.8%) second year, 91(20.2%) third year and 76(16.9%) fourth year. The average Dundee Ready Educational Environment Measure score was 129.92±19.97 with reliability of 88.9%. Students aged 20 years and less had more positive perceptions than students over 20 years (p<0.0001). Students living in hostel secured higher scores (p<0.0001). First year nursing students attained significant highest scores in all sub-scales compared to the rest (p<0.0001). Scores reveal better perception from younger nursing students, as well as those living in the hostel and those who were in their initial years of nursing education.

  13. Women's experience of transfer from midwifery unit to hospital obstetric unit during labour: a qualitative interview study.

    PubMed

    Rowe, Rachel E; Kurinczuk, Jennifer J; Locock, Louise; Fitzpatrick, Ray

    2012-11-15

    Midwifery units offer care to women with straightforward pregnancies, but unforeseen complications can arise during labour or soon after birth, necessitating transfer to a hospital obstetric unit. In England, 21% of women planning birth in freestanding midwifery units are transferred; in alongside units, the transfer rate is 26%. There is little high quality contemporary evidence on women's experience of transfer. We carried out a qualitative interview study, using semi-structured interviews, with women who had been transferred from a midwifery unit (freestanding or alongside) in England up to 12 months prior to interview. Maximum variation sampling was used. Interviews with 30 women took place between March 2009 and March 2010. Thematic analysis using constant comparison and exploration of deviant cases was carried out. Most women hoped for or expected a natural birth and did not expect to be transferred. Transfer was disappointing for many; sensitive and supportive care and preparation for the need for transfer helped women adjust to their changing circumstances. A small number of women, often in the context of prolonged labour, described transfer as a relief. For women transferred from freestanding units, the ambulance journey was a "limbo" period. Women wondered, worried or were fearful about what was to come and could be passive participants who felt like they were being "transported" rather than cared for. For many this was a direct contrast with the care they experienced in the midwifery unit. After transfer, most women appreciated the opportunity to talk about their experience to make sense of what happened and help them plan for future pregnancies, but did not necessarily seek this out if it was not offered. Transfer affects a significant minority of women planning birth in midwifery units and is therefore a concern for women and midwives. Transfer is not expected by women, but sensitive care and preparation can help women adjust to changing circumstances

  14. How to make mathematics relevant to first-year engineering students: perceptions of students on student-produced resources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Loch, Birgit; Lamborn, Julia

    2016-01-01

    Many approaches to make mathematics relevant to first-year engineering students have been described. These include teaching practical engineering applications, or a close collaboration between engineering and mathematics teaching staff on unit design and teaching. In this paper, we report on a novel approach where we gave higher year engineering and multimedia students the task to 'make maths relevant' for first-year students. This approach is novel as we moved away from the traditional thinking that staff should produce these resources to students producing the same. These students have more recently undertaken first-year mathematical study themselves and can also provide a more mature student perspective to the task than first-year students. Two final-year engineering students and three final-year multimedia students worked on this project over the Australian summer term and produced two animated videos showing where concepts taught in first-year mathematics are applied by professional engineers. It is this student perspective on how to make mathematics relevant to first-year students that we investigate in this paper. We analyse interviews with higher year students as well as focus groups with first-year students who had been shown the videos in class, with a focus on answering the following three research questions: (1) How would students demonstrate the relevance of mathematics in engineering? (2) What are first-year students' views on the resources produced for them? (3) Who should produce resources to demonstrate the relevance of mathematics? There seemed to be some disagreement between first- and final-year students as to how the importance of mathematics should be demonstrated in a video. We therefore argue that it should ideally be a collaboration between higher year students and first-year students, with advice from lecturers, to produce such resources.

  15. Developing an evidence-based practice protocol: implications for midwifery practice.

    PubMed

    Carr, K C

    2000-01-01

    Evidence-based practice is defined and its importance to midwifery practice is presented. Guidelines are provided for the development of an evidence-based practice protocol. These include: identifying the clinical question, obtaining the evidence, evaluating the validity and importance of the evidence, synthesizing the evidence and applying it to the development of a protocol or clinical algorithm, and, finally, developing an evaluation plan or measurement strategy to see if the new protocol is effective.

  16. Critical Medical Anthropology in Midwifery Research

    PubMed Central

    Newnham, Elizabeth C.; Pincombe, Jan I.; McKellar, Lois V.

    2016-01-01

    In this article, we discuss the use of critical medical anthropology (CMA) as a theoretical framework for research in the maternity care setting. With reference to the doctoral research of the first author, we argue for the relevance of using CMA for research into the maternity care setting, particularly as it relates to midwifery. We then give an overview of an existing analytic model within CMA that we adapted for looking specifically at childbirth practices and which was then used in both analyzing the data and structuring the thesis. There is often no clear guide to the analysis or writing up of data in ethnographic research; we therefore offer this Critical analytic model of childbirth practices for other researchers conducting ethnographic research into childbirth or maternity care. PMID:28462347

  17. Management of occiput posterior position in the second stage of labor: a survey of midwifery practice in Australia.

    PubMed

    Phipps, Hala; de Vries, Brad; Jagadish, Ujvala; Hyett, Jon

    2014-03-01

    The management of the occiput posterior (OP) position has been controversial for many years. Manual rotation can be performed by midwives and could reduce cesarean sections and instrumental births. We aimed to determine current midwifery views, knowledge, and practice of manual rotation. A de-identified, self-reported questionnaire was e-mailed to all Australian College of Midwives full members (n = 3,997). Of 3,182 surveyed, 57 percent (1,817) responded, of whom 51 percent (920) were currently practicing midwifery. Seventy-seven percent of midwives thought that manual rotation at full dilatation was a valid intervention. Sixty-four percent stated the procedure was acceptable before instrumental delivery, but 30 percent were unsure. Most practicing midwives (93%) had heard of manual rotation, but only 18 percent had performed one in the last year. Midwives would support the routine performance of manual rotation for OP position if it reduced operative births from 68 to 50 percent and would support manual rotation for occiput transverse (OT) position if it reduced operative births from 39 to 25 percent. This study indicates that manual rotation is considered acceptable by most midwives in Australia, yet is only performed by a minority. Midwives would be willing to perform prophylactic manual rotation if it was known to facilitate normal vaginal births suggesting a scope to introduce this procedure into widespread clinical practice. © 2014, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2014, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Umbilical cord prolapse in primary midwifery care in the Netherlands; a case series.

    PubMed

    Smit, Marrit; Zwanenburg, Fleur; van der Wolk, Sabine; Middeldorp, Johanna; Havenith, Barbara; van Roosmalen, Jos

    2014-06-01

    We aimed to gain insight into umbilical cord prolapse (UCP) reported by primary care midwives in the Netherlands. Cases of UCP were reported by midwives who participated in a postgraduate training programme developed for community-based midwives. Cases were analysed using midwifery charts, ambulance report forms and discharge letters. Procedures to alleviate cord pressure, ambulance timing, mode of birth and neonatal outcomes were inventoried. Diagnosis to delivery interval (DDI) and risk factors were identified. Eight cases of UCP in primary midwifery care were reported of which six occurred at home. Risk factors such as malpresentation (breech) and/or unengaged presenting part were found in four cases, two (unengaged fetal head) were known to the midwife prior to birth. Retrograde bladder filling (2/8), manual elevation of the fetal head (7/8) and Trendelenburg position (1/8) were applied. One infant died of severe birth asphyxia; the other infants recovered and were discharged in good condition.

  19. Vitamin K policies and midwifery practice: questionnaire survey

    PubMed Central

    Ansell, Pat; Roman, Eve; Fear, Nicola T; Renfrew, Mary J

    2001-01-01

    Objectives To investigate policies on neonatal vitamin K and their implementation. Design Two phase postal survey. Setting United Kingdom. Participants A 10% random sample of midwives registered with the United Kingdom Central Council for nursing, midwifery, and health visiting. Of 3191 midwives in the sample, 2515 (79%) responded to phase one and 2294 (72%) completed questionnaires on their current jobs (November 1998 to May 1999). In phase two, 853 (62%) of 1383 eligible midwives gave details on 2179 of their earliest jobs (start dates before 1990). Results All the midwives in clinical practice at the time of the survey (2271, 99%) reported that they were working in areas with official policies on neonatal vitamin K. Seven distinct policies were described: intramuscular vitamin K for all babies (1159, 51.0%); intramuscular vitamin K for babies at “high risk,” oral for others (470, 20.7%); oral vitamin K for all babies (323, 14.2%); parental choice for all (124, 5.5%); parental choice for all except babies at high risk, (119, 5.2%); intramuscular vitamin K for babies at high risk only (33, 1.5%); oral vitamin K for babies at high risk only (17, 0.7%); and a disparate group of policies including intravenous vitamin K for some babies (26, 1.1%). Previous policies were (and some may still be) open to individual interpretation and were not always followed. Conclusions Hospital policy is not necessarily a good guide to individual practice. The primary purpose of clinical records is to document patient care, and recording practices reflect this. There is considerable variation in vitamin K policies and midwifery practice in the United Kingdom, and there is no clear consensus on which babies should receive vitamin K intramuscularly. What is already known on this topicNeonatal administration of vitamin K by the intramuscular route is effective in the prevention of haemorrhagic disease in newborn babies but has been suggested as a possible risk factor for leukaemia in

  20. Using task analysis to generate evidence for strengthening midwifery education, practice, and regulation in Ethiopia

    PubMed Central

    Yigzaw, Tegbar; Carr, Catherine; Stekelenburg, Jelle; van Roosmalen, Jos; Gibson, Hannah; Gelagay, Mintwab; Admassu, Azeb

    2016-01-01

    Purpose Realizing aspirations for meeting the global reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health goals depends not only on increasing the numbers but also on improving the capability of midwifery workforce. We conducted a task analysis study to identify the needs for strengthening the midwifery workforce in Ethiopia. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of recently qualified midwives in Ethiopia. Purposively selected participants from representative geographic and practice settings completed a self-administered questionnaire, making judgments about the frequency of performance, criticality, competence, and location of training for a list of validated midwifery tasks. Using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, Version 20, we computed the percentages and averages to describe participant and practice characteristics. We identified priority preservice education gaps by considering the tasks least frequently learned in preservice, most frequently mentioned for not being trained, and had the highest not capable response. Identification of top priorities for in-service training considered tasks with highest “not capable” and “never” done responses. We determined the licensing exam blueprint by weighing the composite mean scores for frequency and criticality variables and expert rating across practice categories. Results One hundred and thirty-eight midwives participated in the study. The majority of respondents recognized the importance of midwifery tasks (89%), felt they were capable (91.8%), reported doing them frequently (63.9%), and learned them during preservice education (56.3%). We identified competence gaps in tasks related to obstetric complications, gynecology, public health, professional duties, and prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV. Moreover, our study helped to determine composition of the licensing exam for university graduates. Conclusion The task analysis indicates that midwives provide critical reproductive

  1. Using task analysis to generate evidence for strengthening midwifery education, practice, and regulation in Ethiopia.

    PubMed

    Yigzaw, Tegbar; Carr, Catherine; Stekelenburg, Jelle; van Roosmalen, Jos; Gibson, Hannah; Gelagay, Mintwab; Admassu, Azeb

    2016-01-01

    Realizing aspirations for meeting the global reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health goals depends not only on increasing the numbers but also on improving the capability of midwifery workforce. We conducted a task analysis study to identify the needs for strengthening the midwifery workforce in Ethiopia. We conducted a cross-sectional study of recently qualified midwives in Ethiopia. Purposively selected participants from representative geographic and practice settings completed a self-administered questionnaire, making judgments about the frequency of performance, criticality, competence, and location of training for a list of validated midwifery tasks. Using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, Version 20, we computed the percentages and averages to describe participant and practice characteristics. We identified priority preservice education gaps by considering the tasks least frequently learned in preservice, most frequently mentioned for not being trained, and had the highest not capable response. Identification of top priorities for in-service training considered tasks with highest "not capable" and "never" done responses. We determined the licensing exam blueprint by weighing the composite mean scores for frequency and criticality variables and expert rating across practice categories. One hundred and thirty-eight midwives participated in the study. The majority of respondents recognized the importance of midwifery tasks (89%), felt they were capable (91.8%), reported doing them frequently (63.9%), and learned them during preservice education (56.3%). We identified competence gaps in tasks related to obstetric complications, gynecology, public health, professional duties, and prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV. Moreover, our study helped to determine composition of the licensing exam for university graduates. The task analysis indicates that midwives provide critical reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health care

  2. Empowering fourth-year medical students: the value of the senior year.

    PubMed

    Cosgrove, Ellen M; Ryan, Michael J; Wenrich, Marjorie D

    2014-04-01

    In this issue of Academic Medicine, Wolf et al explore the purposes and value of the senior year of medical school as viewed by graduating students at their institution. Using data from student focus groups and questionnaires, they report that students all found there to be significant value in but identified different purposes for the fourth year. The authors of this commentary believe that study adds to the discussion of fourth-year curriculum reform an important voice that has been lacking-that of students.Previous articles focusing on the perceived lack of clarity of educational purpose in the senior year curriculum have reflected a faculty perspective and have led some to call for increasing the structure of, decreasing the elective time in, or even completely eliminating the fourth year. In this commentary, the authors ask for a pause in this debate to consider the implications of the student perspective as well as important trends in the medical education continuum that affect the senior student (e.g., milestones that will set new expectations for first-year residents, increasing pressure associated with matching to a residency). They propose that providing students with time for career exploration and for focusing on areas of interest would allow them to individualize their preparation for residency and to be more sure of their career choices. They share the University of Washington School of Medicine's planned new fourth-year approach as an example of a flexible, individualized senior year curriculum.

  3. Prior experience of interprofessional learning enhances undergraduate nursing and healthcare students' professional identity and attitudes to teamwork.

    PubMed

    Hood, Kerry; Cant, Robyn; Baulch, Julie; Gilbee, Alana; Leech, Michelle; Anderson, Amanda; Davies, Kate

    2014-03-01

    How willing are today's medical, nursing and other healthcare students to undertake some of their studies as shared learning? There is a lack of evidence of students' views by discipline despite this being a priority task for higher education sectors. This study explored the views of nursing, midwifery, nursing-emergency health (paramedic), medical, physiotherapy and nutrition-dietetics students. Senior undergraduate students from six disciplines at one university completed the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale prior to participating in interprofessional clinical learning modules. For 741 students, the highest ranked response was agreement about a need for teamwork (mean 4.42 of 5 points). Nursing students held significantly more positive attitudes towards Teamwork/Collaboration, and were more positive about Professional Identity than medical students (p < .001). Midwifery and nursing-emergency-health students rejected uncertainty about Roles/Responsibilities compared with medical students (p < .001). One-third of all students who had prior experience of interprofessional learning held more positive attitudes in each of four attitude domains (p < .05). Overall, students' attitudes towards interprofessional learning were positive and all student groups were willing to engage in learning interprofessionally. Early introduction of IPL is recommended. Further studies should explore the trajectory of students' attitudes throughout the university degree. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. "A midwife at every confinement": Midwifery and Medicalized Childbirth in Ontario and Britain, 1920-1950.

    PubMed

    Cross, Gwenith Siobhan

    2014-01-01

    This paper compares midwifery in Ontario and Britain in the first half of the 20th century. British midwives improved maternal and infant health and welfare by making childbirth a cooperative, medically managed event in conjunction with physicians. British midwives thus participated in, and contributed to, developments in obstetrics. In contrast, Ontario physicians worked to exclude midwives from participation in the modernization of birth management, relying on a narrower concept of "medicalization" defined as physician dominance. This study challenges the medical profession's assumptions that the exclusion of midwifery in Ontario was necessary to the medicalization of childbirth. The British alternative, where midwives were seen as partners rather than obstacles, illustrates that medicalization in the interest of infant and maternal safety could be integrated with the work of midwives.

