Midwifery competencies: students stories

Abstract

Midwifery in New Zealand regained autonomy with an amendment to the Nurses Act of 1990. This resulted in the practice of midwifery changing significantly throughout the nineties as midwives reclaimed their independent role. The midwifery model has been articulated by the profession and provides a framework for practice. In keeping with the accountability associated with the new level of autonomy, midwives themselves and their professional association, have increasingly become concerned with standards of practice, the measurement of competency and the processes of peer review. The purpose of this study was to explore student midwives' stories of their experiences, to identify the competencies used in midwifery practice. New approaches to the assessment of midwifery lead me to undertake this study considering new ways of assessing student midwives' practice. The participants were asked to relate comprehensive stories from their recent clinical experience, which, to them, demonstrated midwifery practice in the context in which it occurred. These stories provided a window to practice, though which midwifery competencies became visible. These competencies were examined and compared with the competencies for the beginning practitioner developed by the Nursing Council of New Zealand. The clinical narratives were able to capture the complexity and the dynamic nature of practice, while exposing the interpersonal relationships and the context of the practice environment.