Core competence of midwives in township hospitals and its influencing factors-A cross-sectional study

This study aimed to assess the core competence of midwives in township hospitals through a self-assessment questionnaire. The relationship between professional identity and core competence and the factors influencing midwives' core competence was also investigated.

Convenience sampling was conducted in 77 township hospitals in Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province, China, with 150 participants. The questionnaires were distributed online in November 2021. We conducted a descriptive data analysis, a correlation analysis of the two variables of professional identity and core competencies, and multivariate linear regression to analyse the influencing factors, including the sociodemographic information, the Midwife Core Competence Scale, and the Nurses' Professional Identity Scale scores.

The mean score for the core competence was 206.43 (±37.45) out of 270. The highest score was for pregnancy care (3.97 ± 0.70) and the lowest was for newborn care (3.72 ± 0.78). The independent sample t-test results and one-way analysis of variance showed that qualifications, midwifery training situation, and midwifery working years had differential effects on midwives' core competencies (P < 0.05). Multiple linear regression showed that qualifications, midwifery working years, and level of professional identity were influencing factors (P < 0.05).

The core competencies of midwives in township hospitals were lower than those reported in other studies. Advancements in education, midwifery working years, and professional identity may increase midwives' core competencies.