Suzanne Thompson
Academie Verloskunde Maastricht - Zuyd University o Applied Sciences
Suzanne Thompson is a midwife, lecturer and PhD student involved in both teaching and research. Her PhD study involves developing an educational programme that will support student midwives and the midwives that supervise them in clinical practice (in both primary and clinical settings) in the development of competences supporting and promoting physiological childbirth.
The four year BSc midwifery programme in the Netherlands comprises almost two years of clinical practice in community and hospital settings. This allows student midwives to observe hallmark midwifery behaviour, such as non-intervention in childbirth, which is significantly associated with student self-efficacy in assuming similar behaviours (Jordan & Farley, 2008). At present, Dutch midwifery is evolving towards an integrated model of care, with increased midwifery-led births in hospital settings. Dutch midwives, irrespective of their work setting, view promoting physiological childbirth as fundamental to their role (Thompson et al, 2016). However, the likelihood of medicalization in the hospital setting poses challenges to physiological childbirth. This may have implications for student midwives’ exposure to practices that support physiological childbirth. Midwifery education requires more focus on preparing student midwives to deal with the challenges to promote and achieve physiological birth posed by increasing medicalization of childbirth.
This study aims to explore what student midwives require in order to develop self-efficacy as facilitators of physiological childbirth?
A qualitative exploratory study using focus groups with up to 40 students from all four Dutch universities. The ASE (Attitudes, Social norms, (Self) Efficacy) model (de Vries et al, 1988) will serve as a theoretical framework to explore student midwives’ behaviours and to ascertain what they need to become competent practitioners of physiological childbirth.
Ethical approval was obtained.
Funding: Zuyd University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands
Preliminary findings demonstrate that student midwives are committed to providing physiological childbirth but they experience tensions during clinical placements. These include feelings of having to ‘fit in’ with the norms of the practice setting, particularly in hospitals. In how far student midwives go to facilitate physiological birth often depends on the attitudes of their preceptors. Whilst students experience adequate theoretical input, educational input to support them in challenging non-evidence based practice and dealing with hierarchy in clinical settings would be of value.
Implications for practice: SUMMER 2017
