title: 'Chasing the numbers': Australian Bachelor of Midwifery students' experiences of achieving midwifery practice requirements for registration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to explore one aspect of the findings from a qualitative study exploring Australian Bachelor of Midwifery students' experiences of achieving competency for beginning practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  a qualitative study using grounded theory, incorporating situational analysis. Data were collected by interviews, field observation and students' documents.
  
  
  METHODS
  one university in Victoria, Australia, which was a member of a consortium of universities that first implemented Bachelor of Midwifery curricula.
  
  
  METHODS
  19 women, aged 20-40 years, completing the Bachelor of Midwifery course between the years 2005 and 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  data analysis revealed an overarching social process of assimilation, and three related subprocesses namely realisation, adaptation and consolidation. This paper focuses on consolidation in terms of competency achievement in relation to set requirements.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  while generally found competent for beginning practice, the Bachelor of Midwifery students in this study felt that their ability to achieve competency according to professional midwifery standards, was constrained by the restricted nature of midwifery practice and medical dominance in the hospitals where they were placed. Furthermore, they found it challenging to achieve the minimum midwifery experience requirements, as well as their own personal learning objectives, within the clinical practicum hours provided in the curriculum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  a review of the clinical hours provided by Bachelor of Midwifery curricula is required, with a view to ensure that clinical hours are consistent with recommended hours suggested by Australian Bachelor of Midwifery course accreditation standards. Universities implementing midwifery curricula in Australia need to be cognisant of the theory-practice gap and therefore the applicability of professional competency standards to the education of midwives. The concerns about the reliability of competency standards need to be addressed. Finally, further research is required to validate the current number of, minimum practice experience required for competency for beginning practice and registration as a midwife in Australia.
authors: School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Australian Catholic University, St Patrick's Campus, Locked Bag 4115, Fitzroy MDC, Victoria 3065, Australia. Sharon.licqurish@acu.edu.au
authors: Sharon
authors: S
authors: Licqurish
authors: Camel
authors: C
authors: Seibold
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D003479:Curriculum / Q000592:standards*; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000379:methods; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008880:Midwifery / Q000193:education*; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D011247:Pregnancy; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013338:Students, Nursing; D014495:Universities; D014739:Victoria