Reforming professional identity: experiences of internationally educated midwives in a Swedish bridging program - A...

The first bridging program for midwives in Sweden started in 2018. This made it possible for midwives educated outside of the EU/EES and Switzerland to obtain a Swedish midwifery license and become familiar with the Swedish healthcare system within a year.

To describe midwives', who have obtained their midwifery education outside of the EU/EES and Switzerland, experiences obtaining a Swedish midwifery license through the bridging program at Karolinska Institutet.

A qualitative study was conducted utilizing semi-structured interviews with nine midwives who had completed the bridging program. Content analysis was used.

From the analysis, one theme emerged: Reforming professional identity. This theme encompassed four categories: A bridging program as a way of reaching the goal, experience of support, becoming familiar with a new healthcare system and learning while using a new language.

The necessity for a bridging program became apparent as the midwives encountered differences in healthcare systems and diverse approaches to interacting with birthing women. Acquiring the skill to provide consistent support was challenging, demanding proficient communication skills, with casual conversation being the greatest obstacle.