An evaluation by focus group and survey of a course for Midwifery Ventouse Practitioners.
OBJECTIVE
to evaluate the Midwifery Ventouse Practitioners' (MVPs) Course and the MVPs' perception of its effect on their practice.


METHODS
qualitative and quantitative.


METHODS
18 midwives who had completed the MVP course at Bournemouth University 1998-2000.


METHODS
focus group (n=8) and postal questionnaire (n=18).


RESULTS
important issues were identified by the focus group and informed the development of the questionnaire which achieved a 100% response rate. The mean length of full-time experience as a midwife was 18.6 years (SD 6.8; range 9-33); 11 midwives were based in community maternity units and seven in consultant units. Seventeen of the MVPs had been called to assist 505 women in this capacity; 366 (72%) had an MVP ventouse-assisted birth, 129 (26%) a normal birth and 10 women (2%) needed obstetric assistance. In this regard, there were considerable differences between individual MVPs. The midwives gave high priority to woman-centred values and to the very judicious use of intervention. They felt that the course had increased their confidence in relation to their midwifery practice, in general, and their ability to define fetal position and station, in particular. They reported a high level of confidence when undertaking their first ventouse birth after completing the course.


CONCLUSIONS
midwives who have undertaken this course do not appear to expand their role to the detriment of normal midwifery, as had been feared. Even highly experienced midwives value increasing their confidence in relation to vaginal and abdominal examination. Ambulance transfer in the second stage of labour was prevented for at least 109 women. A long-term clinical evaluation of the births to which an MVP has been called is needed.
Institute of Health and Community Studies, Bournemouth University, Christchurch Road, Bournemouth BH1 3LG, UK.
Jo
J
Alexander
Tricia
T
Anderson
Suzanne
S
Cunningham
D000328:Adult; D000739:Anecdotes as Topic; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000592:standards*; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000592:standards*; D008875:Middle Aged; D008880:Midwifery / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards*; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires