Maternity high-dependency care and the Australian midwife: A review of the literature

Midwifery Practice and Education in Antwerp: Forecasting Its Future With Scenario Planning

BACKGROUND

Midwifery across the world is facing changes and uncertainties. By recognizing plausible future options, a contemporary and strategic scope of midwifery practice and education can be established. The city of Antwerp, Belgium, was the indicative case for this study. Key drivers were identified to serve as input for scenarios.

METHOD

Structuration theory and intuitive logics scenario planning methods were used to structure contextual midwifery scenarios.

RESULTS

Six certain and six uncertain variables were identified. A two-dimensional framework showed these factors: (a) maternity care services and organization and (b) the society of child-bearing women and their families. Three scenarios described the plausible future of midwifery: (a) midwife-led care monitoring maternal health needs, (b) midwife-led holistic care, and (c) midwife/general practitioner-led integrated maternity care.

CONCLUSION

All of the scenarios show the direction of change with a strategic focus, the importance of midwifery authenticity, and digital adaptability in maternity services. Also, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic cannot be ignored in future midwifery. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2022;53(1):21-29.].

Midwifery Student Evaluation of Practice: The MidSTEP tool - Perceptions of clinical learning experiences

BACKGROUND

Little emphasis has been given to the standardised measurement of midwifery students' perceptions of their clinical learning experiences.

AIM

To develop a tool that evaluates students' perceptions of their clinical learning experiences according to environment and impact of preceptors on professional development.

METHODS

A cross-sectional design was used. Tool development had three phases: item generation; expert review to assess clarity, apparent internal consistency and content validity; and psychometric testing. All Bachelor of Midwifery students at one university in Australia were invited to complete the online survey. Psychometric testing included dimensionality, internal consistency and test-retest reliability.

RESULTS

A 74% (n=279) response rate was achieved. Factor analysis revealed the Clinical Learning Environment Scale and Impact of the Midwifery Preceptor Scale accounting for 53.6% and 71.5% of variance respectively. Both scales were reliable (Cronbach's alpha=.92 and .94) and valid. Overall, students positively rated the clinical learning environment and preceptors' abilities to foster their sense of identity as a midwife. Students were less satisfied with preceptors' understanding of the academic program.

DISCUSSION

The new tool consists of two scales that reliably measure midwifery students' perceptions of how the clinical learning environment develops their skills and reflects a midwifery philosophy. Preceptors had a positive influence on students' skills and professional development.

CONCLUSIONS

The Midwifery Student Evaluation of Practice tool is the first valid and reliable measure of students' perceptions of their clinical learning experiences. Students' feedback provides valuable information to educators and preceptors on how best to optimise clinical learning.