Research priorities of midwives: a Delphi study

Area of Science:

• Maternal Health
• Nursing Research
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Establishing a research culture is vital for high-quality maternity services.
• Midwives' perspectives are crucial for identifying relevant research priorities.
• Gold Coast Hospital (GCH) in South East Queensland, Australia, sought to understand these priorities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the primary research priorities of midwives at GCH.
• To promote a culture of inquiry and reflective practice among maternity care providers.
• To inform future research directions in Australian maternity services.

Main Methods:

• A two-phase Delphi design was employed.
• Fifty-eight midwives participated in the first round (50% response rate).
• Fifty-four midwives participated in the second round (60% response rate).

Main Results:

• Midwives expressed significant interest in researching post-dates induction of labour.
• Workplace culture emerged as another key area of research interest for midwives.
• These findings highlight specific areas for future clinical and academic focus.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully identified midwives' research priorities at GCH.
• Findings provide a foundation for developing targeted research initiatives.
• Fostering a research culture can enhance the quality of maternity care provision.