European Midwives Project: supervision in action.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare
• Professional Regulation
• International Recruitment

Background:

• European Union midwives meet UK's Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) standards for registration.
• Previously, EU midwives faced employment barriers and lengthy probationary periods in the UK.
• Expired registration due to difficulties in securing practice hours was a significant issue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the challenges faced by European Union midwives in securing clinical employment in the UK.
• To ensure midwives maintain required practice hours for registration and professional development.
• To facilitate the integration of qualified EU midwives into the UK healthcare workforce.

Main Methods:

• Development and implementation of the European Midwifery Programme by the West Midlands Supervisory Authority and Birmingham City University.
• Focus on bridging the gap between NMC registration eligibility and practical clinical employment.
• Support for midwives to meet Post Registration Education and Practice (PREP) requirements.

Main Results:

• The European Midwifery Programme aims to provide a structured pathway for EU midwives to gain clinical experience.
• Facilitates midwives in meeting employment and practice hour requirements for continued registration.
• Addresses the issue of supernumerary status and employment delays.

Conclusions:

• The European Midwifery Programme offers a solution to employment and practice integration challenges for EU midwives in the UK.
• Supports the UK's need for skilled healthcare professionals by enabling foreign-trained midwives to practice.
• Enhances the ability of midwives to maintain their professional registration and clinical competency.