References
A national evaluation of the Irish midwifery curriculum leading to registration
Abstract
Background/Aims
Ireland's pre-registration midwifery education was last reviewed in 2012 and the Irish healthcare sector has since undergone significant reform. The aim of this study was to conduct a comprehensive review of undergraduate midwifery in Ireland.
Methods
This mixed-methods study used the principles of appreciative inquiry. Data from a purposeful sample of graduates were collected via survey. Stakeholder focus groups were conducted with newly graduated midwives, senior stakeholders, midwifery academic staff, practising midwives, service users and union representatives. A policy document review was also conducted.
Results
Midwifery graduates reported inadequate supervision in practice placements and felt less prepared than their nursing counterparts. Policy documents often used the term midwifery even when the policy did not pertain to midwifery practice.
Conclusions
Resources must use a student-centred approach to learning, and clinical and academic elements of programmes should be integrated. Midwifery must be recognised as distinct from nursing.
Implications for practice
The challenges midwifery students experienced in the clinical learning environment should prompt a review of the current clinical supervision model to improve the experience of midwifery students and supervisors/preceptors.
Ireland's pre-registration midwifery curriculum was last reviewed 13 years ago (Department of Health and Children, 2012) and the Irish healthcare sector has since undergone significant reform. Reviewing the curriculum enables midwives to see if it remains relevant and continues to reflect the philosophy of the profession, resulting in midwifery students being able to meet the needs of women and their babies when they graduate.
The midwifery profession has undergone substantial changes in response to the increasingly changing needs of the Irish population, which has seen a decrease in the birth rate since 2013. The Central Statistics Office (2023) in Ireland reported a decrease in the number of registered births from 68 930 in 2013 to 54 678 in 2023, which represents an annual birth rate of 10.4 per 1000 of population. Regardless of the decrease, it is important to invest in the provision of midwifery services.
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