  5. Evaluation of the midwifery pilot projects in Quebec: an overview. L'Equipe d'Evaluation des Projets-Pilotes Sages-Femmes.

    PubMed

    Blais, R; Joubert, P

    2000-01-01

    In 1990, the province of Quebec adopted a law authorizing the evaluation of the practice of midwifery through eight pilot projects. The projects, which took the form of birth centres outside hospitals, started operating in 1994. The objectives of the evaluation were 1) to compare midwives' services to current physician services with regard to maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity, the use of obstetrical intervention, individualization and continuity of care as perceived by clients, and cost; and 2) to identify the professional and organizational factors associated with the integration of midwives into the health care system. A mixed evaluative design was used: a multiple case study with each pilot project representing a case and a cohort study where 1,000 women followed by midwives in the birth centres were matched with 1,000 women followed by physicians in the usual hospital-based services. Various quantitative and qualitative data collection instruments were used. Overall, many results were favourable to midwifery practice, while some were favourable to medical care. Following the evaluation, the Government of Quebec decided to legalize the practice of midwifery.

  6. Enhancing and developing leadership in midwifery.

    PubMed

    McCalmont, Carmel; Bailey, Elizabeth

    2016-02-01

    Leadership is a word often heard in any workplace, and healthcare services are no different. Much has been written about leadership styles and theories, with a search of one online retailer revealing 153,589 books available on the subject. How many midwives have those books on their shelves? In a time when maternity services are rising to meet new pressures and demands, many commentators are calling for leadership to drive the profession on. How do we, as midwives, reflect on our own leadership style and the impact it has on others? Here we discuss the importance of leadership in midwifery as a profession, and to individuals, regardless of grade or position. We use an example of a project within our service to illustrate the opportunities for leadership to flourish throughout a whole team in order to achieve an end goal.

  7. Past Year Substance Use by Student Nurses.

    PubMed

    Boulton, Martha A; O'Connell, Kathleen A

    Nurses who abuse substances are a threat to patients, colleagues, society, and themselves. Research indicates that substance use often begins during undergraduate years. The purpose of this research was to identify rates of past year substance use by student nurses. A quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational design was used to examine past year substance use by student nurses and to determine whether substance use is related to age, gender, race, relationship status, ethnicity, country of birth, type of school program, and year in program. The convenience sample of National Student Nurses' Association members yielded 4,033 completed surveys. Students were asked about their past year substance use via Survey Monkey. Responses were analyzed through exploratory data analysis and logistic regression. Binge drinking was reported by 61% of the student nurses; 18% reported using marijuana; 5% reported using illegal drugs, excluding marijuana; 8% reported using nonprescribed stimulants to enhance academic performance; and 10% reported using nonprescribed prescription pills. Students who were younger than 28 years old, White, male, born in this country, or single tended to report more substance misuse than other students. The results suggest that student nurses tend to use fewer drugs than their college counterparts but are slightly more likely to binge drink. Further research is needed on the effect of substance education in the beginning of the nursing program and that continued throughout the program on student nurse substance use. Research on faculty's ability to identify the at-risk student is necessary for early intervention.

  8. Women’s experience of transfer from midwifery unit to hospital obstetric unit during labour: a qualitative interview study

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Midwifery units offer care to women with straightforward pregnancies, but unforeseen complications can arise during labour or soon after birth, necessitating transfer to a hospital obstetric unit. In England, 21% of women planning birth in freestanding midwifery units are transferred; in alongside units, the transfer rate is 26%. There is little high quality contemporary evidence on women’s experience of transfer. Methods We carried out a qualitative interview study, using semi-structured interviews, with women who had been transferred from a midwifery unit (freestanding or alongside) in England up to 12 months prior to interview. Maximum variation sampling was used. Interviews with 30 women took place between March 2009 and March 2010. Thematic analysis using constant comparison and exploration of deviant cases was carried out. Results Most women hoped for or expected a natural birth and did not expect to be transferred. Transfer was disappointing for many; sensitive and supportive care and preparation for the need for transfer helped women adjust to their changing circumstances. A small number of women, often in the context of prolonged labour, described transfer as a relief. For women transferred from freestanding units, the ambulance journey was a “limbo” period. Women wondered, worried or were fearful about what was to come and could be passive participants who felt like they were being “transported” rather than cared for. For many this was a direct contrast with the care they experienced in the midwifery unit. After transfer, most women appreciated the opportunity to talk about their experience to make sense of what happened and help them plan for future pregnancies, but did not necessarily seek this out if it was not offered. Conclusions Transfer affects a significant minority of women planning birth in midwifery units and is therefore a concern for women and midwives. Transfer is not expected by women, but sensitive care and preparation

  9. Client-Related Factors Associated with a "Less than Good" Experience of Midwifery Care during Childbirth in the Netherlands.

    PubMed

    Baas, Carien I; Wiegers, Therese A; de Cock, T Paul; Erwich, Jan Jaap H M; Spelten, Evelien R; de Boer, Michiel R; Hutton, Eileen K

    2017-03-01

    A "less than good" experience during childbirth can affect a mother's early interaction with her child and may significantly influence a woman's emotional well-being. In this study, we focus on clients who experienced midwifery care provided during childbirth as "less than good" care. The aim of this study was to understand the relationship between client-related factors and the experience of midwifery care during childbirth to improve this care. This study was part of the "DELIVER study" where mothers report on the care they received. We used generalized estimation equations to control for correlations within midwife practices. Forward multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to model the client-related factors associated with the experienced midwifery care during childbirth. We included the responses of 2,377 women. In the multivariable logistic regression model, odds of reporting "less than good care" were significantly higher for women who experienced an unplanned cesarean birth (OR 2.21 [CI 1.19-4.09]), an instrumental birth (OR 1.55 [CI 1.08-2.23]), and less control during the dilation phase (OR 0.98 [CI 0.97-0.99]) and pushing phase (OR 0.98 [CI 0.97-0.99]). Birth-related factors were more likely than maternal characteristics to be associated with the experience of midwifery care during childbirth. We conclude that there is room for midwives to improve their care for women during childbirth particularly in improving the patient centeredness of the care provider, using strategies to enhance sense of control, and focusing on the particular needs of those who experience instrumental vaginal or unplanned cesarean births. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Avoiding plagiarism: guidance for nursing students.

    PubMed

    Price, Bob

    The pressures of study, diversity of source materials, past assumptions relating to good writing practice, ambiguous writing guidance on best practice and students' insecurity about their reasoning ability, can lead to plagiarism. With the use of source checking software, there is an increased chance that plagiarised work will be identified and investigated, and penalties given. In extreme cases, plagiarised work may be reported to the Nursing and Midwifery Council and professional as well as academic penalties may apply. This article provides information on how students can avoid plagiarism when preparing their coursework for submission.

  11. The fear factor of risk - clinical governance and midwifery talk and practice in the UK.

    PubMed

    Scamell, Mandie

    2016-07-01

    Through the critical application of social theory, this paper will scrutinise how the operations of risk management help to constitute midwives׳ understandings of childbirth in a particular way. Drawing from rich ethnographic data, collected in the southeast of England, the paper presents empirical evidence to critically explore how institutional concerns around risk and risk management impact upon the way midwives can legitimately imagine and manage labour and childbirth. Observational field notes, transcribed interviews with various midwives, along with material culture in the form of documentary evidence will be used to explore the unintended consequences of clinical governance and its risk management technologies. Through this analysis the fear factor of risk in midwifery talk and practice will be introduced to provide an insight into how risk management impacts midwifery practice in the UK. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. "The Child's World": a creative and visual trigger to stimulate student enquiry in a problem based learning module.

    PubMed

    Barron, Carol; Lambert, Veronica; Conlon, Joy; Harrington, Tracey

    2008-11-01

    Despite the abundance of literature on problem based learning (PBL) [Murray, I., Savin-Baden, M., 2000. Staff development in problem-based learning. Teaching in Higher Education 5 (1), 107-126; Johnson, A.K., Tinning, R.S., 2001. Meeting the challenge of problem-based learning: developing the facilitators. Nurse Education Today 21 (3), 161-169; McCourt, C., Thomas, G., 2001. Evaluation of a problem based curriculum in midwifery. Midwifery 17 (4), 323-331; Cooke, M., Moyle, K., 2002. Students' evaluation of problem-based learning. Nurse Education Today 22, 330-339; Haith-Cooper, M., 2003a. An exploration of tutors' experiences of facilitating problem-based learning. Part 1--an educational research methodology combining innovation and philosophical tradition. Nurse Education Today 23, 58-64; Haith-Cooper, M., 2003b. An exploration of tutor' experiences of facilitating problem-based learning. Part 2--implications for the facilitation of problem based learning. Nurse Education Today 23, 65-75; Rowan, C.J., Mc Court, C., Beake, S., 2007. Problem based learning in midwifery--The teacher's perspective. Nurse Education Today 27, 131-138; Rowan, C.J., Mc Court, C., Beake, S., 2008. Problem based learning in midwifery--The students' perspective. Nurse Education Today 28, 93-99] few studies focus on describing "triggers", the process involved in their development and their evaluation from students' perspective. It is clearly documented that well designed, open ended, real life and challenging "triggers" are key to the success of PBL implementation [Roberts, D., Ousey, K., 2004. Problem based learning: developing the triggers. Experiences from a first wave site. Nurse Education in Practice 4, 154-158, Gibson, I., 2005. Designing projects for learning. In: Barrett, T., Mac Labhrainn, I., Fallon, H., (Eds.), Handbook of Enquiry and Problem-based Learning: Irish Case Studies and International Perspectives. AISHE & CELT: NUI Galway. , Barrett, T

  13. An investigation into the use of aromatherapy in intrapartum midwifery practice.

    PubMed

    Burns, E E; Blamey, C; Ersser, S J; Barnetson, L; Lloyd, A J

    2000-04-01

    The principal aim of the study was to examine the contribution of aromatherapy to the promotion of maternal comfort during labor and as a tool to improve the quality of midwifery care. Evaluative study. Delivery suite in a large British teaching hospital with approximately 6,500 deliveries per annum. A total of 8,058 mothers were evaluated between 1990 and 1998. Women were offered aromatherapy to relieve anxiety, pain, nausea and/or vomiting or to strengthen contractions. Routine data collected on the use of aromatherapy over the period were analyzed. Data from the unit audit were used to provide a comparison group of mothers not given aromatherapy (n = 15,799) from the study center. Outcome measures include mothers' ratings of effectiveness, outcomes of labor, use of pharmacologic pain relief, uptake of intravenous oxytocin, reported associated symptoms, and annual costs. The use of aromatherapy during childbirth was an increasingly popular care option with mothers and midwives. More than 50% of mothers rated it as helpful, and only 14% found it unhelpful. The use of aromatherapy was not confined to low-risk mothers. Sixty percent of the sample were primigravidae, and 32% overall had had their labor induced. The administration of aromatherapy in childbirth did appear to reduce the need for additional pain relief in a proportion of mothers. More than 8% of primigravidae and 18% of multigravidae used no conventional pain relief during labor after using essential oils. During the years of the study, the use of pethidine in the study center declined from 6% to 0.2% of women. The study also showed that aromatherapy may have the potential to augment labor contractions for women in dysfunctional labour. A very low number of associated adverse symptoms were reported (1%). This study represents a successful example of the integration of a complementary therapy into mainstream midwifery practice and forms a basis for future research.

  14. Abortion-care education in Japanese nurse practitioner and midwifery programs: a national survey.

    PubMed

    Mizuno, Maki

    2014-01-01

    While various reports have been published concerning ethical dilemmas in nursing and midwifery, and while many nurses and midwives struggle with the conflict between personal feelings raised by abortion and the duties of their position, few studies investigate the extent and conditions of abortion-care education for registered nurses (RNs) and certified nurse-midwives (CNMs) in Japan. To describe Japanese abortion-care education programs and to investigate program directors' or other relevant persons' perceptions of abortion-care education. Descriptive study was used to determine the extent of abortion-care education programs and the respondents' perceptions of abortion-care education. All 228 Japanese nursing and/or midwifery schools were invited to participate in the study. The response rate was 33.8% (n=77). Response rate varied by program type: 18.4% (n=45) for nursing programs and 29.0% (n=32) for midwifery programs. A confidential survey requesting information about curricular coverage of ten reproductive health topics related to abortion was mailed to program directors. The results show that the majority of CNM and RN programs surveyed offer didactic exposure to instruction in family planning and contraception, emergency contraception, legal considerations, and possible medical complications. However, few programs offer clinical exposure to all 10 topics. Of the respondents, 36% reported that lack of time and the low priority given to abortion-care education were issues of curriculum priority. As for educational materials, few textbooks or guidebooks exist on abortion care in Japan, and most educators use general nursing textbooks to cover this topic. Regardless of interest in or intention to provide abortion services as part of their practice, all providers of abortion-care education need to be knowledgeable about the full range of reproductive health options, including family planning and abortion, and to be able to convey this information to clients

  15. How to attract health students to remote areas in Indonesia: a discrete choice experiment.

    PubMed

    Efendi, Ferry; Chen, Ching-Min; Nursalam, Nursalam; Andriyani, Nurul Wachyu Fitriyah; Kurniati, Anna; Nancarrow, Susan Alison

    2016-10-01

    Remote areas of Indonesia lack sufficient health workers to meet the health-care needs of the population. There is an urgent need for evidence regarding interventions to attract health workers and specifically health students to serve in remote areas. The aim of this research was to analyze the job preferences of health students to develop effective policies to improve the recruitment and retention of health students in remote areas. A discrete choice experiment was conducted to investigate health students' preferences regarding job characteristics. This study was conducted in three different regions of Indonesia, with a total included 400 health students. Mixed logit models were used to explore the stated preferences for each attribute. Data were collected from 150 medical, 150 nursing and 100 midwifery students. Medical students gave the highest preference for receiving study assistance, while nursing students viewed salary as the most important. Midwifery students valued advanced quality facilities as an important attribute. This study confirmed the importance of combination interventions in attracting and retaining health workers in remote areas of Indonesia. Money is not the only factor affecting student preferences to take up a rural post; good management and better facilities were viewed as important by all health students. Addressing health student preferences, which are the candidate of future health workforce, would help the nation solve the recruitment and retention issues. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  16. An exploratory qualitative analysis of student midwives views of teaching methods that could build their confidence to deliver perinatal bereavement care.

    PubMed

    Martin, Caroline J Hollins; Robb, Yvonne; Forrest, Eleanor

    2016-04-01

    Equipping student midwives with confidence to deliver bereavement care to childbearing women is a challenge for midwifery lecturers. To explore qualitative data provided by student midwives who evaluated the workbook Bereavement care for childbearing women and their families (Hollins Martin & Forrest, 2013) to explore their views of potential teaching strategies that could build their confidence to deliver real bereavement care. An exploratory qualitative thematic analysis was used to provide, analyse and report themes identified within data collected in a prior study. Participants were student midwives (n=179) in their second/third year of a midwifery degree program at 1 of 3 universities in the UK were included in the study. Data to evaluate effectiveness of the bereavement workbook as a teaching method was collected using a survey instrument. It was the comments written under questions by participants that were analysed in the present study. Three themes emerged: (1) increasing classroom interaction, (2) the importance of reflecting on emotions, and (3) need for experience. Although this study has addressed delivery of education that relates to midwives, the findings are cross transferable to other healthcare educators, practitioners, and students. Several solutions are proposed that could potentially build student confidence to deliver bereavement care: lecturers should (1) encourage group discussion in the classroom to help build student confidence to emotionally cope during real bereavement events; (2) ensure students gain exposure by encouraging qualified midwives to include them in real bereavement events early on in their training, and (3) develop packages of perinatal bereavement scenarios for simulation and rehearsal in the clinical skills laboratory. Post-implementation, it is recommended that these teaching strategies be evaluated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Midwifery-led care embedded within primary care: consumer satisfaction with a model in New Zealand.

