Abstract
Background
Situating Midwifery Academics in clinical environments can have an important impact
on students’ clinical learning. Students’ perceptions of this support role in the
clinical environment using standardised measures has been under-investigated.
Aims
To develop and test a tool that measures midwifery students’ perceptions of the Midwifery
Academic role on clinical learning and development of professional knowledge, skills
and clinical capability.
Methods
A staged process for tool development included draft item generation, review by expert
panel for face and content validity and pilot testing with a convenience sample of
undergraduate midwifery students. Dimensionality, internal consistency and test–retest
reliability were evaluated.
Results
Two hundred and seventy-nine midwifery students completed an online survey (74% response
rate). Responses on the ten-item tool loaded strongly on one factor, explaining 69.6%
of variance. Cronbach's alpha (0.94) and test–retest reliability (intraclass coefficient = .92; 95%CI .89–.95) were good. Most students agreed that the Midwifery Academic role
supported the integration of midwifery theory and practice and critical self-reflection.
Areas for improvement included working in partnership with preceptors; assessing students’
development; and increased presence in the clinical environment.
Conclusions
This study established reliability and validity of the Midwifery Academic in Clinical
Environments (MidACE) tool. Students perceived Midwifery Academics could contribute
further to their professional knowledge, skills and clinical capability through a
strong collaborative presence in the clinical environment.
Keywords
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Glossary
Preceptora midwife in clinical practice who has a student assigned to work alongside them in the clinical environment on a day to day basis to support, teach and provide direct and indirect supervision of the development and mastery of clinical skills.
Mentora midwife that nurtures a mutually agreed professional relationship with a student or another midwife in which the mentor provides guidance, motivation, professional support and quality role modelling.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: June 20, 2020
Accepted:
May 23,
2020
Received in revised form:
May 20,
2020
Received:
January 27,
2020
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.