Motivation for continuing education in midwifery

Area of Science:

• Healthcare professional development
• Nursing education research

Background:

• 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.