Speaker: Jessica Brumley
Facilitator: Caitlin Goodwin
Midwifery has played a critical role in maternal and newborn care throughout our history, yet its integration into the healthcare system has been marked by challenges and transformation. This presentation explores the historical trajectory of midwifery. The current landscape highlights a growing recognition of midwifery’s benefits, including improved maternal outcomes, reduced interventions, and enhanced patient-centered care. Despite this progress, barriers such as restrictive regulations, inconsistent legislative policies, and disparities in access persist.
Looking ahead, the future of midwifery integration depends on policy reform, interprofessional collaboration, and public awareness to strengthen midwives’ role in addressing the maternal health crisis. A strong professional association is critical in advancing the midwifery agenda and strengthening the profession.
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Speaker: Jessie Johnson-Cash
Facilitator: Mutiara Dien Safitri
Background: Midwifery students juggle academic pressures, personal obligations, and the transition to clinical practice, often leading to burnout and stress. Activities that build resilience are beneficial in facilitating student engagement and promoting emotional wellbeing.
Objectives: This study evaluates the effectiveness of Student Midwife Support Circles (SMSC) as a co-curricular peer support activity, in building a sense of belonging and professional identity, and developing emotional wellbeing.
Methods: Participants were recruited from past and current midwifery students at a regional Australian university. A mixed-method approach used a cross-sectional online survey and individual interviews. Quantitative data (n=31) was reported as descriptives and compared based on attendance at the SMSCs. Qualitative data from both the survey (n=31) and interviews (n=3) was analysed using thematic analysis.
Results: Compared to students (n=9) who had not attended SMSCs, students who attended any number of SMSCs (n=22) reported greater compassion satisfaction and slightly higher self-efficacy. In addition, attendance significantly improved students’ views that support groups reduced stress whilst on placements, improved belonging to the profession and in becoming a better midwife, and increased student well-being. The thematic analysis confirmed these results, and the value of an academic run the support group.
Conclusions: Students who have been to any number of SMSCs have much more favourable views of the usefulness of these groups and there is some improvement in the satisfaction of care they provide and their confidence in dealing with challenges.
Speaker: Jamie Hanson
Facilitator: Celine Lemay
Non-access to Perinatal mental health services for Black African Women can lead to increased perinatal morbidity and mortality in relation to mental health. Three quarters of Black and Brown Women’s morbidity is associated with suicide in the postnatal period, and they are more likely to experience adverse outcomes during pregnancy and the postnatal period compared to white women (MBRRACE, 2023). Health inequalities within maternity services also increase the risk of mental health challenges which is exacerbated by unemployment, poverty and homelessness which adds to the challenges of the women accessing perinatal mental health services (Rothman et al, 2020). There is also the associated stigma within the Black African community in declaring mental health challenges and it being viewed as ‘shameful’ and embarrassing to admit to feeling depression leading to alienation and preventing the women form seeking help from health professionals (Watson et al, 2019). The reluctance to access support is also compounded by negative experiences from health professionals and engagement with primary care (Edge and Mackian, 2010). What we don’t know is how the women can be supported in accessing services and what is required to be on place. The contribution to knowledge is exploring and describing attitudes to perinatal mental health, listening to the women’s voices and understanding the service and how it can be improved. Methods An Exploratory Descriptive Qualitative (EDQ) study design was employed which allows for a social constructivist and interpretivist approach (Reid and Happell, 2012).
Speakers: Helen Bedford, Mike Parker and Amy Coates
Facilitator: Elisa Segoni
Our presentation showcases the design and implementation of a dynamic, co-created curriculum which integrates and optimises excellence for midwifery education. The Connected Curriculum (Fung 2017) underpins two distinctive UK midwifery pre-registration programmes (a three year undergraduate [BMidHons] and an integrated 4 year Masters [MMid]), founded on global evidence (Renfrew et al 2014) and meeting rigorous national (Nursing &; Midwifery Council 2019) and global (International Confederation of Midwives 2021) midwifery education standards.
Fung’s (2017) Connected Curriculum is values based. Learning through research and inquiry forms the central core, linked to six dimensions which enable connectivity to midwifery as follows a through line of research activity, supporting students to:
- connect with researchers/institutional research,
- make connections across subjects/out to the world,
- connect academic learning with workplace learning,
- produce outputs (assessments) directed at an audience,
- connect with each other, across phases/ with alumni.
This presentation has relevance and utility for a global audience of clinicians, educators and students within and beyond midwifery. It will also illustrate how an inclusive midwifery curriculum is operating within an institution characterised by:
- Gold/Sustainability recognition of embedding Baby Friendly Standards (UK Unicef BFI 2024)
- nationally rated Gold for teaching excellence (Office for Students 2024)
- high quality research (Research Excellence Framework 2024)
- strategic vision as a university for public good for local, national and international communities (University of York 2024)
The presentation/discussion will feature transferable implementation ideas for impact, showcasing a connected midwifery curriculum which enriches individual/collective student experience for midwifery excellence.
