Continuing professional development and changed re-registration requirements: midwives' reflections.

Area of Science:

• Nursing and Midwifery
• Healthcare Regulation
• Professional Development

Background:

• New Australian legislation in 2010 established Australian Health Practitioner Regulatory Authority standards for nursing and midwifery.
• These standards mandate continuing professional development (CPD) and annual re-registration for midwives and nurses.
• Effective engagement with adult pedagogy requires self-examination to identify and prioritize learning needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how registered midwives in Australia approach new statutory requirements for continuing professional development (CPD).
• To identify challenges faced by midwives in completing CPD activities under the revised regulatory framework.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal, two-phase case study design was employed.
• Phase one involved in-depth qualitative interviews with 20 female participants recruited nationally.
• A purposive sampling approach ensured maximum variation to explore the experiences of midwives.

Main Results:

• A key finding is the strong relationship between motivation and midwives' decisions regarding CPD and their practice context.
• Implicit values and beliefs about professional relationships emerged as significant motivational factors.
• These factors influence choices about CPD engagement and practice development.

Conclusions:

• Findings highlight the need for systemic dialogue to support midwives in maintaining and developing their practice through CPD.
• Acknowledging the challenges faced by midwives with dual registration (as registered nurses) is crucial.
• Support systems are needed to help midwives navigate evolving regulatory requirements.