Experiences and views
of midwifery students, midwifery educators and midwife assessors in competency
and clinical assessment on undergraduate midwifery programmes
Background The
safety of mothers and babies is fundamental in maternity care, hence the
importance of robust clinical assessment in any midwifery programme. Clinical
assessment documentation for midwifery programmes in the Mid West Region of Ireland
is reflective of the competency based approach, advocated by the regulatory
body for nurses and midwives in Ireland. This approach has yet to be
comprehensively evaluated.
Aims and Methods The focus of the first
phase of this study is to consider midwifery students experiences of clinical assessment and
midwifery educators perceptions of clinical assessment from a qualitative
descriptive perspective. The findings of these focus groups will be used to
generate items for a questionnaire and as a basis for interviews with assessor midwives
as a second phase of the study commencing in 2014.
Data has been collected via focus groups as an effective way
of uncovering a range of ideas and feelings from different perspectives.
Students (n=16) and midwifery educators (n= 7) in separate focus groups were
asked to discuss their experiences of clinical assessment and the process during
the programme in May and Oct 2013. The focus groups were audiotaped with the
participants consent. Ethical approval has been granted by the research ethics
committee.
Analysis and Results
Data from the student focus groups have been analysed using Burnard’s content
analysis framework (2006). Themes identified in this data are the Centrality of the preceptor to the
experience of student, the Components
of the clinical assessment process and Managing
the staff and student role. Analysis of the focus groups with the midwifery
educators will be available from December 2013.
Recommendations The
findings are being used to inform the continued development of the current competency
assessment framework and to refine the assessment process to maximise its
integration into the demands of clinical practice. The findings will also be
used to generate discussion points and probes when determining assessor midwives
perspectives on their role in competency assessment.