Search

Multiple-mini interviews (MMI) are increasingly used as part of the admission process into healthcare degrees. Evaluations have found MMIs to be a fair assessment tool in terms of reliability and validity and viewed positively by those involved in the MMI process. The use of MMIs in midwifery is novel and evaluation is lacking. To evaluate the use of MMIs as part of the admission process for the Bachelor of Midwifery in one Australian university. A basic convergent mixed methods study design was utilised. Data included linked data sets, Likert scale responses to survey questions, focus groups and open-ended survey questions. Integration took place at the interpretation and reporting stage. Participants viewed the MMI experience positively. The study confirmed the reliability of the MMIs as an assessment tool. Most variance in MMI scores was attributed to the candidate at 31.4 % with the interviewer and the interview station having less influence on the MMI score at 11 % and 6.4 % variance. Older applicants on average achieved higher MMI scores, and those who spoke a language other than English at home or were first in family to attend university had lower on average MMI scores. Being born overseas did not impact an applicant's MMI score. The overall experience was seen as fair, offering further opportunity to gain entry into the Bachelor of Midwifery. MMIs were viewed positively and findings support the use of MMIs as part of an admissions process for the Bachelor of Midwifery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As students are expected to apply their knowledge in clinical settings educators need to use learning strategies that provide students with experiences that facilitate knowledge application. The use of simulations has been identified to be such a strategy. However, their use in the classroom has been described as burdensome for educators. Consequently educators may avoid using them. This paper describes the experience of an educator preparing, implementing and evaluating the use of simulations with midwifery students. In conclusion, the educator found the experience to be worthwhile and well received by students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore the benefit and engagement of undergraduate students' use of H5P interactive books for student learning., Design: An evaluation study of technology enabled learning for first year undergraduate Bachelor of Midwifery students in Australia., Methods: Students were invited to complete an online evaluation survey of their use and engagement with H5P interactive books. The survey included the long form User Engagement Scale which has four subscales of focused attention, aesthetic appeal, reward factor and perceived usability scored on a 5-point Likert scale. Content analysis was used to analyse the text comments given to five open text questions., Results: There were 21 students who completed the survey. There was a high overall User Engagement Scale score of 73.1 % with aesthetic appeal and reward factor being the highest scoring subscales. The content analysis showed students found the interactive books engaging and easy to navigate. Areas for improvement identified were not including a large amount of content and providing downloadable content., Conclusions: This study demonstrates the valuable and engaging use of H5P Interactive Books for undergraduate students in higher education. Students who used H5P Interactive Books identified their ease of use, organised layout and engaging format., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no competing interests to declare., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Background: Midwifery practice experience is an important component of education to develop an understanding of professional identity in midwifery students. The responsibility of supporting student development in the clinical setting is predominantly undertaken by clinical midwives. There is minimal literature relating to the professional identity development of midwifery students., Aim: To explore midwifery student experiences of the positive attributes of clinical midwives who supported the professional identity development of midwifery students in the clinical practice setting., Methods: An Appreciative Inquiry approach guided this study. The setting was a university in Sydney, Australia. Participants comprised thirteen students from a postgraduate midwifery course. Data were collected via individual interviews and analysed thematically. Students had two to six months of placement in the clinical setting., Findings: Data analysis identified three themes, Putting the woman at the centre of care; Supporting a woman-centred environment and Focusing on student success., Discussion: Findings from this study revealed that extended time spent with a midwife enabled the student to observe and reflect on the nuances of midwifery practice that are not overtly shared with students. Students were able to observe a midwife's tacit way of being. This paper reveals the positive attributes and behaviours of midwives whose practice the students want to emulate., Conclusions: Midwifery students' exposure to positive clinical midwife role models on clinical placement enables them to develop a greater understanding of professional identity., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest No conflict of interest has been declared by the authors., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Midwifery practice experience for midwifery students is an important component of education to enhance knowledge and skill development. Practicing midwives provide student support in the clinical setting, there is minimal literature relating to strategies midwives use to support students., Objective: To explore midwifery student experiences of the strategies used by midwives to facilitate knowledge and skill development in the clinical practice setting., Methods: Qualitative approach based on Appreciative Inquiry. The setting is one University in Australia. Participants, thirteen Graduate Diploma in Midwifery students. Individual interviews followed by thematic analysis., Results: Data analysis identified six themes, Willingness to share knowledge and develop skills; The positive use of questioning; Moderating support; Teaching through the woman; Learning through problematisation and Providing constructive affirmation., Conclusions: Midwives incorporated varied strategies to support student development in the clinical setting. For an equitable clinical experience, all midwives need support to develop skills and confidence in facilitating student learning., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The appreciative inquiry (AI) interview follows a specific format and needs to be planned and developed before implementation. AI questions are designed to draw on the interviewee's experiences, commencing with general questioning and progressing to more focused questioning., Aim: To explain how to plan and undertake AI interviews, and to discuss issues that nurse researchers might encounter., Discussion: This article is based on the first author's experience of undertaking an AI doctoral study. The primary method of collecting data for the study was AI interviews. The more focused questioning related to participants' experiences of positive actions or behaviours. Although questioning was positive in nature and participant-centric, conducting the interviews was more problematic than the first author anticipated. Some participants struggled to recall positive memories to share., Conclusion: The unexpected response to the interview questions required the first author to examine her practices, as well as beliefs and judgements relating to AI. This reflexivity assisted in implementing changes to the study's process, resulting in a more positive experience for her and the participants., Implications for Practice: Researchers using the AI interview require the capacity to be self-critical and change the process if necessary to enrich the outcome., Competing Interests: None declared, (©2021 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.)

