Development and validation of a professional autonomy scale for Japanese midwives

Area of Science:

• Midwifery
• Nursing Education
• Professional Development

Background:

• Japanese midwives require autonomy in diagnosis and maternity care.
• Current education for midwife professional autonomy is insufficient.
• A validated scale for measuring midwife autonomy was lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Midwives Professional Autonomy Scale (MPAS) for Japanese midwives.
• To support education and career advancement for midwives.
• To provide a tool for assessing professional autonomy in midwifery.

Main Methods:

• Literature review for item extraction on "autonomy" and "specialty".
• Content and surface validity by 10 experts.
• Survey of 695 Japanese midwives (399 recovered sample).
• Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) for construct validity and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.95).
• Criterion validity using self-efficacy, self-esteem, and job satisfaction scales.
• Test-retest reliability for stability.

Main Results:

• The developed scale consists of 24 items across 5 factors.
• High internal consistency was confirmed (Cronbach's alpha = 0.95).
• The scale demonstrated validity and stability for measuring professional autonomy.

Conclusions:

• The Midwives Professional Autonomy Scale (MPAS) is a valid and reliable instrument.
• MPAS can be utilized for evaluating Japanese midwife professional autonomy.
• The scale will contribute to improving midwifery education and practice.