Murphy Tighe S, Bradshaw C

Nottingham International Conference in Education and Research (NICER Midwifery)

Preparing for practice: Midwifery students views of internship

2012

September

Unpublished

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Preparing for practice: Midwifery students views of internship

 

As part of preparation for autonomous practice  midwifery  students undertake a 36 week internship in the final year of the 4 yr BSc Midwifery  programme in Ireland. Students are rostered in  midwifery placements, providing care over the 24 hour continuum.The student is salaried and  expected to attain and  demonstrate competence in all areas of midwifery on completion of their internship (An Bord Altranais 2005) resulting in autonomous practice on registration as a midwife.

 

Rationale:

 

Steele (2009) notes that the skills and knowledge developed at the end of midwifery programmes are still those of a novice, with transition perhaps leading to doubt and uncertainty. Student internship is new to midwifery in Ireland and it is timely to consider it from a students’ perspective and whether or not it is addressing it’s remit.

 

Methodology:

 

A descriptive qualitative study, carried out in 2 phases (a focus group and a questionnaire) was  used to explore midwifery students experience of internship and this abstract deals with Phase1, the focus groups.Following receipt of ethical approval, students undertaking midwifery internship (n = 17) in 2010 were invited to participate in the research.Two focus groups were tape recorded with written consent  (Group One n=9, Group Two n=4) and were  carried out  half way through the internship period. A topic guide based on the purpose of the study was  used to guide the focus groups. Data were analysed utilising Braun and Clark’s framework (2006).

 

Results:

 

Preliminary analysis of the data suggest the following themes:

·         Significance of interpersonal issues impacting on the experiences of students

·         Developing confidence and competence in practice

·         The effect of competing demands on the internship

·         Advantages and challenges of incorporating reflection into the internship

 

Conclusion:

 

Once analysis is complete from both phases of the study, implications for practice will be considered.