    PubMed

    Pullon, Sue; Gray, Ben; Steinmetz, Monika; Molineux, Claire

    2014-12-01

    Providing quality maternity care for high-needs, socially deprived women from ethnic minority groups is challenging. Consumer satisfaction with maternity services is an important aspect of service evaluation for this group. This pilot study aimed to investigate the feasibility of using focus groups and interviews to gauge consumer satisfaction of maternity care by high-needs women, and to explore their perceptions of the Newtown Union Health Service (NUHS) model of a midwifery-led service embedded in primary care in Wellington, New Zealand (NZ). Following a previous audit of consumer satisfaction surveys collected over a six-year period, a qualitative pilot study using a thematic analytic approach was conducted at the NUHS in late 2011. The study assessed use of focus groups and interviews, interpreted where necessary, and considered the experiences reported by women about the model of care. Interviews and focus groups were successfully conducted with 11 women: two NZ European (individual interviews), six Cambodian (five in a focus group, one interview), and three Samoan (focus group). Using a thematic analytic approach, key themes identified from the focus group and interviews were: issues with survey form-filling; importance of accessibility and information; and relationships and communication with the midwifery team. Interviews and focus groups were well received, and indicated positive endorsement of the model of care. They also revealed some hitherto unknown concerns. Good quality feedback about satisfaction with a range of maternal and child health services helps service providers to provide the best possible start in life for children in high-needs families.

  18. Investigating First Year Education Students' Stress Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Geng, Gretchen; Midford, Richard

    2015-01-01

    This paper investigated the stress levels of first-year education students who undertake teaching practicum and theory units during their first year of teacher education program. First, 139 first-year and 143 other years' education students completed the PSS-10 scale, which measures perceived level of stress. Then, 147 first-year education…

  19. Early Years Students' Relationships with Mathematics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Takeuchi, Miwa Aoki; Towers, Jo; Plosz, Jennifer

    2016-01-01

    Early years mathematics experiences have been shown to be a significant predictor for students' school readiness and future mathematics achievement. Previous research also indicates an important connection between emotion and mathematics learning. How do students in early years education in Alberta describe their emotional relationship with…

  20. A mixed methods study to develop and pilot a competency assessment tool to support midwifery care of women with intellectual disabilities.

    PubMed

    Beake, Sarah; Clark, Louise L; Turner, Toni; Bick, Debra

    2013-08-01

    Recent reports have highlighted the poor quality of health care received by people with intellectual disabilities (otherwise known as 'learning disabilities') in the United Kingdom (UK). UK Confidential Enquiries into maternal deaths have highlighted adverse pregnancy outcomes for women with intellectual disabilities and need for timely and appropriate clinical care. To develop and test a competency assessment tool to support midwifery care of women with intellectual disabilities. A mixed methods study. Large inner city maternity unit. Midwives and key experts in intellectual disabilities, maternity policy and midwifery education. Phase one comprised a systematic narrative review of the literature. Evidence identified informed phase two which included focus groups and interviews. Emergent themes informed the development of a competency assessment tool which was piloted in phase three. Phase one: Four primary research papers and two systematic reviews met the review inclusion criteria. Support to develop parenting skills of women with intellectual disabilities was highlighted as was the need to optimise organisation of maternity services. No studies specifically considered midwifery competencies to support women with intellectual disabilities. Phase two: 23 midwives attended three focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with national leaders in intellectual disability (n=6) and midwifery policy and education (n=7). Themes identified included need for individualised care provided by a known midwife, the importance of effective communication skills and need for clear knowledge and understanding of the legislative framework relevant to intellectual disability. Phase three: A convenience sample of 60 midwives was asked to participate in a pilot study to test the tool, 46 (77%) of whom responded. Thirty midwives (65%) felt competent in their ability to recognise intellectual disability and 37 (80%) competent or expert in understanding women have the right

  1. Smoking Patterns, Attitudes and Motives: Unique Characteristics among 2-Year versus 4-Year College Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berg, C. J.; An, L. C.; Thomas, J. L.; Lust, K. A.; Sanem, J. R.; Swan, D. W.; Ahluwalia, J. S.

    2011-01-01

    Given the previously documented higher rates of smoking among 2-year college students in comparison with 4-year university students, this study compares smoking patterns, attitudes and motives among 2-year and 4-year college students. Two thousand two hundred and sixty-five undergraduate students aged 18-25 years at a 2-year college and a 4-year…

  2. Middle Years Students Influencing Local Policy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marshman, Margaret

    2015-01-01

    Middle Years students often do not see mathematics as useful. Authentic and real mathematics tasks and artefacts are frequently advocated as arresting this situation. However, often such experiences are contrived and lack authenticity. This paper reports on how a group of Middle Years students used mathematics and technology to engage in a real…

  3. Improving the Retention of First Year Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bishop, Graham

    The thesis compares student attrition rates in two UWS Schools for 2004 and 2005. It analyses possible reasons why students discontinue and identifies strategies and approaches to improving the quality of the teaching and learning environment for these students. The thesis focuses on the retention of first year students in the School of Engineering at the University of Western Sydney. Low retention rates are costly to the university, leading to inefficient use of resources, failure to fulfil student aspirations, and intervention between the university and the student. In each chapter, the thesis addresses student retention, satisfaction and performance and the interrelation between them and outlines the measures taken by the School of Engineering to improve these measurements for students commencing in 2006 and proposes many recommendations for further improvements in subsequent years. Each chapter addresses these issues by following the student pathway, commencing with the student leaving High School and entering their chosen university and course of study. At each stage, the relevant issues are addressed which have a direct or indirect impact on student retention, satisfaction and performance. Use is made of reports and papers published by universities and organisations, as outlined in the Literature Review. The research questions provide data through the results obtained from surveys. Typical Retention Rates are 75% for UWS, 81% for the Sector, 76% for the New Generation Universities (NGUs) and 62% for the School of Engineering on which this research is focussed. This thesis confirms the research from many countries that closely links student retention with the quality of teaching and learning. Key issues are: • a sound first year student orientation and welcome by staff; encountering efficient, effective and accurate student. The introduction of a more effective and tailored orientation program in 2007 attracted, at UWS School of Engineering, 92% attendance

  4. 'She sort of shines': midwives' accounts of 'good' midwifery and 'good' leadership.

    PubMed

    Byrom, Sheena; Downe, Soo

    2010-02-01

    to explore midwives' accounts of the characteristics of 'good' leadership and 'good' midwifery. a phenomenological interview survey. Participants were asked about what made both good and poor midwives and leaders. two maternity departments within National Health Service trusts in the North West of England. qualified midwives, selected by random sampling stratified to encompass senior and junior grades. thematic analysis, carried out manually. ten midwives were interviewed. Sixteen codes and six sub-themes were generated. Across the responses, two clear dimensions (themes) were identified, relating on the one hand to aspects of knowledge, skill and competence (termed 'skilled competence'), and on the other hand to specific personality characteristics (termed 'emotional intelligence'). This study suggests that the ability to act knowledgeably, safely and competently was seen as a basic requirement for both clinical midwives and midwife leaders. The added element which made both the midwife and the leader 'good' was the extent of their emotional capability. this small-scale in-depth study could form the basis for hypothesis generation for larger scale work in this area in future. The findings offer some reinforcement for the potential applicability of theories of transformational leadership to midwifery management and practice. Copyright 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Remote midwifery in Nunavik, Québec, Canada: outcomes of perinatal care for the Inuulitsivik health centre, 2000-2007.

    PubMed

    Van Wagner, Vicki; Osepchook, Claire; Harney, Evelyn; Crosbie, Colleen; Tulugak, Mina

    2012-09-01

    The Inuulitsivik midwifery service is a community-based, Inuit-led initiative serving the Hudson coast of the Nunavik region of northern Québec. This study of outcomes for the Inuulitsivik birth centers, aims to improve understanding of maternity services in remote communities. We used a retrospective review of perinatal outcome data collected at each birth at the Inuulitsivik birth centers to examine outcomes for 1,372 labors and 1,382 babies from 2000 to 2007. Data were incomplete for some indicators, particularly for transfers to Montreal. Findings revealed low rates of intervention with safe outcomes in this young, largely multiparous "all risk" Inuit population. Ninety-seven percent of births were documented as spontaneous vaginal deliveries, and 85 percent of births were attended by midwives. Eighty-six percent of the labors occurred in Nunavik, whereas 13.7 percent occurred outside Nunavik. The preterm birth rate was found to be 10.6 percent. Postpartum hemorrhage was documented in 15.4 percent of women; of these cases, 6.9 percent had blood loss greater than 1,000 mL. Four fetal deaths (2.9 per 1,000) and five neonatal deaths (< 3.6 per 1,000) were documented. Nine percent (9%) of births involved urgent transfers of mother or baby. The most common reasons for medical evacuation were preterm labor and preeclampsia, and preterm birth was the most common reason for urgent neonatal transfer. The success of the Innulitsivik midwifery service rests on the knowledge and skills of the Inuit midwives, and support of an interprofessional health team. Our study points to the potential for safe, culturally competent local care in remote communities without cesarean section capacity. Our findings support recommendations for integration of midwifery services and Aboriginal midwifery education programs in remote communities. © 2012, Copyright the Authors, Journal compilation © 2012, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. From personal reflection to social positioning: the development of a transformational model of professional education in midwifery.

    PubMed

    Phillips, Diane; Fawns, Rod; Hayes, Barbara

    2002-12-01

    A transformational model of professional identity formation, anchored and globalized in workplace conversations, is advanced. Whilst the need to theorize the aims and methods of clinical education has been served by the techno-rational platform of 'reflective practice', this platform does not provide an adequate psychological tool to explore the dynamics of social episodes in professional learning and this led us to positioning theory. Positioning theory is one such appropriate tool in which individuals metaphorically locate themselves within discursive action in everyday conversations to do with personal positioning, institutional practices and societal rhetoric. This paper develops the case for researching social episodes in clinical education through professional conversations where midwifery students, in practice settings, are encouraged to account for their moment-by-moment interactions with their preceptors/midwives and university mentors. It is our belief that the reflection elaborated by positioning theory should be considered as the new epistemology for professional education where professional conversations are key to transformative learning processes for persons and institutions.

  7. Introducing a buddying scheme for first year pre-registration students.

    PubMed

    Campbell, Anne

    Student buddying schemes have been found to be helpful for a variety of different university students. This article describes a scheme where first year pre-registration child nursing students are buddied with second-year students, which was first initiated in the academic year 2012/2013. The first year students were aware that peer support was available but contact was only maintained by a minority of students. At present it is uncertain what impact the scheme has had on attrition figures, particularly in the first year. Initial evaluation indicates that students found the scheme helpful and would like it to continue to be available to first-year students.

  8. Irish Medical Students Understanding of the Intern Year.

    PubMed

    Gouda, P; Kitt, K; Evans, D S; Goggin, D; McGrath, D; Last, J; Hennessy, M; Arnett, R; O'Flynn, S; Dunne, F; O'Donovan, D

    2016-04-11

    Upon completion of medical school in Ireland, graduates must make the transition to becoming interns. The transition into the intern year may be described as challenging as graduates assume clinical responsibilities. Historically, a survey of interns in 1996 found that 91% felt unprepared for their role. However, recent surveys in 2012 have demonstrated that this is changing with preparedness rates reaching 52%. This can be partially explained by multiple initiatives at the local and national level. Our study aimed evaluate medical student understanding of the intern year and associated factors. An online, cross-sectional survey was sent out to all Irish medical students in 2013 and included questions regarding their understanding of the intern year. Two thousand, two hundred and forty-eight students responded, with 1,224 (55.4%) of students agreeing or strongly agreeing that they had a good understanding of what the intern year entails. This rose to 485 (73.7%) among senior medical students. Of junior medical students, 260 (42.8%) indicated they understood what the intern year, compared to 479 (48.7%) of intermediate medical students. Initiatives to continue improving preparedness for the intern year are essential in ensuring a smooth and less stressful transition into the medical workforce.

  9. Facilitating access to prenatal care through an interprofessional student-run free clinic.

    PubMed

    Danhausen, Kathleen; Joshi, Deepa; Quirk, Sarah; Miller, Robert; Fowler, Michael; Schorn, Mavis N

    2015-01-01

    Addressing the persistent challenge of inadequate prenatal care requires innovative solutions. Student-run free health centers are poised to rise to this challenge. The Shade Tree Clinic Early Pregnancy Program, jointly operated by university medical and nursing programs, functions as an ongoing access-to-care portal for pregnant women without health insurance. The clinic is run by medical students and nurse-midwifery students and uses a service-based learning model that allows students to work and learn in supervised, interprofessional teams while providing evidence-based prenatal care. All data reported in this paper were obtained from a retrospective chart review of women served by the prenatal clinic. These data are descriptive in nature, and include the patient demographics and services provided by the clinic to 152 women between the years of 2010-2013. During this time period, the clinic served a demographically diverse clientele. Approximately half lacked documentation of legal immigration status. The majority of women seeking care were in their first trimester of pregnancy and had previously given birth. Several women had medical or obstetric complications that required timely referral to specialist care; and many women received treatment for infection and other primary care concerns. Shade Tree Clinic provides the basic components of prenatal care and assists women with other medical needs. Women also receive help when applying for and accessing public maternity insurance, and the clinic facilitates entry to any necessary specialist care while that insurance is processed. In many cases, necessary and time-sensitive care would be delayed if Shade Tree Clinic's prenatal services were not available. In addition, the clinic presents a valuable opportunity for interprofessional socialization, increased respect, and improved collaboration between students in different but complementary professions, which is an important experience while we move to meet national

  10. An exploration of the perceived factors that affect the learning and transfer of skills taught to student midwives.

    PubMed

    Longworth, Mary K

    2013-08-01

    the aim of this study was to examine the attitudes of student midwives towards skills training and practise. The objectives were to explore the factors in the skills laboratory environment and in clinical practice which affect how successfully student midwives transfer into clinical practice the various skills they have learnt in preparation for an Objective Structured Clinical Examination. a review of the background literature revealed that there were many variables related to successful transfer of skills in general but there appeared to be a gap around perceived factors affecting transfer of skills of student midwives. a mixed methods design was conducted using both questionnaires and semi-structured interviews between June and August 2010. questionnaires were administered to all midwifery students at one university in Wales. These were later followed by semi-structured interviews for 6 student midwives who were purposively selected from all year groups. the results from the questionnaires revealed that a majority of students had positive attitudes to educators and mentors and to their skills acquisition experience in the skills laboratory and to the available opportunities to practise in clinical practice. Although students believed in the transferability of skills from the laboratory setting to clinical practice, a majority thought that clinical practice provided them with a better opportunity to learn clinical skills. The semi-structured interviews demonstrated that facilitating factors in the skills laboratory included having adequate instruction as well as having a designated space. Hindering factors included unrealistic models and equipment. In clinical practice, facilitating factors included having the opportunities to practise skills and support and feedback from the mentor. Hindering factors included deficits in the student-mentor relationship. this study highlighted that midwifery students must be adequately prepared to carry out clinical skills

  11. The use of electronic books in midwifery education: the student perspective.

    PubMed

    Appleton, Leo

    2004-12-01

    The objectives of this paper are: (i) to illustrate the use of e-books by health studies students at a college of higher education; (ii) to provide a demonstration of how e-books may be facilitated by library and information services staff working across the health and academic sectors; (iii) to comment upon the experiences of health studies students, in using e-books. A focus group of 10 student midwives was used to gain insight into how e-books may be used in an academic context for health professionals. The findings of the student midwives' focus group are reported and discussed. In this instance, the student midwives were encouraged to use e-books as part of a structured information skills programme. The paper concentrates on how the e-books were used within this context and addresses the potential benefits and disadvantages from a student perspective. The results provide evidence of a largely positive experience of using e-books as an electronic information resource. The focus group reveals many benefits and advantages in the facilitation and use of e-books, as well as addressing areas for development. It is concluded that e-books have a place in health library and information resources, but further development of e-books and e-book collections is required and subsequent investigation into their most effective use.

