Supporting Timor-Leste midwives and nurses through an educational program: An evaluative study.

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Maternal and Newborn Health
• Healthcare Workforce Development

Background:

• High maternal mortality in Timor-Leste (204/100,000 live births) necessitates improved maternal and newborn health services.
• There is a critical need to develop the nation's maternity workforce to address these challenges.
• Previous training programs lacked published impact evaluations on participants' skills and knowledge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate participant satisfaction with an Australian maternal and newborn health training program.
• To assess the impact of the training on Timorese midwives and nurses' skills and knowledge.
• To explore qualitative feedback on professionalism, communication, and connections.

Main Methods:

• An evaluative study design was employed.
• A survey was administered to assess the impact of a five-week Australian residential training program.
• Qualitative evaluations were conducted with 12 Timorese midwives and one nurse.

Main Results:

• Survey data indicated increased participant knowledge and skills in maternal and newborn care.
• Significant improvements were observed in the knowledge of obstetric emergencies post-training.
• The most pronounced gains were in advanced clinical skills, including fetal assessment, neonatal resuscitation, and obstetric emergencies.

Conclusions:

• The Australian residential training program, in collaboration with local Rotary clubs, effectively enhanced maternal and newborn healthcare skills.
• The program positively impacted the professional development of Timorese midwives and nurses.
• This initiative demonstrates a successful model for international health training collaborations.