Views of student midwives on the organisation of midwifery care and new maternity care models, including integrated care, in the Netherlands

Background There is currently a discussion about the organisation of the maternity care system in the Netherlands, exploring a move from an echelon system with primary, secondary and tertiary care, to a more integrated... [ view full abstract ]

Background
There is currently a discussion about the organisation of the maternity care system in the Netherlands, exploring a move from an echelon system with primary, secondary and tertiary care, to a more integrated maternity care system.

Aim and objectives of the study:
This qualitative study explores student midwives’ views on the current organisation of midwifery care and the development of new maternity care models.

Method
Semi-structured individual and focus group interviews with 18 final year students of Midwifery Academy Amsterdam Groningen (cohort 2010) were conducted between February and December 2014.

Findings
Preliminary findings of this qualitative study show that student midwives had no strong preference for a particular maternity care model, as long as it meets essential criteria, such as client-centred care and good, respectful cooperation with other maternity care professionals. Students believe that the development of the current maternity care model into a model with more integrated care between the echelons is inevitable.

Conclusions and Implications
It can be important to involve students’ views in the discussion about changes in our maternity care system, because they are the future midwives. The findings of this qualitative study provide the context for a web-based survey among the whole population of final year students midwives (cohort 2011) in the Netherlands (N= 150).