Transdisciplinary collaborative training: A midwifery need

Abstract

In 2000, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) set out are eight international development goals—Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)—that all 193 United Nations (UN) member states and at least 23 international organisations have agreed to achieve by 2015. MDG 4 and 5 are concerned with reducing child mortality rates, and improving maternal health, respectively ( UNDP, 2012 ). Midwives are expected to provide the best level of care for women and babies and are held responsible for doing so. Thus special attention to the training of midwives, like that of other nursing professionals, is of crucial importance for improving maternal and child health. South Africa is currently facing a challenge in achieving MDG 4 by 2015 and for that reason extensive interventions are needed to assist the midwives and midwifery health authorities towards the MDG target. Midwifery training has to be strengthened in South Africa to enhance competency and independency of midwives especially with the adoption of the concept of the midwifery obstetric units. Assessments and interventions of midwives should not only be theoretically-based but also skill-based. Thus, this article proposes a collaborative training of midwives. Indeed collaboration in the training of doctors/obstetricians and midwives will benefit the much-needed improved midwifery skills; and, in the long run, reduce the rate of perinatal and maternal mortalities. A pilot project of this type of collaborative training has shown that both professions appreciate each other's knowledge, experience and skills, are willing to learn from each other's experience and knowledge, and are willingly accepting each other as team members.