Registration requirements for midwives in Australia: A delphi Study

Abstract

Midwifery education in Australia has embraced competency-based learning models where assessment of clinical competency is fundamental to educational programmes. Both clinical and theoretical components of the programme need to be fulfilled and passed in order to register as a midwife. Concerns have been raised regarding competency-based approaches to midwifery education which may not incorporate national competency standards and, in particular, minimum clinical requirements for registration. It is the purpose of this paper to present the findings from a delphi study which aimed to gain consensus from experts regarding the appropriateness of using minimum requirements of birth and follow-through experiences for registration purposes in Australia. The delphi is stage two of a research project. Stage one involved a systematic review of literature to establish the evidence for measuring competency in midwifery practice using minimal requirements of stated clinical experience for registration purposes. The findings from this review concluded that no specific evidence exists for measuring competency in midwifery practice using minimum requirements of stated clinical experience for registration purposes. The results of the delphi indicate that there is consensus that prescriptive criteria should be incorporated to measure competence in midwifery students for registration purposes. Nevertheless, a number of significant issues were raised with regards to achieving minimum requirements in practice.