  12. Student nurses' attitudes to vulnerable groups: a study examining the impact of a social inclusion module.

    PubMed

    Wray, Jane; Walker, Liz; Fell, Benedict; Benedict

    2008-05-01

    Front line health care professionals have a responsibility to ensure that excluded groups and vulnerable people have equitable access to health care services. This obligation is stated explicitly in the Nursing and Midwifery Council Code of Professional Conduct (2004). Consequently, educationalists involved in the delivery of nurse education have sought to promote the principles of socially inclusive and anti-oppressive practice throughout the curriculum. This quantitative study, conducted with a group of nursing and midwifery university students, aimed to examine student attitudes prior to and on completion of a module on social inclusion/exclusion. The data demonstrated that the majority of students surveyed held views that were generally positive and inclusive. Yet, a small group of respondents held stereotypical views potentially compromising their ability to provide health care. This study identified important gaps within the current curriculum and the need for educators in the field of Health and Social Care to concentrate efforts throughout the curriculum on challenging stereotypical views and attitudes rather than assuming that students can understand the complex concepts of social inclusion in a stand alone module. The students who took part in the study generally held positive views and values and the module was to some extent able to shape their perspective on vulnerable people.

  13. Evaluation of School of health students' ethics position in Turkey.

    PubMed

    Şen, Emine; Dal, Nursel Alp; Üstün, Çağatay; Okursoy, Algın

    2017-03-01

    The advances in science and technology increasingly lead to the appearance of ethical issues and to the complexity of care. Therefore, it is important to define the ethics position of students studying in health departments so that high quality patient care can be achieved. The aim of this study was to examine the ethics position of the students at Shool of Health of an University in western Turkey. The study design was descriptive and cross-sectional. The study population included 540 first, second, third, and fourth year students from the Departments of Nursing, Midwifery, and Rescue and Disaster Management in the 2013-2014 academic year. Data were collected with a Personal Identification Form and The Ethics Position Questionnaire. Obtained data were analyzed with Chi-square test, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and Nested Analysis of Variance. Ethical considerations: Before conducting the research, approval was obtained from Ege University Clinical Research Ethics Committee in İzmir and written informed consent was taken from all the participants. There was no significant difference in the mean scores for the Ethics Position Questionnaire between the students in terms of years and fields of study. Although the mean scores for the subscale idealism did not differ between fields of study, the mean scores significantly differed between years of study. However, the mean scores for the subscale relativism did not differ in terms of years and fields of study. Whether students are idealistic or relativistic in terms of ethical judgment will be effective in ethical decision-making skills during patient care. Therefore, we need to define the factors that influence students' ethics position in the future. It is suggested that the courses and practices that teach students to be aware of their ethics position to create an ethical outlook can be placed in the curriculum in health schools.

  14. Burnout Syndrome Among Health Care Students: The Role of Type D Personality.

    PubMed

    Skodova, Zuzana; Lajciakova, Petra; Banovcinova, Lubica

    2016-07-18

    The aim of this study was to examine the effect of Type D personality, along with other personality traits (resilience and sense of coherence), on burnout syndrome and its counterpart, engagement, among students of nursing, midwifery, and psychology. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 97 university students (91.9% females; M age = 20.2 ± 1.49 years). A Type D personality subscale, School Burnout Inventory, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, Sense of Coherence Questionnaire, and Baruth Protective Factor Inventory were used. Linear regression models, Student's t test, and Pearson's correlation analysis were employed. Negative affectivity, a dimension of Type D personality, was a significant personality predictor for burnout syndrome (β = .54; 95% CI = [0.33, 1.01]). The only significant personality predictor of engagement was a sense of coherence. Students who were identified as having Type D personality characteristics scored significantly higher on the burnout syndrome questionnaire (t = -2.58, p < .01). In health care professions, personality predictors should be addressed to prevent burnout. © The Author(s) 2016.

  15. Clinical nursing and midwifery research in African countries: a scoping review.

    PubMed

    Sun, Carolyn; Larson, Elaine

    2015-05-01

    Globally, the nursing shortage has been deemed a crisis, but African countries have been hit hardest. Therefore, it is of utmost importance nurses use the best available evidence and that nursing research is targeted to address gaps in the evidence. To achieve this, an understanding of what is currently available and identification of gaps in clinical nursing research is critical. We performed a scoping review of existing literature to assess clinical nursing research conducted in all African countries over the past decade, identify gaps in clinical nursing and midwifery research, determine whether they match with health priorities for countries, and define priorities for regional clinical nursing research agendas to improve health outcomes. This is a scoping review of published clinical nursing research conducted in African countries. Systematic searches of literature published between January 01, 2004 and September 15, 2014 were performed in PubMed, Medline, CINHAL, and Embase. Research was included if it was conducted by nurses, included data obtained in African countries or regions within the African continent, published in a peer-reviewed journal with an abstract, and included patient outcomes. Abstracts were independently reviewed for inclusion by two authors. The following data were extracted: countries of publication and study, study type and design, journal, language, and topics of research. Gaps in the literature were identified. Initially, 1091 papers were identified with a final sample of 73 articles meeting inclusion criteria. Studies used 12 designs, were published in 35 journals published in five countries (including two African countries); 29% of the research was published in a single journal (Curatonis). Research was mostly qualitative (57%) and included twenty countries in Africa (38%). There were 12 major topics of study, most often midwifery/maternal/child health (43%), patient experiences (38%), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV

  16. Improving interprofessional coordination in Dutch midwifery and obstetrics: a qualitative study

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Coordination between the autonomous professional groups in midwifery and obstetrics is a key debate in the Netherlands. At the same time, it remains unclear what the current coordination challenges are. Methods To examine coordination challenges that might present a barrier to delivering optimal care, we conducted a qualitative field study focusing on midwifery and obstetric professional’s perception of coordination and on their routines. We undertook 40 interviews with 13 community midwives, 8 hospital-based midwives and 19 obstetricians (including two resident obstetricians), and conducted non-participatory observations at the worksite of these professional groups. Results We identified challenges in terms of fragmented organizational structures, different perspectives on antenatal health and inadequate interprofessional communication. These challenges limited professionals' coordinating capacity and thereby decreased their ability to provide optimal care. We also found that pregnant women needed to compensate for suboptimal coordination between community midwives and secondary caregivers by taking on an active role in facilitating communication between these professionals. Conclusions The communicative role that pregnant women play within coordination processes underlines the urgency to improve coordination. We recommend increasing multidisciplinary meetings and training, revising the financial reimbursement system, implementing a shared maternity notes system and decreasing the expertise gap between providers and clients. In the literature, communication by clients in support of coordination has been largely ignored. We suggest that studies include client communication as part of the coordination process. PMID:24731478

  17. Techniques to reduce perineal pain during spontaneous vaginal delivery and perineal suturing: a UK survey of midwifery practice.

    PubMed

    Sanders, Julia; Peters, Tim J; Campbell, Rona

    2005-06-01

    To investigate use of pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods of perineal analgesia used by midwives during the second stage of labour and perineal repair in the UK. Postal survey. Self-complete questionnaires were sent to Heads of Midwifery in all 219 maternity units in the UK. Information was requested on the number and type of deliveries undertaken in the previous year and on the midwifery procedures used to provide pain relief immediately before delivery and for perineal repair. Details were also sought on local anaesthetics given before episiotomy or perineal repair. 207 completed questionnaires were returned providing information on 210 maternity units. Midwives reported using a variety of non-pharmacological analgesic methods to control pain at the end of the second stage of labour. Hot packs were used in 70 (33%) maternity units, cold packs in 44 (21%) and perineal massage in 109 (52%). Midwives in 131 (62%) maternity units used injectable local anaesthetics to control perineal pain. All units advocated use of local anaesthetic before episiotomy or perineal repair, but the reported doses used varied widely. The literature on levels of pain experienced immediately before spontaneous vaginal delivery and during perineal repair is sparse, but what evidence exists suggests that, for some women, these occasions are accompanied by severe pain. Findings from this survey show that there is considerable variation in what midwives provide to control pain. Formal evaluation of the perineal analgesia offered to women during the second stage of labour is urgently required.

  18. Financial expectations of first-year veterinary students.

    PubMed

    Lim, Christine C; Schulhofer-Wohl, Sam; Root Kustritz, Margaret V; Molgaard, Laura K; Lee, David

    2015-07-15

    To assess student awareness of the financial costs of pursuing a veterinary education, to determine student expectations for financial returns of a veterinary career, and to identify associations between student debt and factors such as future career plans or personality type. Survey. First-year veterinary students at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine. In 2013, prior to the first day of class, all incoming first-year students received an email invitation to complete an online survey. The survey contained questions about demographics, current financial situation, current debt, expected debt at graduation, expected annual income following graduation, intent to pursue specialty training, and Myers-Briggs personality type. 72 of 102 (71%) students completed the survey; 65 respondents answered all relevant questions and provided usable data. Student responses for expected debt at graduation were comparable to national averages for veterinary college graduates; responses for expected annual income following graduation were lower than averages for University of Minnesota veterinary college graduates and national averages. However, students predicted even lower annual income if they did not attend veterinary college. Expected debt and expected annual income were not correlated with factors such as personality type or future career plans. Results indicated that first-year veterinary students were aware of the financial costs of their veterinary education and had realistic expectations for future salaries. For typical veterinary students, attending veterinary college appeared to be financially worthwhile, given lower expected earnings otherwise.

  19. What Prevents Quality Midwifery Care? A Systematic Mapping of Barriers in Low and Middle Income Countries from the Provider Perspective

    PubMed Central

    McConville, Fran; Portela, Anayda

    2016-01-01

    Background Quality of care is essential for further progress in reducing maternal and newborn deaths. The integration of educated, trained, regulated and licensed midwives into the health system is associated with improved quality of care and sustained decreases in maternal and newborn mortality. To date, research on barriers to quality of care for women and newborns has not given due attention to the care provider’s perspective. This paper addresses this gap by presenting the findings of a systematic mapping of the literature of the social, economic and professional barriers preventing midwifery personnel in low and middle income countries (LMICs) from providing quality of care. Methods and Findings A systematic search of five electronic databases for literature published between January 1990 and August 2013. Eligible items included published and unpublished items in all languages. Items were screened against inclusion and exclusion criteria, yielding 82 items from 34 countries. 44% discussed countries or regions in Africa, 38% in Asia, and 5% in the Americas. Nearly half the articles were published since 2011. Data was extracted and presented in a narrative synthesis and tables. Items were organized into three categories; social; economic and professional barriers, based on an analytical framework. Barriers connected to the socially and culturally constructed context of childbirth, although least reported, appear instrumental in preventing quality midwifery care. Conclusions Significant social and cultural, economic and professional barriers can prevent the provision of quality midwifery care in LMICs. An analytical framework is proposed to show how the overlaps between the barriers reinforce each other, and that they arise from gender inequality. Links are made between burn out and moral distress, caused by the barriers, and poor quality care. Ongoing mechanisms to improve quality care will need to address the barriers from the midwifery provider perspective

  20. Conceptualization of competency based curricula in pre-service nursing and midwifery education: A grounded theory approach.

    PubMed

    Muraraneza, Claudine; Mtshali, Gloria Ntombifikile

    2018-01-01

    In health professional education, the competency-based curriculum concept has been an important driver of reform in the training of competent graduates for the 21st century. In African countries, although there has been implementing it in pre-service nursing and midwifery education and the literature reports a lack of understanding of what is it on the part of the implementers. This article explores the meaning of competency based curriculum in pre-service nursing and midwifery education in Rwanda. A grounded theory approach, following Corbin and Strauss, was used. Following ethical clearance by the university ethical committee, data was collected from 17 participants through in-depth individual interviews of staff. Four categories emerged: (a) transformation, (b) tool for primary health care philosophy, (c) technological approach to education, (d) and modular system. Competency-based curriculum is confirmed as an appropriate educational tool in producing competent graduates for today and the future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. "Secrets of the female sex": Jane Sharp, the reproductive female body, and early modern midwifery manuals.

    PubMed

    Hobby, E

    2001-01-01

    Early modern midwifery manuals in Britain were usually the work of men. These books were a significant source of information about the body to the wider reading public: many sold well, and their prefatory materials include injunctions to readers not to make improper use of them. What is particularly interesting about Jane Sharp's Midwives Book (1671) is that it both provides a compendium of current beliefs concerning reproduction, and indicates the author's ironic perception of the misogyny that underpinned accepted ideas about the female reproductive body. This article gives key examples of Sharp's interventions, and also refers to Thomas Bartholin, Bartholinus Anatomy (1688); Richard Bunworth, The Doctresse (1656); Hugh Chamberlen, The Accomplisht Midwife (1673); The Compleat Midwifes Practice (1656); Helkiah Crooke, Microcosmographia (1615); Nicholas Culpeper, A Directory for Midwives (1651); Jacques Guillemeau, Childbirth (1612); Jean Riolan, A Sure Guide (1657); Daniel Sennert, Practical Physick (1664); William Sermon, The Ladies Companion (1671); and Percival Willughby, Observations in Midwifery (c. 1675).

  2. Healthcare students' knowledge and opinions about the Argentinean abortion law.

    PubMed

    Provenzano-Castro, Belén; Oizerovich, Silvia; Stray-Pedersen, Babill

    2016-03-01

    Abortion is legally restricted in Argentina. Although this law is almost 100 years old, most women who meet the criteria for legal abortion are not informed of or offered this possibility within the healthcare system. Healthcare students' knowledge and opinions on abortion may influence their future practice. They may deny a woman with an unwanted pregnancy a practice to which she is legally entitled, resulting in an unsafe abortion. This study assessed knowledge and personal opinions on the abortion law among first year healthcare students in order to design adequate educational strategies. In this descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional study, structured self-administered questionnaires were administered to 781 first year medical, nursing, midwifery, and other healthcare students from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires from 2011 to 2013. Data were recorded anonymously in SPSS 20. Student samples were adjusted for gender and fields of study using the University statistics. Of the students, 48.8% did not know the current regulations. Most of the students thought abortion was legally restricted and failed to recognize the circumstances in which it is allowed. Over 75% of the students were pro-abortion, especially those with sexual experience. Students lack sound knowledge on the abortion law that may affect their personal lives and influence their future professional practice. It is crucial that medical schools include sexual and reproductive health issues in their curricula in order to ensure better quality healthcare services in the future. In Argentina, approximately 400,000 abortions are performed every year, many under unsafe conditions, resulting in one third of the maternal deaths for the past decade. High quality sexual and reproductive healthcare services are a key strategy to improve adolescents' and women's health, thereby lowering maternal mortality. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Rational pharmacotherapy training for fourth-year medical students.