Aim: To describe midwifery students' practice experience and to explore facilitators and barriers to positive clinical learning experiences., Background: Practice experience is a vital component of every midwifery course. Course dissatisfaction and attrition of midwifery students has been attributed to sub-optimal practice experiences. Events or actions experienced by midwifery students that trigger dissatisfaction and attrition need to be identified., Evaluation: A meta-synthesis was based on that developed by Noblit and Hare., Key Issues: Students perceive workplaces as poorly prepared for their arrival and subsequent support. Students' experience in the practice setting is influenced by the existing workplace culture. Workplace culture influences institutional functioning and individuals within the culture. Enculturation of students into the midwifery culture and subsequent learning is affected by the support received., Conclusions: The practice experience of midwifery students was profoundly influenced by workplace culture. Students tended to have polarized accounts of their experience that were predominantly negative., Implications for Nursing (midwifery) Management: To provide an optimal environment for midwifery students; midwifery managers and individual midwives need to be aware of the facilitators and barriers to midwifery student development in the practice setting., (© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: to present critical cues, related factors, knowledge and experience used by midwives when deciding whether or not to suture perineal and associated trauma after childbirth., Design: an exploratory descriptive study using in-depth interviews to collect data using the Critical Decision Method., Setting: birth units in Greater Western Sydney., Participants: 19 volunteer midwives experienced in deciding whether or not to suture or in making referrals to suture childbirth trauma., Findings: the main findings were the cues of bleeding and trauma with their accompanying specific attributes, and woman- and midwife-centred factors considered when deciding whether or not to suture perineal and associated trauma. Furthermore, the knowledge and experience that supported decision-making, such as detailed knowledge of anatomical structures, workshops and observing highly skilled clinicians, were identified., Conclusion: the cues and related factors can be formed into an inventory and tested for content validity using a panel of expert midwives., Implications for Practice: such an inventory has the potential to minimise inappropriate intervention and alleviate unnecessary discomfort, thus increasing safety and quality of care for women following childbirth. In addition, midwifery educators and those coaching less-experienced midwives can use the collected clinical information to aid the development of students' and midwives' decision-making skills regarding whether or not to suture childbirth trauma., (Copyright 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

From recalled childbirth cases, a series of cues and related factors were previously identified that were used by midwives when making decisions to suture or not suture perineal and associated trauma incurred during spontaneous vaginal delivery. This study aimed to determine the validity of these cues and related factors. A panel of 18 experienced midwives evaluated their content validity using the criteria of "necessity" and "sufficiency." The two main cue categories-"bleeding" and "birth trauma"-were considered by 18 (100%) of the panel members to be necessary to assess. At least 16 (89%) panel members considered the following specific cues necessary to assess: in the bleeding category-type, flow, amount, and effect of application of pressure or ice; in the birth trauma category-trauma sites, trauma types, dimensions of trauma, types of tissue, alignment of tissue, edema, and bruising. Seventeen (94%) panel members considered seven woman-centred related factors that were necessary to assess and 14 (78%) considered the combination of all cues in bleeding, birth trauma, and related factors sufficient for making the decision to suture or not. The availability of these validated cues and related factors has the potential to guide a comprehensive assessment on which the decision to suture or not suture depends. This addition to the domain of midwifery knowledge enables educational preparation of midwives who will have the capacity to more adequately support women in childbirth.

The actual effect of the use of simulations on clinical decision making is inconclusive. This pilot study used a posttest design to determine the effect of a simulation strategy on the clinical decision-making process of midwifery students. Thirty-six graduate diploma students volunteered and were randomly assigned to two groups, with the experimental group receiving two simulation sessions (normal labor and physiological jaundice), and the control group receiving the two usual lectures. The main findings were that students who received the simulation strategy collected more clinical information, revisited collected clinical information less, made fewer formative inferences, reported higher confidence levels, and for the posttest normal labor simulation, reached a final decision more quickly. Such effects are reasonable for this type of intervention with the existent variability in each group. Further research with a larger sample size and more rigorous data collection strategies is required.

The management of the patient with mycosis fungoides requires a variety of therapeutic modalities depending on the stage of the disease. Topically applied nitrogen mustard in the early stages of the disease has a beneficital palliative effect. The effects of nitrogen mustard paintings in the later course of the disease have not been previously reported. In the present study, topically applied nitrogen mustard solution was used to control recurrences of mycosis fungoides following electron beam therapy in 11 patients. Each patient received whole body applications of freshly prepared 10 mg per 50 ml solution of mechlorethamine hydrochloride (a nitrogen mustard) in water daily for seven days. In all patients pruritus disappeared within the first week and ulcers and plaques improved or disappeared in two to four weeks. The seven-day courses of mechlorethamine paintings were repeated as recurrences were noted. Mycosis fungoides was controlled by this therapy for periods ranging up to 15 months. Absence of systemic toxicity, a low incidence of cutaneous irritation and application of the treatments at home make topical nitrogen mustard a useful adjunct in the management of the late stages of mycosis fungoides.