Australian Midwifery最新文献

This paper is the third in a series reporting on thefindings of the AMAP Education Survey of the 27 Australian universities providing a program for initial authorisation to practise as a midwife. Workforce issues were identified by this research, such as the potential number of places in courses, attrition rates, and the number of graduates from midwifery education programs who seek and obtain employment in midwifery. The findings pose serious challenges to the development and sustainability of the Australian midwifery workforce.

This paper is the second in a series of three, reportingon the findings of the Australian Midwifery Action Project (AMAP) Education Survey. It concentrates on the barriers to effective midwifery education as identified by the midwifery course coordinators from the 27 Australian universities providing a midwifery program for initial authorisation to practise as a midwife.

In line with the major research questions of the AMAP, the midwifery course coordinators were asked to identify what they saw as the barriers to providing quality midwifery education and strategies to overcome these barriers. Their main concerns centred on the difficulties in providing appropriate clinical practice placements, financial pressures for students and barriers to effective teaching and learning. Mostly the strategies were a reversal of the identified barriers. These findings highlight the need for major reform in the way midwifery education is organised and funded in Australia.

The aim of this study was to describe the differences in midwifery support required by women having their first and subsequent babies in the first week after birth. The sample group was all women in a one-month period who gave birth in three urban hospitals in Sydney. The sample size was 365 with a 78% response rate at the two-week follow up. Self-report questionnaires were used to collect the data antenatally (28–36 weeks) and two weeks after birth. Analysis was simple descriptive statistics, t-tests and chi-square analyses were used where appropriate.

The results show a high proportion of primiparouswomen (85–100%) required the 17 items of postnatal support examined. Although experimenced mothers required less baby care support and less health suport than first time mothers, between 57–72% of experienced mothers reported that they required midwifery support when caring for their infants. At least one-fifth of women (regardless of parity) did not have their needs met for 13/17 of the items of postnatal support examined. A large proportion of all women (>40%) did not have their health needs met. The only significant difference in the post-natal support provided to women was that first time mothers were less likely, tham multiparous women, to have their emotional needs met.

The sutdy demonstrated that midwifery supportduring the postnatal period needs to be improved for both primiparous and multiparous and multiparous women. The majority of multiparous women would like to have supoort from midwives related to baby care, physuical and emotiuonal health.

Little is known about how midwives learn aboutbreastfeeding. This study asked midwives to identify breastfeeding information resources used and perceived value for their learning.

A mail questionnaire was sent to midwives (n=3500) through the Australian College of Midwives Inc. (ACMI).

A response rate of 31.6% (n=1,105) was obtained. On-the-job experience was the most common source accessed and continuing education the most valuable. Very few respondents (3.1% n=34) acknowledged either their hospital or university midwifery education program as a valuable breastfeeding information source.

There is scope for continuing education programs to address evidence-based lactation and infant feeding information. Midwifery curricula need to teach in-depth knowledge of human lactation and develop clinicians' skill base to assist breastfeeding women.

The development of national standards for course accreditation on lactation and infant feeding by ACMI, Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) and Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) would be a useful quality measure.

Australia, like other developed nations, is exhibiting a trend towards later childbearing. At present, the birth rate of women aged 35 years and older is growing faster than for any other age group. Approximately 35% of mothers aged >35 years are first-time mothers, and it is commonly held that these women have particular issues of adjustment to motherhood.

This longitudinal qualitative study entitled ‘Transition to motherhood for first-time mothers aged 35 years and above’ explores their experiences.

In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 primiparae aged >35, over three junctures: 35–38 weeks gestation; 7–10 days postpartum; and 6–8 months postpartum. Preliminary findings from interviews conducted immediately postpartum are presented in this paper. Participants identified adjustment to motherhood as a particularly challenging event.

Little is known about how midwives learn about breastfeeding. This study asked midwives to identify breastfeeding information resources used and perceived value for their learning. A mail questionnaire was sent to midwives (n=3500) through the Australian College of Midwives Inc. (ACMI).

A response rate of 31.6% (n=1105) was obtained. On-the-job experience was the most common source accessed and continuing education the most valuable. Very few respondents (3.1% n=34) acknowledged either their hospital or university midwifery education program as a valuable breastfeeding information source.

There is scope for continuing education programs to address evidence-based lactation and infant feeding information. Midwifery curricula need to teach indepth knowledge of human lactation and develop clinicians' skill base to assist breastfeeding women.

The development of national standards for course accreditation on lactation and infant feeding by ACMI, Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) and Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) would be a useful quality measure.

Mentoring has become a popular approach for providing support in developing knowledge and practice across a variety of disciplines. Midwives often provide mentoring for midwifery mentees and newly graduated midwives without formal recognition or predetermined outcomes.

Little literature exists within midwifery practice outlining how its use may be of value. This paper presents literature around the topic of mentoring, discussing possible benefits and suggesting ways in which mentoring may be utilised within midwifery to promote personal and professional development. Finally, it presents some of the limited examples of mentoring emerging from the midwifery literature.

This paper will examine the literature on blood loss at delivery and report the findings of a small pilot study where midwives and doctors were asked to estimate blood loss at simulated stations. The results were analysed using simple frequency distribution.

This simple study demonstrated that midwives and other health professionals underestimate blood loss at delivery by 30–50%. The implication for midwives is that there is a need to double their estimated blood loss at delivery when it is over 500 ml.

Postnatal depression is an illness that has been researched a great deal in recent years. While much is known about the prevalence and contributing factors, it is not clear whether antenatal interventions are successful in preventing postnatal depression.

Mother-child relationships where the mother has a mental illness, have been reported to be more negative and may adversely affect the child's development. Many researchers discuss the importance of supporting such families, not only to improve their current situation, but also to help prevent the development of mental health problems in the children.