Newly qualified midwives' knowledge and perceptions of the International Confederation of Midwives and its core competences in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Introduction Midwifery educators have a dual responsibility to ensure that students are competently prepared for practice and that they understand the role of the National Midwifery Association, as mandated by the International Confederation of Midwives through its membership. Newly qualified midwives' understanding of the International Confederation of Midwives' mandate in relation to roles and responsibilities is crucial to the development of their knowledge and perceptions towards the International Confederation of Midwives as their professional association. This study describes newly qualified midwives' knowledge and perceptions of the International Confederation of Midwives and its core competences in Zimbabwe. Methods A qualitative study using grounded theory principles was used to recruit and interview 35 newly qualified midwives at three institutions in Zimbabwe. The constant comparative analysis method was used to identify themes from the participants' responses. Results Three categories emerged: midwifery education and practice standards, international midwifery uniformity and defining midwifery competence. Conclusions The emphasis in midwifery education and practice should be both on competence development and motivating newly qualified midwives to appreciate the International Confederation of Midwives as the regulatory body of the midwifery profession. For the midwifery profession to grow and meet its mandate of reducing maternal and child mortality and morbidity, it needs midwives who understand the vision of their profession and are committed to transforming behaviour and skills in alignment with this vision.