The International Confederation of Midwives' study of essential competencies of midwifery practice.
OBJECTIVE
To delineate the knowledge, skills, and behaviours that would characterise the domain of competencies of the midwife who is educated according to the international definition of the profession.


METHODS
Phase I: a qualitative Delphi study; Phase II: a descriptive survey research process.


METHODS
A stratified random sample of member organisations of the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and regulatory representatives from these same countries.


RESULTS
A list of basic (essential) and additional competencies for midwives who have been educated in keeping with the ICM/WHO/FIGO international definition of the midwife was developed through an interative Delphi process, and then affirmed, using a survey research method. The final list includes 214 individual task statements within six domains of midwifery practice.


CONCLUSIONS
This list of competencies can serve as a basis for educational curriculum design, as a guideline for regulatory policy development, as a reference document for individual practitioners in an assessment of their initial and continued competency and by the ICM and its member associations as a resource for advocating for the role of midwifery within health-care systems world-wide.
Fullerton
Judith
J
School of Nursing, University of Texas at El Paso, USA. jfullerton@sanirr.com
Severino
Richard
R
Brogan
Kelly
K
Thompson
Joyce
J
D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa; D000368:Aged; D000569:Americas; D001208:Asia; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008880:Midwifery / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012107:Research Design; D012956:Societies, Nursing