Flight nurses in Australia: maintaining their midwifery competence - a case study

Flight nurses (FNs) in Australia care for a wide diversity of patients as sole practitioners. No studies could be located regarding how FNs maintain their midwifery competence. The purpose of this study was to investigate how levels of competence in midwifery practice are determined amongst Australian FNs and explore if continuing professional development (CPD) contributes to the maintenance of FN's midwifery clinical skills and knowledge. Data was collected using computer mediated communication and content analysed using a thematic framework. The results of this study showed that the maintenance of current midwifery practice was complex due to the low numbers of midwifery patients cared for by FNs. CPD was identified as essential however this research demonstrated a lack of motivation by this small group of FNs to attend CPD, mainly due to the absence of a programme that recognises the different context and scope of their practice.