    PubMed

    Gelal, Ayse; Gumustekin, Mukaddes; Arici, M Aylin; Gidener, Sedef

    2013-01-01

    In this study we aimed to evaluate the impact of Rational Pharmacotherapy (RPT) course program, reinforced by video footages, on the rational pharmacotherapy skills of the students. RPT course program has been conducted in Dokuz Eylul University School of Medicine since 2008/9. The course has been organised in accordance with World Health Organisation (WHO) Good Prescribing Guide. The aim of the course was to improve the problem solving skills (methodology for selection of the (p)ersonel-drug, prescription writing and informing patient about his illness and drugs) and communication skills of students. The impact of the course has been measured by pre/post-test design by an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). In academic year 2010/11, to further improve OSCE score of the students we added doctor-patient communication video footages to the RPT course programme. During training, the students were asked to evaluate the doctor-patient communication and prescription on two video footages using a checklist followed by group discussions. Total post-test OSCE score was significantly higher for 2010/11 academic year students (n = 147) than it was for 2009/10 year students (n = 131). The 2010/11 academic year students performed significantly better than the 2009/10 academic year students on four steps of OSCE. These steps were "defining the patient's problem", "specifying the therapeutic objective", "specifying the non-pharmacological treatment" and "choosing a (drug) treatment, taking all relevant patient characteristics into account". The present study demonstrated that the implementation of video footages and group discussions to WHO/Good Prescribing Method improved the fourth-year medical students' performance in rational pharmacotherapy skills.

  4. Teaching research methodology to student midwives through a socio-constructivist educational model: The experience of the high school for science and health techniques of Tunis.

    PubMed

    Gherissi, Atf; Tinsa, Francine; Soussi, Sonia; Benzarti, Anis

    2016-02-01

    Since its independence in 1956, Tunisia's maternal health indicators have steadily improved as the result of the implementation of a national holistic strategy that emancipated women and developed midwifery education and maternal health services provision. The last review of the midwifery education programme, occurred in 2008, and was based on evidence based core competencies. This paper describes the implementation process of the socio-constructivist educational model used by to teach research methodology to student midwives, the changes observed among them, the challenges and the lessons learned. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Capacity building of skilled birth attendants: a review of pre-service education curricula.

    PubMed

    Adegoke, Adetoro A; Mani, Safiyanu; Abubakar, Aisha; van den Broek, Nynke

    2013-07-01

    to assess the level, type and content of pre-service education curricula of health workers providing maternity services against the ICM global standards for Midwifery Education and Essential competencies for midwifery practice. We reviewed the quality and relevance of pre-service education curricula of four cadres of health-care providers of maternity care in Northern Nigeria. we adapted and used the ICM global standards for Midwifery Education and Essential competencies for midwifery practice to design a framework of criteria against which we assessed curricula for pre-service training. We reviewed the pre-service curricula for Nurses, Midwives, Community Health Extension Workers (CHEW) and Junior Community Health Extension Workers (JCHEW) in three states. Criteria against which the curricula were evaluated include: minimum entry requirement, the length of the programme, theory: practice ratio, curriculum model, minimum number of births conducted during training, clinical experience, competencies, maximum number of students allowable and proportion of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health components (MNCH) as part of the total curriculum. four pre-service education programmes were reviewed; the 3 year basic midwifery, 3 year basic nursing, 3 year Community Health Extension Worker (CHEW) and 2 year Junior Community Health Extension Worker (JCHEW) programme. Findings showed that, none of these four training curricula met all the standards. The basic midwifery curriculum most closely met the standards and competencies set out. The nursing curriculum showed a strong focus on foundations of nursing practice, theories of nursing, public health and maternal newborn and child health. This includes well-defined modules on family health which are undertaken from the first year to the third year of the programme. The CHEW and JCHEW curricula are currently inadequate with regard to training health-care workers to be skilled birth attendants. although the midwifery curriculum

  6. An investigation on the quality of midwifery services from the viewpoint of the clients in Isfahan through SERVQUAL model.

    PubMed

    Oliaee, Zohreh; Jabbari, Alireza; Ehsanpour, Soheila

    2016-01-01

    Quality of care is of great importance in health services as these services have the important mission to preserve health, and to give care to the society. The present study aimed to investigate the quality of midwifery services from the viewpoint of the clients, under coverage of health care centers in Isfahan, through SERVQUAL model. This descriptive and analytical study was conducted on 218 subjects in 2014. Study population comprised the women referring to midwifery services clinics in health care centers in Isfahan. Data of the subjects (n = 218) were collected by SERVQUAL model containing the dimensions of tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Data were analyzed by paired t-test, Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficients, and independent t-test through SPSS 20. There was a negative gap in all five relevant dimensions of giving services. The widest gap was in the mean of dimension of tangibles (-1.5), and the narrowest gap was in the dimension of assurance (-0.9). There was no significant association between the scores of expectations and perceptions, and age, education level, occupation, and marital status. The obtained negative gap showed that the level of service receivers' perception from existing condition was far from their expectation, and there was a wide gap between attaining their satisfaction with midwifery services and their expectation and reaching their appropriate level of services.

  7. Exploring sexual attitudes of students in health professions.

    PubMed

    Papaharitou, Stamatis; Nakopoulou, Evangelia; Moraitou, Martha; Tsimtsiou, Zoi; Konstantinidou, Eleni; Hatzichristou, Dimitrios

    2008-06-01

    Patients' sexual concerns are frequently underestimated because of health professionals' reluctance to address sexual health issues. Though it has been documented that sexual attitudes are extremely influential in everyday clinical practice, limited data exist on identifying health professionals' attitudes. To explore sexual attitudes in medical students and students in allied health professions. The Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory (DSFI)-Attitude Subscale was used to assess sexual attitudes. The sample included 1st and 4th year college students enrolled in the following academic departments/schools of two academic institutions leading to health professions: medical school, psychology, pharmaceutical school, nursing and midwifery. Demographic data were obtained relating to sexual behaviors and information sources on sexual issues. Data were analyzed using independent samples t-test and two-way analysis of variance, as well as logistic regression and Pearson's correlation coefficient. A total of 714 students (81.9% females) participated in the study: 48.5% 1st year students and 51.5% seniors with a mean age of 20.17 years (SD = 1.87, range 17-25). Using iterative cluster analysis on DSFI scores, participants were divided in conservative (N = 167), liberal (N = 224), and neutral (N = 323) clusters. A significant gender difference on sexual attitudes was obtained (P < 0.001) with male students being more liberal compared to females (mean = 18.26 and mean = 11.13, respectively). Differences were also revealed for the field but not for the year of study. Analysis also revealed that liberalism in sexual attitudes is more likely to be affected by a liberal stance toward religion (OR: 2.39), receiving information for sexual matters mainly from peers (OR: 1.86), and media influence on students' sexual life (OR: 1.68). Gender, personal values, and experiences influence students' attitudes toward sexual issues. Since negative attitudes can impede effective sexual

  8. Classmate Peer-Coaching: "A Study Buddy Support Scheme"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thalluri, Jyothi; O'Flaherty, Jackie A.; Shepherd, Paul L.

    2014-01-01

    This study had two aims: firstly, to determine whether participation in a peer support scheme called Study Buddy Support (SBS) improves pass rates of "at risk" students, and secondly, to examine the advantages of this model over hierarchical models where senior students tutor junior years. Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery students in a…

  9. Scoring and setting pass/fail standards for an essay certification examination in nurse-midwifery.

    PubMed

    Fullerton, J T; Greener, D L; Gross, L J

    1992-03-01

    Examination for certification or licensure of health professionals (credentialing) in the United States is almost exclusively of the multiple choice format. The certification examination for entry into the practice of the profession of nurse-midwifery has, however, used a modified essay format throughout its twenty-year history. The examination has recently undergone a revision in the method for score interpretation and for pass/fail decision-making. The revised method, described in this paper, has important implications for all health professional credentialing agencies which use modified essay, oral or practical methods of competency assessment. This paper describes criterion-referenced scoring, the process of constructing the essay items, the methods for assuring validity and reliability for the examination, and the manner of standard setting. In addition, two alternative methods for increasing the validity of the pass/fail decision are evaluated, and the rationale for decision-making about marginal candidates is described.

  10. Procedural and interpretive skills of medical students: experiences and attitudes of fourth-year students.

    PubMed

    Wu, Edward H; Elnicki, D Michael; Alper, Eric J; Bost, James E; Corbett, Eugene C; Fagan, Mark J; Mechaber, Alex J; Ogden, Paul E; Sebastian, James L; Torre, Dario M

    2008-10-01

    Recent data do not exist regarding fourth-year medical students' performance of and attitudes toward procedural and interpretive skills, and how these differ from third-year students'. Cross-sectional survey conducted in February 2006 of 122 fourth-year students from seven U.S. medical schools, compared with their responses in summer 2005. Students estimated their cumulative performance of 22 skills and reported self-confidence and perceived importance using a five-point Likert-type scale. The response rate was 79% (96/122). A majority reported never having performed cardioversion, thoracentesis, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, blood culture, purified protein derivative placement, or paracentesis. One fifth of students had never performed peripheral intravenous catheter insertion, phlebotomy, or arterial blood sampling. Students reported increased cumulative performance of 17 skills, increased self-confidence in five skills, and decreased perceived importance in three skills (two-sided P < .05). A majority of fourth-year medical students still have never performed important procedures, and a substantial minority have not performed basic procedures.

  11. The effects of simulated patients and simulated gynecologic models on student anxiety in providing IUD services.

    PubMed

    Khadivzadeh, Talat; Erfanian, Fatemeh

    2012-10-01

    Midwifery students experience high levels of stress during their initial clinical practices. Addressing the learner's source of anxiety and discomfort can ease the learning experience and lead to better outcomes. The aim of this study was to find out the effect of a simulation-based course, using simulated patients and simulated gynecologic models on student anxiety and comfort while practicing to provide intrauterine device (IUD) services. Fifty-six eligible midwifery students were randomly allocated into simulation-based and traditional training groups. They participated in a 12-hour workshop in providing IUD services. The simulation group was trained through an educational program including simulated gynecologic models and simulated patients. The students in both groups then practiced IUD consultation and insertion with real patients in the clinic. The students' anxiety in IUD insertion was assessed using the "Spielberger anxiety test" and the "comfort in providing IUD services" questionnaire. There were significant differences between students in 2 aspects of anxiety including state (P < 0.001) and trait (P = 0.024) and the level of comfort (P = 0.000) in providing IUD services in simulation and traditional groups. "Fear of uterine perforation during insertion" was the most important cause of students' anxiety in providing IUD services, which was reported by 74.34% of students. Simulated patients and simulated gynecologic models are effective in optimizing students' anxiety levels when practicing to deliver IUD services. Therefore, it is recommended that simulated patients and simulated gynecologic models be used before engaging students in real clinical practice.

  12. [Catharina Hellena Malhiem's textbook in midwifery from 1756].

    PubMed

    Höjeberg, P

    1995-01-01

    From notations in the literature it has been known that a midwife from a provincial capital in Sweden, Vänersborg, in 1758 applied to Collegium Medicum (The National Board of Health) for support to a textbook in midwifery. It was, however, not published. In 1993 the book was found in an archive. This article describes the content of the book and her struggle to be accepted as a trained midwife by the burghers of the town - as it is described in the records from the municipal court. She wrote her book - 110 questions and answers - for education of the women and traditional midwives in the area. There are three chapters: On the personal qualifications of a midwife and the anatomy of the body; On the normal delivery and On the abnormal delivery. Obviously she has been influenced by the books written by the Swedish obstetrician von Hoorn in 1697 and 1715 but in general an analysis of the text shows that it is also independent from other sources. There are some answers indicating a fairly high level of knowledge, like the advice to dry the child after christening in order to avoid cooling down. Mrs Malhiems book was not accepted by the Collegium Medicum. Nor was she given permission to train midwives or become a provincial midwife for the region. The authorities wanted to retain their central power. Mrs Malhiem herself died as a poor woman in 1795, 79 years old.

  13. Training reproductive health professionals in a post-conflict environment: exploring medical, nursing, and midwifery education in Mogadishu, Somalia.

    PubMed

    Yalahow, Abdiasis; Hassan, Mariam; Foster, Angel M

    2017-11-01

    Following two decades of civil war, Somalia recently entered the post-conflict rebuilding phase that has resulted in the rapid proliferation of higher education institutions. Given the high maternal mortality ratio, the federal government has identified the reproductive health education of health service professionals as a priority. Yet little is known about the coverage of contraception, abortion, pregnancy, childbirth, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in medicine, nursing, or midwifery. In 2016, we conducted a multi-methods study to understand the reproductive health education and training landscape and identify avenues by which development of the next generation of health service professionals could be improved. Our study comprised two components: interviews with 20 key informants and 7 focus group discussions (FGDs) with 48 physicians, nurses, midwives, and medical students. Using the transcripts, memos, and field notes, we employed a multi-phased approach to analyse our data for content and themes. Our findings show that reproductive health education for medical and nursing students is inconsistent and significant content gaps, particularly in abortion and SGBV, exist. Students have few clinical training opportunities and the overarching challenges plaguing higher education in Somalia also impact health professions programmes in Mogadishu. There is currently a window of opportunity to develop creative strategies to improve the breadth and depth of evidence-based education and training, and multi-stakeholder engagement and the promotion of South-South exchanges appear warranted.

  14. Operationalising caseload midwifery in the Australian public maternity system: Findings from a national cross-sectional survey of maternity managers.

    PubMed

    Dawson, Kate; Forster, Della A; McLachlan, Helen L; Newton, Michelle S

    2018-06-01

    Despite high-level evidence of the benefits of caseload midwifery for women and babies, little is known about specific practice arrangements, organisational barriers and facilitators, nor about workforce requirements of caseload. This paper explores how caseload models across Australia operate. A national cross-sectional, online survey of maternity managers in public maternity hospitals with birthing services was undertaken. Only services with a caseload model are included in the analysis. Of 253 eligible hospitals, 149 (63%) responded, of whom 44 (31%) had a caseload model. Operationalisation of caseload varied across the country. Most commonly, caseload midwives were required to work more than 0.5 EFT, have more than one year of experience and have the skills across the whole scope of practice. On average, midwives took a caseload of 35-40 women when full time, with reduced caseloads if caring for women at higher risk. Leave coverage was complex and often ad-hoc. Duration of home-based postnatal care varied and most commonly provided to six weeks. Women's access to caseload care was impacted by many factors with geographical location and obstetric risk being most common. Introducing, managing and operationalising caseload midwifery care is complex. Factors which may affect the expansion and availability of the model are multi-faceted and include staffing and model inclusion guidelines. Coverage of leave is a factor which appears particularly challenging and needs more focus. Copyright © 2017 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Development and piloting the Woman Centred Care Scale (WCCS).

    PubMed

    Brady, Susannah; Bogossian, Fiona; Gibbons, Kristen

    2017-06-01

    In midwifery we espouse a woman centred care approach to practice, yet in midwifery education no valid instrument exists with which to measure the performance of these behaviours in midwifery students. To develop and validate an instrument to measure woman centred care behaviours in midwifery students. We identified four core concepts; woman's sphere, holism, self-determination and the shared power relationship. We mapped 18 individual descriptive care behaviours (from the Australian National Competency Standards for the Midwife) to these concepts to create an instrument to articulate and measure care behaviours that are specifically woman centred. Review by expert midwifery clinicians ensured face, content and construct validity of the scale and predictive validity and reliability were tested in a simulated learning environment. Midwifery students were video recorded performing a clinical skill and the videos were reviewed and rated by two expert clinicians who assessed the woman centred care behaviours demonstrated by the students (n=69). Test and re-test reliability of the instrument was high for each of the individual raters (Kappa 0.946 and 0.849 respectively p<0.001). However, when raters were compared there were differences between their scores suggesting variation in their expectations of woman centred care behaviours (Kappa 0.470, p<0.001). Midwifery students who had repeated exposures to higher levels of simulation fidelity demonstrated higher levels of woman centred care behaviours. The WCCS has implications for education and the wider midwifery profession in recognising and maintaining practice consistent with the underlying philosophy of woman centred care. Copyright © 2016 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Comparative analysis of nursing and midwifery regulatory and professional bodies' scope of practice and associated decision-making frameworks: a discussion paper.

