Continuing education is crucial for healthcare improvement.
Midwives' participation in continuing education is essential for maintaining high standards of care.
Purpose of the Study:
To investigate the motivation of practising midwives in Northern Ireland to participate in continuing education.
To explore midwives' perceptions of continuing education and factors influencing their engagement.
Main Methods:
A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining questionnaires and semi-structured interviews.
Sixty midwives from ward sister/staff midwife grades in selected Northern Ireland hospitals participated.
Quantitative data from questionnaires were supplemented with qualitative insights from interviews.
Main Results:
Midwives perceive continuing education as vital for professional reasons, encompassing both formal and informal learning.
A notable lack of motivation to engage in continuing education was observed among the participating midwives.
Factors such as managerial support, educational facility availability, social responsibility, and work schedules (night duty/part-time) may influence participation.
Conclusions:
Effective staff appraisal systems are needed to foster motivation for continuing education.
Providing diverse formal and informal continuing education opportunities is essential to encourage midwife engagement.
Addressing identified barriers and leveraging influencing factors can enhance midwife participation in professional development.