Development and implementation of a competency-based clinical evaluation tool for midwifery education.

Area of Science:

• Midwifery Education
• Clinical Competency Assessment
• Healthcare Professional Training

Background:

• Competency-based midwifery programs require explicit learning goals and evaluation strategies.
• Standardized evaluation of didactic learning exists in the US, but clinical competence evaluation is lacking.
• Existing assessment methods do not fully address the need for standardized clinical skills evaluation in midwifery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate the Midwifery Competency Assessment Tool (MCAT) for measuring and monitoring student competence development.
• To adapt existing competency frameworks (ICM, ACNM) into a practical assessment tool.
• To utilize Benner's Novice-to-Expert theory for student self-evaluation within the MCAT.

Main Methods:

• Adapted the MCAT from International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) core competencies.
• Implemented student self-evaluation based on Benner's Novice-to-Expert theory.
• Applied the MCAT to measure and monitor competence across all domains of midwifery practice.

Main Results:

• The MCAT provides clear learning goals and performance evaluations for students.
• It facilitates content mapping across curricula and identifies strengths/gaps in clinical opportunities.
• Challenges include balancing measurement items, ensuring self-evaluation accuracy, and defining adequacy with limited clinical exposure.

Conclusions:

• The MCAT can standardize clinical evaluation in competency-based midwifery programs.
• It supports strategic development and utilization of clinical sites.
• Integration of the MCAT may enhance the overall quality and consistency of midwifery clinical education.