Bachelor Of Midwifery Program Research Articles

Exploring the diversity of Australian bachelor of midwifery programs

Exploring the diversity of Australian bachelor of midwifery programs

Pasifika student experience in a Bachelor of Midwifery programme

Pasifika student experience in a Bachelor of Midwifery programme

Can the social and emotional skills that underpin effective teamwork be taught to undergraduate midwifery students?

To determine the actual incidence of prostate cancer (PC) in the healthcare areas of Castilla–Leon in 2014.A multicentre study was conducted with the participation of 7 of the 9 healthcare areas of Castilla–Leon. We collected retrospective data that included 87.8% of the target population (men diagnosed with PC with histopathological confirmation in 2014). We calculated the raw and age-adjusted incidence rates based on the direct method and consulted the community and national epidemiological data in the Spanish National Institute of Statistics.A total of 1198 new cases of PC were diagnosed, with a raw incidence rate in the community of 109.54 cases per 100,000 men. The adjusted rates for the Spanish and European populations were 115.41 and 110.07, respectively. The age group with the highest diagnostic concentration was the 60–70-year group, with 41.97% of the diagnoses. The group with the highest incidence was the 70–80-year group, with 438.87 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. There were differences in the raw and age-adjusted incidence rates and in the age at diagnosis among the various included healthcare areas.The community raw incidence rate was higher than most existing data. We observed significant differences among the various geographical areas, which could be explained mainly by the age distribution and the opportunistic screening policies for each area.Conocer la incidencia real de cáncer de próstata (CP) en las áreas sanitarias de Castilla y León en el año 2014.Estudio multicéntrico en el que participan 7 de las 9 áreas sanitarias de Castilla y León. Se recogen datos con carácter retrospectivo que incluyen el 87,8% de la población diana (varones diagnosticados de CP con confirmación histopatológica en el año 2014). Se calculan incidencias brutas e incidencias ajustadas por edad según el método directo. Los datos epidemiológicos comunitarios y nacionales son consultados en el Instituto Nacional de Estadística.Se diagnosticaron 1.198 nuevos casos de CP. La tasa de incidencia bruta comunitaria es 109,54 casos por 100.000 varones. Las tasas ajustadas a población española y europea resultan en 115,41 y 110,07, respectivamente. El grupo etario de mayor concentración diagnóstica fue el de 60-70 años, con el 41,97% de los diagnósticos, y el que mostró mayor incidencia fue el comprendido entre 70 y 80 años, con 438,87 casos por 100.000 habitantes. Se objetivan diferencias en las incidencias brutas y ajustadas por grupo de edad, así como en el factor edad al diagnóstico entre las diferentes áreas sanitarias incluidas.La tasa de incidencia bruta comunitaria resultó ser mayor que la mayoría de datos existentes previamente. Se aprecian importantes diferencias entre las distintas áreas geográficas que pueden ser explicadas principalmente por la distribución del factor edad y las políticas de cribado oportunista en cada una de ellas.

Strategies for improving the experiences of Māori students in a blended Bachelor of Midwifery programme

Strategies for improving the experiences of Māori students in a blended Bachelor of Midwifery programme

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

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.

Assessment of the quality and applicability of an e-portfolio capstone assessment item within a bachelor of midwifery program

Education programs leading to professional licencing need to ensure assessments throughout the program are constructively aligned and mapped to the specific professional expectations. Within the final year of an undergraduate degree, a student is required to transform and prepare for professional practice. Establishing assessment items that are authentic and able to reflect this transformation is a challenge for universities. This paper both describes the considerations around the design of a capstone assessment and evaluates, from an academics perspective, the quality and applicability of an e-portfolio as a capstone assessment item for undergraduate courses leading to a professional qualification. The e-portfolio was seen to meet nine quality indicators for assessment. Academics evaluated the e-portfolio as an authentic assessment item that would engage the students and provide them with a platform for ongoing professional development and lifelong learning. The processes of reflection on strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, comparison of clinical experiences with national statistics, preparation of professional philosophy and development of a curriculum vitae, whilst recognised as comprehensive and challenging were seen as highly valuable to the student transforming into the profession.