    PubMed

    Kennedy, Catriona; O'Reilly, Pauline; Fealy, Gerard; Casey, Mary; Brady, Anne-Marie; McNamara, Martin; Prizeman, Geraldine; Rohde, Daniela; Hegarty, Josephine

    2015-08-01

    To review, discuss and compare nursing and midwifery regulatory and professional bodies' scope of practice and associated decision-making frameworks. Scope of practice in professional nursing and midwifery is an evolving process which needs to be responsive to clinical, service, societal, demographic and fiscal changes. Codes and frameworks offer a system of rules and principles by which the nursing and midwifery professions are expected to regulate members and demonstrate responsibility to society. Discussion paper. Twelve scope of practice and associated decision-making frameworks (January 2000-March 2014). Two main approaches to the regulation of the scope of practice and associated decision-making frameworks exist internationally. The first approach is policy and regulation driven and behaviour oriented. The second approach is based on notions of autonomous decision-making, professionalism and accountability. The two approaches are not mutually exclusive, but have similar elements with a different emphasis. Both approaches lack explicit recognition of the aesthetic aspects of care and patient choice, which is a fundamental principle of evidence-based practice. Nursing organizations, regulatory authorities and nurses should recognize that scope of practice and the associated responsibility for decision-making provides a very public statement about the status of nursing in a given jurisdiction. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. Assessment of toxicology knowledge in the fourth-year medical students: Three years of data.

    PubMed

    Buchanan, Jennie; Windels, Daniel; Druck, Jeffrey; Heard, Kennon

    2018-01-01

    Pharmacology and toxicology are core content knowledge for physicians. Medical students should demonstrate understanding of general pharmacology and basic treatment of poisoning. The objective of this study was to measure the knowledge of the 4th-year medical students (MS4) on these topics over 3 years. A multiple-choice exam (15 questions) was administered to MS4 students in spring of 2010, 2011, and 2012. Questions were developed by medical toxicologists to evaluate basic knowledge in three areas: pharmacologic effects (PE), treatment of poisoning (TOP), and pharmacokinetics (PK). The students were grouped by intended specialties into pharmacologic intense (anesthesia, emergency medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and psychiatry), less pharmacologic intense specialties (dermatology, OB/GYN, ophthalmology, pathology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, radiology, and surgery) and by completion of a pharmacology or toxicology elective. Mean group scores were compared using ANOVA. Totally 332 of 401 (83%) students completed the survey. Mean scores were stable over the three years, higher for students completing a toxicology rotation and for students entering a pharmacologically intense specialty. The external validity is limited to a single medical school with incomplete participation and content was limited by the survey length. Consistent results over the three-year period and correlation of performance with completing a toxicology rotation and intent to enter a pharmacology intensive specialty suggest this survey may correlate with toxicology knowledge. Implementation of required core courses focused on toxicology may improve core content knowledge in fourth year medical students.

  18. Western Australian women's perceptions of the style and quality of midwifery postnatal care in hospital and at home.

    PubMed

    Fenwick, Jennifer; Butt, Janice; Dhaliwal, Satvinder; Hauck, Yvonne; Schmied, Virginia

    2010-03-01

    An important part of maternity service provision is the care provided by midwives in the immediate postpartum period. Evidence suggests that postpartum morbidity and its impact on women's health after childbirth is an area of genuine concern. In Western Australia there is limited information on women's postpartum health needs and/or the quality of midwifery care provided in hospital and at home. This paper describes Western Australian (WA) women's perceptions of midwifery care in the early postpartum period. A cross-sectional, self report survey was used to describe the practical, emotional and informational support provided by midwives in the initial postpartum period. A questionnaire, specially designed for this population, was posted at 8 weeks postpartum to every woman with a registered live birth in WA between February and June 2006. Completed questionnaires were received from 2699 women. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, t-tests and chi-squared. Results indicate that overall, women were happy with most aspects of midwifery care related to practical advice and assistance in relation to baby care and their immediate physical recovery. Areas that received a less positive rating were related to providing consistent advice, availability of the midwife, emotional care and information on maternal health needs, immunisation and contraception. In general, first time mothers rated both the style and quality of care more negatively than multiparous women. There was a trend by women accessing private hospital care to rank their care less favourably. There were minimal differences noted between women in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. Midwifery care at home was rated very positively and significantly better than hospital care (p

  19. Teaching of Family Planning at Medical Nursing and Midwifery Schools in Certain Countries of the Region.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    World Health Organization, Copenhagen (Denmark). Regional Office for Europe.

    A review is given of the status of family planning education at medical, nursing, and midwifery schools in seven European countries. The report is presented in 11 sections. Section one, an introduction, explains the scope of the study and defines family planning to include birth control, pregnancy and delivery, problems of adolescents, family life…

  20. An investigation on the quality of midwifery services from the viewpoint of the clients in Isfahan through SERVQUAL model

    PubMed Central

    Oliaee, Zohreh; Jabbari, Alireza; Ehsanpour, Soheila

    2016-01-01

    Background: Quality of care is of great importance in health services as these services have the important mission to preserve health, and to give care to the society. The present study aimed to investigate the quality of midwifery services from the viewpoint of the clients, under coverage of health care centers in Isfahan, through SERVQUAL model. Materials and Methods: This descriptive and analytical study was conducted on 218 subjects in 2014. Study population comprised the women referring to midwifery services clinics in health care centers in Isfahan. Data of the subjects (n = 218) were collected by SERVQUAL model containing the dimensions of tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy. Data were analyzed by paired t-test, Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficients, and independent t-test through SPSS 20. Results: There was a negative gap in all five relevant dimensions of giving services. The widest gap was in the mean of dimension of tangibles (−1.5), and the narrowest gap was in the dimension of assurance (−0.9). There was no significant association between the scores of expectations and perceptions, and age, education level, occupation, and marital status. Conclusions: The obtained negative gap showed that the level of service receivers' perception from existing condition was far from their expectation, and there was a wide gap between attaining their satisfaction with midwifery services and their expectation and reaching their appropriate level of services. PMID:27186207

  1. A Student-Led Introduction to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health for First-Year Medical Students.

    PubMed

    Grosz, Andrea M; Gutierrez, Daniel; Lui, Andrea A; Chang, Julia J; Cole-Kelly, Kathy; Ng, Henry

    2017-01-01

    Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals face significant health disparities. This is in part because many physicians are not sensitive to, and/or are underprepared to address, LGBT-specific concerns. To help meet this need, we, a group of second- and fourth-year medical students with faculty oversight, organized a session on LGBT health for first-year medical students. The three second-year and one fourth-year student authors designed a mandatory session for the 167 first-years at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH. The 2-hour session consisted of a student-delivered presentation, a patient panel, and a small-group session. Students' LGBT health knowledge and confidence in providing care were assessed anonymously before and after the session, and individuals' pre- and post-session assessments were paired using student-generated identifiers. A total of 73 complete, matched pre-/post-session assessments were received. Students' familiarity with LGBT terminology and demographics increased significantly after the session. Students' perceived preparedness and comfort in providing LGBT-specific care significantly improved in most areas as well. Students strongly praised the session, in particular the patient panel. A student-led educational session on LGBT health can effectively improve first-year medical students' LGBT knowledge and confidence to provide care.

  2. Midwifery provision in two districts in Indonesia: how well are rural areas served?

    PubMed

    Makowiecka, Krystyna; Achadi, Endang; Izati, Yulia; Ronsmans, Carine

    2008-01-01

    Attention has focused recently on the importance of adequate and equitable provision of health personnel to raise levels of skilled attendance at delivery and thereby reduce maternal mortality. Indonesia has a village-based midwife programme that was intended to increase the rate of professional delivery care and redress the urban/rural imbalance in service provision by posting a trained midwife in every village in the country. We present findings on the distribution of midwifery provision in our study area: 10% of villages do not have a midwife but a nurse as a midwifery provider; there is a deficit in midwife density in remote villages compared with urban areas; those assigned to remote areas are less experienced; midwives manage few births and this may compromise their capacity to maintain professional skills; over 90% of non-hospital deliveries take place in the woman's (64%) or the midwife's (28%) home; three-quarters of midwives did not make regular use of the fee exemption scheme; midwives who live in their assigned village spend more days per month on clinical work there. We conclude that adequate provider density is an important factor in effective health care and that efforts should be made to redress the imbalance in provision, but that this can only contribute to reducing maternal mortality in the context of a supportive professional environment and timely access to emergency obstetric care.

  3. Project LIFT: Year Three Student Outcomes Memo

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Norton, Michael; Kim, Dae Y.; Long, Daniel A.

    2016-01-01

    Research for Action (RFA) was commissioned to evaluate changes in student outcomes during the first three years of the Project Leadership and Investment for Transformation (LIFT). This report focuses on two questions: (1) how do LIFT students' behavioral and academic performance compare to those of a matched set of non-LIFT comparison students?;…

  4. Engaging beyond the First College Year: Exploring the Needs of Second-Year Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Black, Elizabeth L.

    2014-01-01

    This article makes the case for librarians to engage with second-year students as part of the burgeoning movement in higher education to provide dedicated programming and experiences for second-year students. Grounded in development theories and transition theory, the article describes the special needs characteristic of typical second-year…

  5. Reaching Year 12 in Victoria, Australia: Student and School Influences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marks, Gary

    2014-01-01

    This paper examines student and school influences on reaching Year 12, the final year of schooling in Victoria, Australia. It analyses data from the population of students who were in Year 9 in 2008. Male, English-speaking background, government school, and especially Indigenous students were less likely to reach Year 12 than comparison groups.…

  6. Feel the Progress: Second-Year Students' Reflections on Their First-Year Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hailikari, Telle; Kordts-Freudinger, Robert; Postareff, Liisa

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to explore first-year students' academic emotions and how they relate to their study progress. A mixed-method approach was used. The data consisted of deep interviews with 43 students. The number of their study credits was used as an indicator of their study progress. The results revealed that students expressed a…

  7. Near-peer role modeling: Can fourth-year medical students, recognized for their humanism, enhance reflection among second-year students in a physical diagnosis course?

    PubMed

    McEvoy, Mimi; Pollack, Staci; Dyche, Lawrence; Burton, William

    2016-01-01

    Humanism is cultivated through reflection and self-awareness. We aimed to employ fourth-year medical students, recognized for their humanism, to facilitate reflective sessions for second-year medical students with the intention of positively influencing reflective process toward humanistic development. A total of 186 students were randomly assigned to one of three comparison arms: eight groups of eight students (64 students) were facilitated by a fourth-year student who was a Gold Humanism Honor Society member (GHHS); eight groups (64 students) by a volunteer non-GHHS student; and seven groups (58 students) were non-facilitated. Before sessions, second-year students set learning goals concerning interactions with patients; fourth-year students received training materials on facilitation. Groups met twice during their 10 clinical site visits. At the last session, students completed a reflective assignment on their goal progress. Comparative mixed method analyses were conducted among the three comparison arms on reflection (reflective score on in-session assignment) and session satisfaction (survey) in addition to a thematic analysis of responses on the in-session assignment. We found significant differences among all three comparison arms on students' reflective scores (p=0.0003) and satisfaction (p=0.0001). T-tests comparing GHHS- and non-GHHS-facilitated groups showed significantly higher mean reflective scores for GHHS-facilitated groups (p=0.033); there were no differences on session satisfaction. Thematic analysis of students' reflections showed attempts at self-examination, but lacked depth in addressing emotions. There was a common focus on achieving comfort and confidence in clinical skills performance. Near peers, recognized for their humanism, demonstrated significant influence in deepening medical students' reflections surrounding patient interactions or humanistic development. Overall, students preferred facilitated to non-facilitated peer feedback

  8. Near-peer role modeling: Can fourth-year medical students, recognized for their humanism, enhance reflection among second-year students in a physical diagnosis course?

    PubMed

    McEvoy, Mimi; Pollack, Staci; Dyche, Lawrence; Burton, William

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Humanism is cultivated through reflection and self-awareness. We aimed to employ fourth-year medical students, recognized for their humanism, to facilitate reflective sessions for second-year medical students with the intention of positively influencing reflective process toward humanistic development. Methods/Analysis A total of 186 students were randomly assigned to one of three comparison arms: eight groups of eight students (64 students) were facilitated by a fourth-year student who was a Gold Humanism Honor Society member (GHHS); eight groups (64 students) by a volunteer non-GHHS student; and seven groups (58 students) were non-facilitated. Before sessions, second-year students set learning goals concerning interactions with patients; fourth-year students received training materials on facilitation. Groups met twice during their 10 clinical site visits. At the last session, students completed a reflective assignment on their goal progress. Comparative mixed method analyses were conducted among the three comparison arms on reflection (reflective score on in-session assignment) and session satisfaction (survey) in addition to a thematic analysis of responses on the in-session assignment. Results We found significant differences among all three comparison arms on students' reflective scores (p=0.0003) and satisfaction (p=0.0001). T-tests comparing GHHS- and non-GHHS-facilitated groups showed significantly higher mean reflective scores for GHHS-facilitated groups (p=0.033); there were no differences on session satisfaction. Thematic analysis of students' reflections showed attempts at self-examination, but lacked depth in addressing emotions. There was a common focus on achieving comfort and confidence in clinical skills performance. Discussion/Conclusions Near peers, recognized for their humanism, demonstrated significant influence in deepening medical students' reflections surrounding patient interactions or humanistic development. Overall, students

  9. Engagement among Students with Intellectual Disabilities and First Year Students: A Comparison

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hendrickson, Jo M.; Therrien, William J.; Weeden, Dustin D.; Pascarella, Ernest; Hosp, John L.

    2015-01-01

    A phenomenon is spreading across institutions of higher education (IHEs)--the participation of students with intellectual disabilities (ID) in inclusive postsecondary education programs. Data on two cohorts of first-year students with ID indicate that these students are experiencing college life, as measured by the National Survey of Student…

  10. The relation between student motivation and student grades in physical education: A 3-year investigation.

    PubMed

    Barkoukis, V; Taylor, I; Chanal, J; Ntoumanis, N

    2014-10-01

    Enhancing students' academic engagement is the key element of the educational process; hence, research in this area has focused on understanding the mechanisms that can lead to increased academic engagement. The present study investigated the relation between motivation and grades in physical education (PE) employing a 3-year longitudinal design. Three hundred fifty-four Greek high school students participated in the study. Students completed measures of motivation to participate in PE on six occasions; namely, at the start and the end of the school year in the first, second, and third year of junior high school. Students' PE grades were also recorded at these time points. The results of the multilevel growth models indicated that students' PE grades increased over the 3 years and students had better PE grades at the end of each year than at the beginning of the subsequent year. In general, students and classes with higher levels of controlling motivation achieved lower PE grades, whereas higher levels of autonomous motivation were associated with higher PE grades. These findings provide new insight on the associations between class- and individual-level motivation with objectively assessed achievement in PE. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Attitudes and performance of third- vs fourth-year neurology clerkship students.

