Midwifery's research heritage: A Delphi survey of midwife scholars

What it takes to develop self-confidence and competence in midwifery students for midwifery practice

BACKGROUND

Midwifery practice is multidimensional and complex in supporting women's reproductive health. Midwives provide care through pregnancy, birth, and the puerperium and may extend to sexual and reproductive health. Midwifery education must develop self-confidence and competence within each midwifery student. This must be learned before registering as a midwife and entering midwifery practice. Little is known about how educational experiences influence midwifery students' confidence.

AIM

The aim of this study was to understand the educational experiences that influence self-confidence and competence development among midwifery students.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A qualitative descriptive design was used in this study. Data were collected through seven focus group discussions with 37 midwifery students. The discussions were recorded and professionally transcribed. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

The analysis resulted in four themes: (1) Understanding the concept of competence, (2) developing competence in midwifery practice, (3) obstacles to developing competence, and (4) the importance of self-confidence to be competent. The development of self-confidence and competence is gained through acquiring knowledge and skills, participating in research, undertaking clinical and simulated practice, attending seminars, and engaging in independent learning.

CONCLUSION

Midwifery students described how the increase in self-confidence can lead to an increase in competence, enabling the provision of high-quality midwifery services.

Factors affecting the value revitalization of Qajar religious schools in Tehran

Nowadays, due to natural erosion and urban development, Qajar religious schools in Tehran have undergone adverse physical changes. Moreover, the semantic and intangible values of them have faded over time, such that their position in society has declined. The religious schools need the conservation and revitalization of their values. Various research has been conducted on the philosophy of education, and the spatial evolution history of Tehran's religious schools. However, since no study has been carried out on the value revitalization of them, the present study, as an exploratory and novel study, mainly aims to experimentally investigate experts' views to revitalize the value of Qajar religious schools in Tehran. Delphi research method and Q-type factor analysis were used to identify and classify experts' views, respectively. Participants were selected through the purposive non-probability sampling technique. The sample size was selected to be 25, which was confirmed according to the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test used for sampling adequacy. To collect data from experts, a questionnaire was used in three rounds based on the Delphi method. Data obtained from the questionnaires were analyzed using the Q method. Based on the obtained results, up to 73.267% of factors affecting the value revitalization of Qajar religious schools in Tehran were identified and interpreted with certainty based on interviews with the experts. The experts were divided into eight groups or factors based on their views, and seven of which introduced common variables and concepts, named based on their constituent variables. Based on the value of the coefficient of variation, the identified effective factors included climatic architecture (20.51%), resilient architecture (13.45%), spiritual architecture (8.98%), environmental aesthetics (8.12%), educational architecture (6.87%), structural architecture (6.450%), and site visiting (4.566%). It was concluded that in the value revitalization of the religious schools, paying serious attention to these seven effective factors underlies the conservation process.

A methodological review of qualitative case study methodology in midwifery research

AIM

To explore the use and application of case study research in midwifery.

BACKGROUND

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.

DESIGN

A methodological review of midwifery case study research using recognized templates, frameworks and reporting guidelines facilitated comprehensive analysis.

DATA SOURCES

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.

REVIEW METHODS

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.

RESULTS

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.

CONCLUSION

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.

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

OBJECTIVE

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.

DESIGN

qualitative collective case study.

SETTING

Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

FINDINGS

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.

KEY CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

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.