Abstract
Aim
To investigate the experiences, perspectives and plans of students who had a six-month
placement with the midwifery group practice.
Methods
Focus groups were conducted with fifteen third – year Bachelor of Midwifery students
who had undertaken an extended placement at a midwifery group practice in a large
tertiary referral hospital in Queensland, Australia.
Results
Four main themes were identified in the data: Expectations of the Placement; Facilitating
learning within a midwifery group practice model; Transitioning between models of
care and Philosophy and culture of midwifery group practice.
Discussion and conclusion
Third-year midwifery students valued the experience of working one-on-one for an extended
placement with a midwife providing continuity of care within a caseload model. The
experience was the highlight of their degree and they learned ‘how to be a midwife’.
Most students found reintegrating back into the hospital system of care challenging,
reporting that their developed skills of supporting women holistically and facilitating
normal birth were not fully utilised when returning to the task-orientated birth suite.
Students valued thoughtful, kind and supportive midwifery preceptors who supported
them to transition back into the hospital.
Implications and recommendations
Undertaking an extended placement within a midwifery group practice provides students
with a rich and holistic learning experience and helps them develop a sense of professional
identity. Student placements situated within models of care which provide continuity
of midwifery care should be proactively enabled by health services and universities.
Research of the longer-term impacts of an extended midwifery group practice clinical
placement on midwifery graduates’ capabilities and competencies 3–5 years post registration
should be conducted.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 28, 2021
Accepted:
January 2,
2021
Received in revised form:
December 28,
2020
Received:
October 5,
2020
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