    PubMed

    Dewey, Richard B; Agostini, Mark

    2010-05-01

    To compare student performance, attitudes, and career plans based on whether the neurology clerkship was taken in the third or fourth year. During the 1-year transition when the neurology clerkship was officially moved from the fourth to the third year at our institution, students took the identical clinical clerkship and were mixed together at each clinical site where faculty were blinded to student's year. University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. Third- and fourth-year medical students. Performance, enthusiasm, and match results were analyzed by year of medical school for differences. There was a statistical trend toward better performance of third-year students as measured by the clinical evaluation grade (88.4 vs 87.4; P = .051) but this represented only a 1% difference. No difference was noted on the National Board of Medical Examiners neurology shelf examination score (73.8 vs 74.9; P = .20). Students' enthusiasm for neurologic learning was significantly higher in third- as compared with fourth-year students (P = .004). The probability that students would choose a career in neurology was higher for third- than fourth-year students (P < .001), but there was no correlation between year and matching for a neurology residency (P = .17). Our findings support the belief among academic neurologists that students who take the neurology clerkship in the third year have greater enthusiasm for the field and look more favorably on neurology as a possible career than those taking the neurology clerkship in their fourth year. Nevertheless, our findings do not support the notion that third-year placement results in superior achievement.

  12. 'Midwives are the backbone of our health system': lessons from Afghanistan to guide expansion of midwifery in challenging settings.

    PubMed

    Turkmani, Sabera; Currie, Sheena; Mungia, Jaime; Assefi, Nassim; Javed Rahmanzai, Ahmed; Azfar, Pashtun; Bartlett, Linda

    2013-10-01

    over the last decade Afghanistan has made large investments in scaling up the number of midwives to address access to skilled care and the high burden of maternal and newborn mortality. at the request of the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) an evaluation was undertaken to improve the pre-service midwifery education programme through identification of its strengths and weaknesses. The qualitative component of the evaluation specifically examined: (1) programme strengths; (2) programme weaknesses; (3) perceptions of the programme's community impact; (4) barriers to provision of care and challenges to impact; (5) perceptions of the recently graduated midwife's field experience, and (6) recommendations for programme improvement. the evaluation used a mixed methods approach that included qualitative and quantitative components. This paper focuses on the qualitative components which included in-depth interviews with 138 graduated midwives and 20 key informants as well as 24 focus group discussions with women. eight provinces in Afghanistan with functioning and accredited midwifery schools between June 2008 and November 2010. midwives graduated from one of the two national midwifery programmes: Institute of Health Sciences and Community Midwifery Education. Key informants comprised of stakeholders and female residents of the midwives catchment areas. midwives described overall satisfaction with the quality of their education. Midwives and stakeholders perceived that women were more likely to use maternal and child health services in communities where midwives had been deployed. Strengths included evidence-based content, standardised materials, clinical training, and supportive learning environment. Self-reported aspects of the quality education in respect to midwives empowerment included feeling competent and confident as demonstrated by respect shown by co-workers. Weaknesses of the programme included perceived low educational requirement to enter the programme and

  13. An evaluation of fitness for practice curricula: self-efficacy, support and self-reported competence in preregistration student nurses and midwives.

    PubMed

    Lauder, William; Watson, Roger; Topping, Keith; Holland, Karen; Johnson, Martin; Porter, Mary; Roxburgh, Michelle; Behr, Aga

    2008-07-01

    This element of the larger Scottish evaluation aimed to explore differences between access routes, cohorts and higher education institutes (HEI) (universities and colleges) in levels of self-efficacy, student support and self-reported competence in a nationally representative sample of student nurses and midwives. This paper reports findings from the National Review of Pre-Registration Nursing and Midwifery Programmes in Scotland. Fitness for practice curricula have been the heart of many recent developments in nurse and midwifery education. Fitness for practice set out to map out the future direction of preregistration nursing and midwifery education with the aim of ensuring fitness for practice based on healthcare need. There have been no national evaluations of the effectiveness of this strategic objective. Previous major evaluations in the 1990s suggested that students may not have had the skills needed to be fit for practice. The study design was a cross-sectional survey of a stratified random sample of student nurses and midwives (n = 777). Data collected included demographic information, generalised perceived self-efficacy, student support and self-reported competency. Students reported high levels of self-reported competency. There were no significant differences between two cohorts or between students with different access routes. Students rated support from family and friends highest and support from HEI lowest. There was a significant difference in support levels between HEI. Self-efficacy scores were similar to other population means and showed small-moderate correlations with self-report competence. Similarly, self-reported competency appears to be at the higher end of the spectrum, although older students may have a more realistic perception of their competence. However, support from HEI was seen as less satisfactory and varied from one institution to another. This study portrays a relatively positive picture of preregistration fitness for practice

  14. Frequency of First-Year Student Interactions with Advisors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fosnacht, Kevin; McCormick, Alexander C.; Nailos, Jennifer N.; Ribera, Amy K.

    2017-01-01

    Although acknowledged that academic advising helps students adjust to and deal with the challenges of college, little is known about students' frequency of interactions with advisors. Using data from 52,546 full-time, first-year students at 209 diverse institutions, we examined the frequency with which students met with academic advisors and the…

  15. 8 Things First-Year Students Fear about College

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shanley, Mary Kay; Johnston, Julia

    2008-01-01

    There is this little secret college-bound and first-year college students outwardly deny: They are scared sick about going off to college. In the authors' interviews with 175 college students throughout the United States for "Survival Secrets of College Students" (Barron's, 2007) students talked--sometimes painfully--about what they wished they…

  16. Students on Ice: International Polar Year Expeditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Green, G.

    2006-12-01

    The Students on Ice program has been introducing and connecting the next generation of Polar researchers and scientists to the Arctic and Antarctic Regions since 1999. To date, approximately 600 international high school and university students have participated on these powerful and award-winning educational expeditions. Traveling through the Antarctic and Arctic on ice-class vessels, the students connect with an international educational team, consisting of Polar scientists, educators, researchers and lecturers, and gain valuable first hand information through a variety of different educational formats. Students participate in lectures, seminars, group discussions, `hands-on' science experiments, and experience once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to view rare wildlife, and to visit remote locations of historic, cultural, and scientific significance. In celebration of the upcoming International Polar Years (IPY), Students on Ice is launching nine unique IPY youth expeditions between 2007 and 2009. Intended for high school students, university students, and interested educators, these expeditions are officially endorsed by the International Polar Year Joint Committee. The goals of the SOI-IPY youth expeditions, include raising awareness and understanding about Polar and environmental issues, development of Polar curriculum and resources, inspiring the next generation of scientists and researchers, and promoting the IPY to millions of youth around through outreach, media and partnership activities.

  17. Presenting qualitative data through the co-construction of a model.

    PubMed

    Chenery-Morris, Sam

    2014-09-01

    Research skills are developed in pre-registration midwifery curricula to enhance student midwives' appreciation and appropriate application of evidence within their midwifery practice. A spontaneous, innovative session was facilitated based on student experiences of non-midwifery placements, which helped demonstrate how qualitative data are analysed and can then be presented. By listening to each other's varied experiences, the students were able to relate their research knowledge to date with their collective 'empirical data' to enhance their understanding of presenting qualitative research. The paper reports on the learning process. It is an evaluation of the session, with student permission for publication gained; it is not research.

  18. Including sustainability issues in nurse education: A comparative study of first year student nurses' attitudes in four European countries.

    PubMed

    Richardson, Janet; Heidenreich, Thomas; Álvarez-Nieto, Carmen; Fasseur, Fabienne; Grose, Jane; Huss, Norma; Huynen, Maud; López-Medina, Isabel M; Schweizer, Angélick

    2016-02-01

    Education in sustainable development is a goal recognised by a large number of countries and a vital concept in healthcare. It is therefore important that nurse education incorporates elements of sustainable development into nursing education curricula. However, there is limited research on student nurses' attitudes towards sustainability and no comparison of attitudes towards sustainability and its inclusion in the nursing curriculum across Europe. This project aims to assess student nurses' attitudes towards sustainability, its relevance to nursing and its inclusion in the nursing curricula. 1. To assess base-line attitudes at the start of nursing and midwifery training; 2. To compare sustainability awareness between students participating in training in a number of European universities. A comparative survey design using the Sustainability Attitudes in Nursing Survey (SANS_2) questionnaire. Nursing classes of Universities and Nursing Schools in four European countries were investigated using a questionnaire consisting of five sustainability-related items. 916 nursing students (UK: 450, Germany: 196, Spain: 124, Switzerland: 146). Standard descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used to establish psychometric quality (Principal Components Analysis, Cronbach's alpha, Pearson correlations) and compare student nurses from the four countries. The reliability of SANS_2 was good (Cronbach's alpha=.82) and the five items loaded on a single factor which explained 58% of variance. ANOVA of the SANS_2 total score showed significant differences between countries with German nursing students showing more sustainability awareness than students from the UK and Spain. SANS_2 is a reliable instrument to assess nursing students' sustainability awareness; there are significant differences in sustainability awareness of students of different European countries. Limitations of the study include non-random sampling, possible method effects and social desirability effects

  19. Predictors of early postpartum mental distress in mothers with midwifery home care--results from a nested case-control study.

    PubMed

    Staehelin, Katharina; Kurth, Elisabeth; Schindler, Christian; Schmid, Monika; Zemp Stutz, Elisabeth

    2013-08-27

    The prevalence of early postpartum mental health conditions is high. Midwives and other health professionals visiting women at home may identify mothers at risk. This seems crucial given decreasing trends of length of hospital stay after childbirth. This study aimed to identify predictors of maternal mental distress in a midwifery home care setting. Using the statistical database of independent midwives' services in Switzerland in 2007, we conducted a matched nested case-control study. Out of a source population of 34,295 mothers with midwifery home care in the first ten days after childbirth, 935 mothers with maternal distress and 3,645 controls, matched by midwife, were included. We analysed whether socio-demographic, maternal and neonatal factors predict maternal mental distress by multivariable conditional logistic regression analysis. Infant crying problems and not living with a partner were the strongest predictors for maternal distress, whereas higher parity was the most protective factor. Significantly elevated risks were also found for older age, lower educational levels, breast/breastfeeding problems, infant weight gain concerns, neonatal pathologies and use of midwifery care during pregnancy. A lower likelihood for maternal distress was seen for non-Swiss nationality, full-time employment before birth, intention to return to work after birth and midwife-led birth. The study informs on predictors of maternal mental distress identified in a home care setting in the early postpartum period. Midwives and other health care professionals should pay particular attention to mothers of excessively crying infants, single mothers and primipara, and assess the need for support of these mothers.

  20. Graduate Students in Transition: Assisting Students through the First Year. The First-Year Experience Monograph Series No. 50

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tokuno, Kenneth A. Ed.

    2008-01-01

    On many campuses, graduate students are a prized resource, supporting faculty research and the undergraduate instructional mission. Yet, attrition rates among master's and doctoral students are often alarmingly high. The 50th installment of The First-Year Experience Monograph Series describes the challenges associated with entry into graduate…

  1. Perception of educational environment among undergraduate students of health disciplines in an Iranian university.

    PubMed

    Farajpour, Arezou; Raisolsadat, S Mohammad Ali; S Moghadam, Samaneh; Mostafavian, Zahra

    2017-08-18

    This paper seeks to determine the perception of Medical, Nursing and Midwifery students about their educational environment and compare their perceptions in terms of disciplines, demographic attributes and academic level. In this cross-sectional study, Medical, Nursing and Midwifery students in Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran, were selected using stratified random sampling method (N=378). They completed the standard Persian version of Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze data. The mean score of DREEM was 106 ± 24.6. The mean scores in five domains of DREEM questionnaire including students' perception of learning, perception of teachers, scientific abilities, students' perception of educational environment and students' perception of social conditions were 23±8, 23.4±6, 18±5.5, 25.5±7.7 and 15.8±4, respectively. In the first four domains (p=0.000, F=27.35), (p=0.000, F=9.9), (p=0.000, F=18.5), (p=0.000, t=18.7) and for total scores (p=0.000, F=22.77), the three disciplines were significantly different. Also, there was a significant difference between mean total score (p=0.021, t=2.3) and scores of students' perception of learning (p=0.008, t=2.65) and social conditions (p=0.022, t=2.3) with respect to gender. According to these results, students tend to have a positive attitude towards their educational environment. The findings of this study are useful to identify areas in need of improvement by employing more specialized tools and planning for improvement.

  2. Near-peer role modeling: Can fourth-year medical students, recognized for their humanism, enhance reflection among second-year students in a physical diagnosis course?

    PubMed Central

    McEvoy, Mimi; Pollack, Staci; Dyche, Lawrence; Burton, William

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Humanism is cultivated through reflection and self-awareness. We aimed to employ fourth-year medical students, recognized for their humanism, to facilitate reflective sessions for second-year medical students with the intention of positively influencing reflective process toward humanistic development. Methods/Analysis A total of 186 students were randomly assigned to one of three comparison arms: eight groups of eight students (64 students) were facilitated by a fourth-year student who was a Gold Humanism Honor Society member (GHHS); eight groups (64 students) by a volunteer non-GHHS student; and seven groups (58 students) were non-facilitated. Before sessions, second-year students set learning goals concerning interactions with patients; fourth-year students received training materials on facilitation. Groups met twice during their 10 clinical site visits. At the last session, students completed a reflective assignment on their goal progress. Comparative mixed method analyses were conducted among the three comparison arms on reflection (reflective score on in-session assignment) and session satisfaction (survey) in addition to a thematic analysis of responses on the in-session assignment. Results We found significant differences among all three comparison arms on students’ reflective scores (p=0.0003) and satisfaction (p=0.0001). T-tests comparing GHHS- and non-GHHS-facilitated groups showed significantly higher mean reflective scores for GHHS-facilitated groups (p=0.033); there were no differences on session satisfaction. Thematic analysis of students’ reflections showed attempts at self-examination, but lacked depth in addressing emotions. There was a common focus on achieving comfort and confidence in clinical skills performance. Discussion/Conclusions Near peers, recognized for their humanism, demonstrated significant influence in deepening medical students’ reflections surrounding patient interactions or humanistic development. Overall

  3. Midwifery provision and uptake of maternity care in Indonesia.

    PubMed

    Achadi, Endang; Scott, Susana; Pambudi, Eko S; Makowiecka, Krystyna; Marshall, Tom; Adisasmita, Asri; Deviany, Poppy E; Ronsmans, Carine

    2007-12-01

    To examine the association between midwife density, other characteristics of midwifery provision and village contextual factors, and the percentage of births attended by a health professional and deliveries via caesarean section in two districts in West Java, Indonesia. Analysis of: (i) a census of midwives; (ii) a population-based survey of women who had delivered over a 2-year period; (iii) a census of all caesareans in the four hospitals serving the two districts; and (iv) data from National Statistical Office. At an average density of 2.2 midwives per 10 000 population, 33% of births are with a health professional, and 1% by caesarean section. Having at least six midwives per 10 000 population was associated with a fourfold increase in caesareans [adjusted risk ratio (RR) 4.3: 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.3-5.5] and a threefold increase in the odds of having a health professional attend the delivery [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.88: 95% CI: 0.96-8.70]. The assigned midwife's professional status and the duration of her service in the village were also associated with higher rates of health professionals' attendance of delivery and caesareans. Regardless of the provision of services, women's education and wealth were strong predictors of delivery with a health professional. Promoting a stable workforce of midwives, better financial access for the poor and expanding female education are important for the achievement of the fifth Millennium Development Goal (MDG-5).

