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While Malawi has made great strides increasing the number of facility-based births, maternal and neonatal mortality remains high. An intervention started in 2019 provided short-course training followed by year-long longitudinal bedside mentorship for nurse midwives at seven health facilities in Blantyre district. The intervention was initiated following invitation from the district to improve outcomes for patients during childbirth. This study examined the impact of the intervention on the reporting of obstetric and neonatal complications and related care. Patient level data were collected from the District Health Information System 2 database from intervention and non-intervention facilities. Bivariate analysis explored the impact of longitudinal bedside mentorship on select District Health Information System 2 variables at six-month intervals. Outcomes were then analyzed using nonlinear quantile mixed models to better account for the impact of time and clustering at the facility level. Significant changes were found in the reporting of obstetric and neonatal complications over time at intervention facilities compared to non-intervention facilities. Intervention facilities showed statistically significant increases in the reporting of prolonged labor, pre/eclampsia, fetal distress, retained placenta, and premature labor. There was also a statistically significant decrease in the reporting of no complications in the multivariate model (95%CI: − 0.8 to − 0.2). In both the bivariate and multivariate models, the reporting of 'None' significantly decreased (0.8 % median), while the reporting of prematurity (0.2 % median) and asphyxia (0.3 % median) both significantly increased. The missingness of data at intervention facilities decreased to almost zero compared to non-intervention facilities. The increase in reported maternal and neonatal complications suggests improved early identification of complications at the facility level. The improved accuracy of patient data from intervention facilities shows the impact mentorship has on data quality which is crucial for the allocation of resources. By highlighting the apparent dose–response relationship of longitudinal bedside mentorship, this study will inform the broader use of mentorship in training programs. Future research is needed to explore the impact of longitudinal mentorship on quality of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, there has been increased demand for higher education in nursing and midwifery to support evidence-based practice. It is believed that higher education in nursing leads to improved quality of care. The motivation for pursuing higher education, the choice of institution for learning and the effects of higher education programs have not been given much attention in research literature in Ghanaq To assess the motivating factors, reasons for the choice of institution and the perceived effects of attaining higher educational qualifications among post-diploma graduate nurses and midwives. Descriptive cross-sectional study. Kumasi. Convenience and snowball sampling were used to select 523 nurses and midwives who had pursued higher education after their Diploma in Nursing or Midwifery education. A researcher-developed questionnaire was used to collect data on motivation, choice of institution and perceived effects of higher education by nurses and midwives. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and linear regression at 0.05 significance level. The greatest motivation for higher education by nurses/midwives was to improve clinical judgment. Academic quality and reputation of the institution were the main reasons for the choice of institution (n = 458, 92.7 %). There were weak but positive significant correlations between the perceived effects of higher nursing and midwifery education and pressure from the workplace (r = 0.204, p <.001), and increasing new demands from clients (r = 0.284, p <.001). Increasing demands from clients (β = 0.203, p <.001) and improving social status (β = 0.264, p <.001) were the motivating factors that influenced the perceived effects of higher nursing and midwifery education. The desire for improved professionalism and increased expertise are the reasons nurses and midwives seek higher education. Health managers should support nurses and midwives to attain higher education to improve the quality of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most nurses and midwives are not prepared to provide bereavement care. The conflict between the need for high-quality care of bereaved parents and the lack of confidence in providing perinatal bereavement care among nursing staff is becoming increasingly prominent in China. To describe the current situation and identify influencing factors of perinatal bereavement care confidence (PBCC) among nurses and midwives in China. This descriptive and cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2021. A convenience sample was created by recruiting 571 nurses and midwives in 11 hospitals in Zhejiang Province. Collected the data of PBCC, secondary traumatic stress (STS) and emotional exhaustion (EE) in this study. The average score of the PBCC was 67.83 ± 10.78. Average levels of STS were (23.32 ± 7.39) and EE (17.87 ± 8.62). PBCC was found to be most often associated with self-awareness, organisational support and training in perinatal bereavement care. Managers should take measures to improve PBCC and optimise perinatal bereavement care practice from the perspective of enhancing self-awareness of nursing staff, strengthening organisational support and providing training in perinatal bereavement care. The mental health of nursing professionals in the context of perinatal bereavement care needs to be emphasised. Nursing managers should make clear policies and establish a communication platform for nursing staff. Professional training should be conducted in the future. • Nurses and midwives had inadequate perinatal bereavement care confidence (PBCC). • Self-awareness, organisational support and training in perinatal bereavement care were influencing factors of PBCC. • Nurses and midwives' trauma emotion may impede high-quality perinatal bereavement care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council mandates the teaching of cultural safety in Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery programs in Australia. However nursing and midwifery academics may lack the awareness and knowledge required to share and develop cultural safety practices with their students. Specific cultural safety professional development for academics may be needed. This research explores how nursing and midwifery academics at an Australian university understand cultural safety and whether they are equipped to embed it in the curriculum. It also examines whether professional development workshops can support academics to prepare for cultural safety. An intervention involving three cultural safety professional development workshops was offered to nursing academics at an Australian university. The authors used qualitative surveys to consider whether the workshops deepened participants' understanding of cultural safety and developed the self-reflection required to embed cultural safety in teaching. Results: The workshops contributed to participants' improved understandings of culture, colonisation, white privilege and the need for self-reflection, but not all participants developed a working knowledge of cultural safety practice. Professional development workshops can assist nursing and midwifery academics to develop their knowledge of cultural safety, but detailed, contextual understanding is likely to need more than three sessions. Academics' motivations to include cultural safety in their teaching may be linked to their desire for patient-driven and equitable services and a desire to meet accreditation requirements. • What is currently known? • Cultural safety must be embedded in the nursing and midwifery curriculum across Australia. • What the paper adds. • This paper describes cultural safety professional development for academics, with surveys to understand its effects. • Application for practice? • Cultural safety PD is a way to educate the educators for implementing mandated curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: The relationship between long working hours and harmful alcohol consumption reported in the literature is equivocal. Objective: This study aimed to investigate this relationship in a methodologically rigorous fashion. Design and participants: A cross-sectional analysis of a large cohort study of Australian and New Zealand nurses and midwives was undertaken. Methods: Psychometrically robust standardised assessments of alcohol consumption and problems and other key variables were elicited using an electronic survey. Crude and adjusted logistic regression models using complete case and multistage multiple imputed data were employed. Results: The study included 4419 participants, 3552 from Australia and 867 from New Zealand. Long working hours were common, with 33.2% working 40–49h/week and 7.5% working ≥50h/week. Overall, 13.9% engaged in harmful daily drinking. Significant associations between long working hours and harmful daily alcohol consumption was seen in crude and adjusted complete case and imputed logistic regression models. In the adjusted model with imputed data, the odds of harmful daily drinking increased by 1.17 (95% confidence interval: 1.01, 1.36) between <40h/week and 40–49h/week groups, and between 40–49h/week and ≥50h/week groups. Conclusions: Many nurses and midwives engaging in harmful daily drinking and work long hours. Since the late 1970s, the average hours worked by full-time employees in Australia has increased. Unless these long working hours can be curbed, workforce policies and programmes aimed at prevention, supportive and empathetic intervention, and recovery need to be instigated; both to protect patients and the nurses and midwives themselves. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]