Being a young midwifery student: A qualitative exploration

Backgroundundergraduate midwifery programmes offer opportunities for school leavers and young people (aged less than 21 years) to enter the profession. There is limited research exploring this age groups experience of their Bachelor of Midwifery programme. In order to retain these students we need to ensure that their experiences of undertaking a Bachelor of Midwifery program are positive and barriers and challenges are minimised. Aimthis study explored young midwifery students' experience of their Bachelor of Midwifery program. Methoda descriptive exploratory qualitative approach was used to explore the experiences of eleven students aged 20 years or less on enrolment. Data was collected using face-to-face or telephone-recorded interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analysis the data set. Findingsthree major themes described the young students' experiences. The first labelled ‘The challenges of being young’ presented a number of age related challenges including transport issues with on-call commitments as some students had not gained a driver's license. Students experienced some degree of prejudice relating to their age from their older student peers and some clinical staff during placements. ‘Finding your way’ was the second theme and described the strategies students used to buildconfidence and competence both in the university and clinical environment. The young students reported a strong commitment to the profession. They demonstrated high levels of connection with women and found the continuity of care experiences invaluable to their learning. The final theme ‘Making the transition from teenager to midwife’ demonstrated some unique insights into how studying to become a midwife impacted upon their personal and professional growth. Conclusionthe young students in this study encountered some unique issues related to their age. However as they progressed through the program they developed confidence in themselves and visualised themselves as having a long midwifery career. They were strongly motivated towards providing woman-centred maternity care and considered their continuity of care experiences fundamental to them developing a strong sense of themselves as midwives. Attracting and retaining young students is essential if the profession is to realise its goal of ensuring all women have access to a known midwife.

Personal costs of the continuity of care experiences

Introduction: Midwifery education standards in Australia require students to undertake Continuity of Care Experiences (COCE). The COCE afford an ongoing relationship between a midwifery student and a woman for student learning, from initial contact in the early antenatal period, through pregnancy, birth and postnatal period.When exploring student learning in the COCE, we found incidental findings of significant personal cost to students undertaking COCE. Aim: To identify andmeasure these personals costs involved for students participating in the COCE. Methods: A mixed method study was undertaken over a 12 month period. A total of 72 midwifery students across all three years of Bachelor of Midwifery programs at two universities participated through an online survey, and diary records of their time, costs and personal concerns for each individual COCE they participated in across one year. Two focus groups were held at the conclusion of the 12 months of diary collection to discuss the findings and gain a deeper insight into the student experience. Results: Of particular interest is the personal time taken to complete the COCE and the financial costs including travelling and parking to health services, and childcare. Significant non-clinical time of travelling and being with women for extended periods in clinic waiting to see the healthcare practitioners will be detailed. Furthermore, personal safety issues, concerns about their professional relationships with staff and the impact of the COCE on their personal/private relationships will be presented. Conclusion: When developing educational interventions it is important to consider the impact on all stakeholders, including the student experience. These findings of the true costs of the COCE for students may influence the expectations placed on students and the support provided by both education and health service providers.

Exploration of the implementation of the obese obstetric woman policy

Introduction: Midwifery education standards in Australia require students to undertake Continuity of Care Experiences (COCE). The COCE afford an ongoing relationship between a midwifery student and a woman for student learning, from initial contact in the early antenatal period, through pregnancy, birth and postnatal period.When exploring student learning in the COCE, we found incidental findings of significant personal cost to students undertaking COCE. Aim: To identify andmeasure these personals costs involved for students participating in the COCE. Methods: A mixed method study was undertaken over a 12 month period. A total of 72 midwifery students across all three years of Bachelor of Midwifery programs at two universities participated through an online survey, and diary records of their time, costs and personal concerns for each individual COCE they participated in across one year. Two focus groups were held at the conclusion of the 12 months of diary collection to discuss the findings and gain a deeper insight into the student experience. Results: Of particular interest is the personal time taken to complete the COCE and the financial costs including travelling and parking to health services, and childcare. Significant non-clinical time of travelling and being with women for extended periods in clinic waiting to see the healthcare practitioners will be detailed. Furthermore, personal safety issues, concerns about their professional relationships with staff and the impact of the COCE on their personal/private relationships will be presented. Conclusion: When developing educational interventions it is important to consider the impact on all stakeholders, including the student experience. These findings of the true costs of the COCE for students may influence the expectations placed on students and the support provided by both education and health service providers.

Using the five senses of success framework to understand the experiences of midwifery students enroled in an undergraduate degree program

Backgrounddeveloping 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. Aimthe 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. Methoda 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. Findingsearly 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. Student׳s 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. Conclusionsthe 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 clinician׳s skills in preceptorship, clinical teaching and facilitation. Program delivery methods and student support systems should be designed to enable maximum flexibility to promote capability and resourcefulness and embed sense of purpose and identity early in the program.

Exploring the experiences of Indigenous women and Indigenous students who participated in a ‘follow through’ journey within a Bachelor of Midwifery Program

International reports highlight that improvements to health outcomes for Indigenous populations is linked to greater participation by Indigenous people in the provision of health service delivery. Australian government policies underline the need to increase the number of practising Indigenous midwives as a strategy for delivering culturally appropriate healthcare that will help improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. One of the key components of the 'Close the Gap' initiative includes enabling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to enter the healthcare workforce. Indigenous midwives and nurses' lived experiences, along with their knowledge of health service delivery, provides them with unique insight of the health system. It is recognised that it is essential to increase the numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with tertiary level qualifications in order to provide culturally appropriate healthcare that will ultimately lead to increased uptake and subsequent health improvements. In this presentation, we share the stories told to us as part of a small, qualitative study that explored the experiences of a sample of Indigenous Australian women and Indigenous student midwives who participated in a 'follow through' journey as part of a Bachelor of Midwifery program in northern Australia. The findings of our study highlight the urgent need for improved strategies and policies that recruit and retain Indigenous midwifery students as their contribution is key to improving health outcomes for Indigenous childbearing women and their families.