  4. Key principles in assessing students' practice-based learning.

    PubMed

    Price, Bob

    Assessing student learning in the practice setting is one of the most sophisticated and complex forms of evaluation undertaken by registered nurses. The Nursing and Midwifery Council sets standards relating to learning and assessment in practice, focusing on professional values, communication and interpersonal skills, nursing practice, decision making, leadership, management and teamworking. Assessment needs to include evaluation of skill (technical, psychomotor and interpersonal), attitudes and insights, and reasoning. As assessment of student learning is conducted in the practice setting, risks have to be managed, and targets and service standards met. Therefore, it is understandable that mentors may express doubts about their ability to assess student learning rigorously and fairly. It is particularly challenging for mentors to state confidently what represents a demonstration of learning and competence when asked to decide whether a student is fit to practise.

  5. Correlates of Depression in First-Year College Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Villatte, Aude; Marcotte, Diane; Potvin, Alexandra

    2017-01-01

    This study aimed to identify and rank the personal, family-related, social, and academic correlates of depressive symptoms in first-year college students. A questionnaire that included the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) was administered to 389 first-year college students (mean age = 18.9; SD = 3.38; 59.4% female). Eight variables…

  6. The hardware and software implications of hospital birth room design: a midwifery perspective.

    PubMed

    Hammond, Athena; Foureur, Maralyn; Homer, Caroline S E

    2014-07-01

    to explore the impacts of physical and aesthetic design of hospital birth rooms on midwives. the design of a workplace, including architecture, equipment, furnishings and aesthetics, can influence the experience and performance of staff. Some research has explored the effects of workplace design in health care environments but very little research has examined the impact of design on midwives working in hospital birth rooms. a video ethnographic study was undertaken and the labours of six women cared for by midwives were filmed. Filming took place in one birth centre and two labour wards within two Australian hospitals. Subsequently, eight midwives participated in video-reflexive interviews whilst viewing the filmed labour of the woman for whom they provided care. Thematic analysis of the midwife interviews was undertaken. midwives were strongly affected by the design of the birth room. Four major themes were identified: finding a space amongst congestion and clutter; trying to work underwater; creating ambience in a clinical space and being equipped for flexible practice. Aesthetic features, room layout and the design of equipment and fixtures all impacted on the midwives and their practice in both birth centre and labour ward settings. the current design of many hospital birth rooms challenges the provision of effective midwifery practice. Changes to the design and aesthetics of the hospital birth room may engender safer, more comfortable and more effective midwifery practice. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Comparison of midwifery care to medical care in hospitals in the Quebec pilot projects study: clinical indicators. L'Equipe dEvaluation des Projets-Pilotes Sages-Femmes.

    PubMed

    Fraser, W; Hatem-Asmar, M; Krauss, I; Maillard, F; Bréart, G; Blais, R

    2000-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare indicators of process and outcome of midwifery services provided in the Quebec pilot projects to those associated with standard hospital-based medical services. Women receiving each type of care (961 per group) were matched on the basis of socio-demographic characteristics and level of obstetrical risk. We found midwifery care to be associated with less obstetrical intervention and a reduction in selected indicators of maternal morbidity (caesarean section and severe perineal injury). For neonatal outcome indicators, midwifery care was associated with a mixture of benefits and risks: fewer babies with preterm birth and low birthweight, but a trend toward a higher stillbirth ratio and more frequent requirement for neonatal resuscitation. The study design does not permit to conclude that the associations were causal in nature. However, the high stillbirth rate observed in the group of women who were selected for midwife care raises concerns both regarding the appropriateness of the screening procedures for admission to such care and regarding the quality of care itself.

  8. Four-Year Colleges Should Admit More Community College Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levy, Harold O.

    2016-01-01

    Defying the stereotype that they lack the academic preparation and ability to succeed at top colleges and universities, community college students have gone on to distinguish themselves at prestigious four-year institutions year after year. These students have proven to be extraordinarily bright, hardworking and capable of excelling, and have…

  9. New Students in Two-Year Colleges: Twelve Essays.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gibson, Walker, Ed.

    Intended for college English teachers, the essays in this collection represent the scholarship of 12 professors who participated in a year-long seminar on the teaching of reading and writing to the "new" types of students who are presently attending two-year colleges. The first essay offers a profile of the new student as one who is job-oriented…

  10. Caseload midwifery compared to standard or private obstetric care for first time mothers in a public teaching hospital in Australia: a cross sectional study of cost and birth outcomes.

    PubMed

    Tracy, Sally K; Welsh, Alec; Hall, Bev; Hartz, Donna; Lainchbury, Anne; Bisits, Andrew; White, Jan; Tracy, Mark B

    2014-01-24

    In many countries midwives act as the main providers of care for women throughout pregnancy, labour and birth. In our large public teaching hospital in Australia we restructured the way midwifery care is offered and introduced caseload midwifery for one third of women booked at the hospital. We then compared the costs and birth outcomes associated with caseload midwifery compared to the two existing models of care, standard hospital care and private obstetric care. We undertook a cross sectional study examining the risk profile, birth outcomes and cost of care for women booked into one of the three available models of care in a tertiary teaching hospital in Australia between July 1st 2009 December 31st 2010. To control for differences in population or case mix we described the outcomes for a cohort of low risk first time mothers known as the 'standard primipara'. Amongst the 1,379 women defined as 'standard primipara' there were significant differences in birth outcome. These first time 'low risk' mothers who received caseload care were more likely to have a spontaneous onset of labour and an unassisted vaginal birth 58.5% in MGP compared to 48.2% for Standard hospital care and 30.8% with Private obstetric care (p < 0.001). They were also significantly less likely to have an elective caesarean section 1.6% with MGP versus 5.3% with Standard care and 17.2% with private obstetric care (p < 0.001). From the public hospital perspective, over one financial year the average cost of care for the standard primipara in MGP was $3903.78 per woman. This was $1375.45 less per woman than those receiving Private obstetric care and $1590.91 less than Standard hospital care per woman (p < 0.001). Similar differences in cost were found in favour of MGP for all women in the study who received caseload care. Cost reduction appears to be achieved through reorganising the way care is delivered in the public hospital system with the introduction of Midwifery Group Practice or caseload

  11. Caseload midwifery compared to standard or private obstetric care for first time mothers in a public teaching hospital in Australia: a cross sectional study of cost and birth outcomes

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background In many countries midwives act as the main providers of care for women throughout pregnancy, labour and birth. In our large public teaching hospital in Australia we restructured the way midwifery care is offered and introduced caseload midwifery for one third of women booked at the hospital. We then compared the costs and birth outcomes associated with caseload midwifery compared to the two existing models of care, standard hospital care and private obstetric care. Methods We undertook a cross sectional study examining the risk profile, birth outcomes and cost of care for women booked into one of the three available models of care in a tertiary teaching hospital in Australia between July 1st 2009 December 31st 2010. To control for differences in population or case mix we described the outcomes for a cohort of low risk first time mothers known as the 'standard primipara'. Results Amongst the 1,379 women defined as 'standard primipara' there were significant differences in birth outcome. These first time ‘low risk’ mothers who received caseload care were more likely to have a spontaneous onset of labour and an unassisted vaginal birth 58.5% in MGP compared to 48.2% for Standard hospital care and 30.8% with Private obstetric care (p < 0.001). They were also significantly less likely to have an elective caesarean section 1.6% with MGP versus 5.3% with Standard care and 17.2% with private obstetric care (p < 0.001). From the public hospital perspective, over one financial year the average cost of care for the standard primipara in MGP was $3903.78 per woman. This was $1375.45 less per woman than those receiving Private obstetric care and $1590.91 less than Standard hospital care per woman (p < 0.001). Similar differences in cost were found in favour of MGP for all women in the study who received caseload care. Conclusions Cost reduction appears to be achieved through reorganising the way care is delivered in the public hospital system with the

  12. Irish nursing students' changing levels of assertiveness during their pre-registration programme.

    PubMed

    Begley, Cecily M; Glacken, Michèle

    2004-10-01

    Stress and bullying have been found to be common problems in a number of studies of Irish nursing and midwifery. Victims of bullying need high levels of assertiveness to enable them to withstand the stress of victimization. It was deemed important to measure nursing students' level of assertiveness prior to, and near completion of, their pre-registration education programme. Aim. To ascertain nursing students' perceived levels of assertiveness prior to, and nearing the completion of, their three-year pre-registration programme. Ethical approval was given. The students commencing general nurse education programmes in two schools in Southern Ireland agreed to take part (n=72). A questionnaire adapted from a number of assertiveness scales, and tested for validity and reliability in this population, was used to collect data. In general, students' reported assertiveness levels rose as they approached completion of their three-year education programme. The resource constrained health service of the 21st century requires nurses who are assertive to meet the needs of its users. Nursing students' assertiveness skills could be augmented through concentrated efforts from nurse educationalists and clinicians to reduce the communication theory practice gap in nurse education today. To address the multi-dimensional nature of assertiveness, strategies to increase assertiveness should operate at the individual, interface and organisational level. The students in this study reported an increase in levels of assertiveness as they approached completion of their three-year education programme. To function as effective, safe practitioners registered nurses need to be assertive, therefore education in assertiveness should be an integral part of their preparation. The precise composition and mode of delivery of this education requires exploration and evaluation.

  13. Setting the stage for health: Salutogenesis in midwifery professional knowledge in three European countries

    PubMed Central

    Meier Magistretti, Claudia; Downe, Soo; Lindstrøm, Bengt; Berg, Marie; Schwarz, Katharina Tritten

    2016-01-01

    There is a lack of systematic evidence concerning health orientation in maternity practice in the current climate of risk avoidance. The midwifery professional project is orientated toward the preservation of normal physiological processes during the maternity episode. This study investigates accounts of midwives who were working in health-orientated birth settings, to examine if and how they frame a health orientation in professional practice. Twenty-seven narrative interviews were conducted with midwives working in pre-, peri-, and postnatal care in different maternity care settings in Switzerland, Austria, and Germany. In-depth and comparative pattern data analyses were conducted. The distinct practice orientation of the participants was revealed in three main concepts, underpinned by a common framework mirroring the three parameters of the Sense of Coherence (comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness) described in Aaron Antonovsky's salutogenic theory. The midwives’ implicit salutogenic knowledge shaped their reported actions in supporting mothers, fathers, and families to have health-promoting experiences in maternity care. These results suggest that an implicit health orientation in maternity care practice can be prefered through examination of the practice reports of midwives working in settings that have a health-promoting philosophy. Implications for midwifery practice and research are discussed. Consideration is given to the relevance of the results for debates about avoiding overtreatment and for the operationalization of salutogenic theory in health care practice.

  14. Educating student midwives around dignity and respect.

    PubMed

    Hall, Jenny S; Mitchell, Mary

    2017-06-01

    There is currently limited information available on how midwifery students learn to provide care that promotes dignity and respect. In recent years the importance of dignity in healthcare and treating people with respect has received considerable emphasis in both a national and international context. The aim of this discussion paper is to describe an educational workshop that enables learning to promote dignity and respect in maternity care. An interactive workshop, using different creative methods as triggers for learning will be described. Provision of learning opportunities for students around dignity and respect is important to ensure appropriate care is provided in practice. The use of creative methods to inspire has contributed to deep learning within participants. An evaluation of the workshop illustrated how learning impacted on participants practice. Data to support this is presented in this paper. The use of creative teaching approaches in a workshop setting appears to provide an effective learning opportunity around dignified and respectful care. These workshops have evoked a deep emotional response for some participants, and facilitators must be prepared for this outcome to ensure a safe space for learning. Copyright © 2017 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. How Do Learning Communities Affect First-Year Latino Students?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huerta, Juan Carlos; Bray, Jennifer J.

    2013-01-01

    Do learning communities with pedagogies of active learning, collaborative learning, and integration of course material affect the learning, achievement, and persistence of first-year Latino university students? The data for this project was obtained from a survey of 1,330 first-year students in the First-Year Learning Community Program at Texas…

  16. Chinese International Students' Advice to Incoming First-Year Students: Involving Students in Conversations "with" Them, Not about Them

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heng, Tang T.

    2018-01-01

    This study examined advice Chinese internationals would give to incoming Chinese international first-year students to ease their US college transitions. While the study was limited to 18 students from private, well ranked, 4-year liberal arts colleges who all appeared to be coping with their transitions (struggling students may have shied from…

  17. Ten-year cardiovascular risk assessment in university students.

    PubMed

    Uvacsek, Martina; Kneffel, Zs; Tóth, M; Johnson, A W; Vehrs, P; Myrer, J W; Hager, R

    2014-09-01

    Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is responsible for more than half of all deaths in the European region. The aim of the study was to compare body composition, blood pressure, total cholesterol (TC) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), family history, activity behaviors, and the 10-year risk of having a heart attack between 166 university students (21.62 ± 2.59 yrs) from Utah (USA) and 198 students (22.11 ± 2.51 yrs) from Hungary. Ninety-two percent of the Hungarian students and 100% of the Utah students had an estimated 10-year Framingham risk score of 1% or less. The high prevalence of low risk was primarily due to the young age of study participants, healthy body composition and non-smoking behavior. Hungarians who had higher 10-year risk of heart attack had significantly higher waist hip ratio (WHR), TC, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and were smokers compared to those Hungarians with lower risk. The self-reported physical activity levels between the two groups of students were not different. In conclusion the young men and women who participated in this study were, for the most part healthy; however the smoking habits and the lower physical activity of the Hungarian students likely elevated their risk of CVD.

  18. [Burdened into the job -- final-year students' empathy and burnout].

    PubMed

    Koehl-Hackert, Nadja; Schultz, Jobst-Hendrik; Nikendei, Christoph; Möltner, Andreas; Gedrose, Benjamin; van den Bussche, Hendrik; Jünger, Jana

    2012-01-01

    Empathy is a central element in daily patient care. The burnout syndrome seems to be a potential factor influencing physicians' empathic behavior negatively. In Germany up to 20 % of practicing physicians experience burnout. So far, there have been no studies measuring empathy and the degree of burnout among final-year medical students in Germany. The aim of the current study was to investigate final-year students' self-reported empathy, burnout and the association of job satisfaction and occupational self-efficacy with regard to potential gender differences. 127 medical students at the end of their final year (82 f, 45 m; 26.8 years of age) were surveyed using the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE), the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and items addressing job satisfaction and occupational self-efficacy. The mean JSPE score of all final-year students was 113.25 ± 10.21 (20=lowest possible empathy score, 140=highest possible empathy score). Based on the three dimensions of burnout, the students fell in the moderate burnout category in all subscales of the MBI. There was an association between a lower empathy score and a higher burnout score. Also, the MBI correlated negatively with final-year students' job satisfaction and occupational self-efficacy. Despite high self-rated empathy scores, the experience of burnout symptoms in medical students may begin as early as their final year of studies, where higher levels of burnout are associated with lower self-rated empathy scores. The number of final-year medical students affected by clinically significant burnout (up to 20 %) was just as high as among practicing physicians. Female students were found to be particularly affected. Given the rising numbers of female graduates, this shows that urgent action is required. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

  19. Predicting 6-Year Graduation and High-Achieving and At-Risk Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rogulkin, Dmitri

    2011-01-01

    The second year of college can be as important as the first year but far fewer studies have been conducted on second-year students. About 12% of students leave California State University - Fresno during or after their second year. In this report, we examined second year students to find the differences between those who graduate and those who…

  20. Exploring First-Year College Students' Cultural Competence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tharp, D. Scott

    2017-01-01

    The development of college students' cultural competence is important in an increasingly diverse world. This exploratory, qualitative, action research study examined how 158 first-year students understood and applied core concepts after participating in a standardized diversity and social justice lesson plan designed using transformative education…