Papua New Guinea midwives transferring birthing knowledge and skills to village birth attendants and village child health volunteers

International reports highlight that improvements to health outcomes for Indigenous populations is linked to greater participation by Indigenous people in the provision of health service delivery. Australian government policies underline the need to increase the number of practising Indigenous midwives as a strategy for delivering culturally appropriate healthcare that will help improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families. One of the key components of the ‘Close the Gap’ initiative includes enabling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to enter the healthcare workforce. Indigenous midwives and nurses’ lived experiences, along with their knowledge of health service delivery, provides them with unique insight of the health system. It is recognised that it is essential to increase the numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with tertiary level qualifications in order to provide culturally appropriate healthcare thatwill ultimately lead to increaseduptake and subsequent health improvements. In this presentation, we share the stories told to us as part of a small, qualitative study that explored the experiences of a sample of Indigenous Australian women and Indigenous student midwives who participated in a ‘follow through’ journey as part of a Bachelor of Midwifery program in northern Australia. The findings of our study highlight the urgent need for improved strategies andpolicies that recruit and retain Indigenousmidwifery students as their contribution is key to improving health outcomes for Indigenous childbearing women and their families.

An Innovative Strategy in Evaluation: Using a Student Engagement Framework to Evaluate a Role-Based Simulation

Online role-play has the potential to actively engage students in authentic learning experiences and help develop their clinical reasoning skills. However, evaluation of student learning for this kind of simulation focuses mainly on the content and outcome of learning, rather than on the process of learning through student engagement. This article reports on the use of a student engagement framework to evaluate an online role-play offered as part of a course in Bachelor of Nursing and Bachelor of Midwifery programs. Instruments that measure student engagement to date have targeted large numbers of students at program and institutional levels, rather than at the level of a specific learning activity. Although the framework produced some useful findings for evaluation purposes, further refinement of the questions is required to be certain that deep learning results from the engagement that occurs with course-level learning initiatives.

Bachelor of Midwifery: Reflections on the first 5 years from two Victorian universities

Bachelor of Midwifery programs in the state of Victoria, Australia commenced in 2002 through an affiliation of three universities in Melbourne named the 'Werna Naloo Bachelor of Midwifery consortium'. The approach allowed for collaborative synergies in program delivery through offering online 'consortium' units each semester in addition to on-campus content at each university. It is now 5 years since the first cohort of students commenced the course. During those years, members of the consortium have experienced a range of challenges and tensions. This paper provides a reflection by the course coordinators from two remaining members of the consortium, Australian Catholic University and Monash University. It explores issues confronted, regulation and registration, educational and clinical practice issues. In addition, the authors discuss course outcomes in terms of employment of graduates and their integration into the workforce, career development pathways and demand for the course. The authors conclude that the consortium has been successful and course outcomes positive with graduates successful in securing employment. Overall, the future for the Bachelor of Midwifery at both universities appears positive.

Midwifery education in Australia: requirements for assessment

Over several decades, national competency standards have been developed in Australia to define competence for midwives. Furthermore, national standards for the accreditation of the three year, Bachelor of Midwifery programme have been developed. Each standard has associated evaluative criteria such as minimum clinical requirements to determine if the standard has been met. Concerns have been raised regarding competency based approaches to midwifery education which may not incorporate national competency standards and, in particular, minimum clinical requirements for registration. Philosophically there has been a move by many of the registering bodies in Australia from competency based standards to a more prescriptive approach. For example, midwifery graduates seeking to register as a midwife are now required to demonstrate substantial birthing experience as a pre-requisite for registration. However, the current number of births required for registration purposes is unsupported by evidence and appears to be based on custom and tradition. It is essential that any midwifery practice requirements are based on evidence based research in order for the profession to be guided by evidence based outcomes. It is the purpose of this paper to present a systematic review of the evidence for incorporating minimum clinical requirements as an appropriate assessment criterion for registration.

Midwifery students’ enrolment reasons and evaluations of the first Bachelor of Midwifery programme in Jordan

to explore reasons for enrolment in the first bachelor of midwifery programme in Jordan, and to describe midwifery students' evaluations of the programme. a cross-sectional survey design. The Faculty of Nursing at Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan. 16 diploma-prepared midwifery students enrolled in the 2-year bachelor-completion programme. an open-ended question explored students' reasons for enrolling in the midwifery programme. For programme evaluation, a 13-item Midwifery Programme Evaluation Questionnaire (MPEQ) was developed and used. Total score ranged from 39-61, with a mean of 51.2 (SD=6.7). midwifery students reported five reasons for enrolling in the midwifery programme, which was favourably evaluated. encouragement and sustainability of student enrolment in the JUST Bachelor of Midwifery programme are recommended to improve midwifery education and enhance midwifery as a profession.