gms | German Medical Science

4th International Conference of the German Society of Midwifery Science (DGHWi)

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Hebammenwissenschaft e. V.

16.02.2018, Mainz

Implementation of midwifery specific offers within a teaching and research clinic

Meeting Abstract

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  • corresponding author Angela Rocholl - University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule für Gesundheit), Bochum, Germany
  • Nicola Bauer - University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule für Gesundheit), Department of Applied Health Sciences, Bochum, Germany

German Association of Midwifery Science. 4th International Meeting of the German Association of Midwifery Science (DGHWi). Mainz, 16.-16.02.2018. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2018. Doc18dghwiP30

doi: 10.3205/18dghwi36, urn:nbn:de:0183-18dghwi360

This is the English version of the article.
The German version can be found at: http://www.egms.de/de/meetings/dghwi2018/18dghwi36.shtml

Published: February 13, 2018

© 2018 Rocholl et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. See license information at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.


Outline

Text

Background: Since 2009 the University of Applied Sciences in Bochum offers the possibility to acquire an academic degree in midwifery in a primary qualifying study programme in addition to study programmes for therapeutic and the nursing professions. Changing health care structures for pregnancy, delivery and the postnatal period lead to new project ideas for teaching and learning. The model of “student run clinics” is nationally as well as internationally well-known [1]. However, in Germany there are no comparable examples for midwifery science.

Aim: Implementing a teaching and research clinic at the University of Applied Sciences in Bochum offers an additional setting to improve the linking-up of theory and practice [2] facilitated by experienced practitioners and supported through the structural integration in the modules of the study programme. At this state the focus lies on midwifery specific fields of work. Special emphasis is put on prevention, health promotion, diagnosis, therapy and counseling. Analysing the activities in the clinic is expected to generate a relevant research agenda. Moreover, with the clinic the social mission of the University as defined in its mission statement, which is to improve healthcare within the region, and to close supply gaps [3], is fulfilled.

Realisation: To evaluate capable offers, a survey was conducted in Bochum at the office of health, a pregnancy counseling service, the maternity units and independent midwives. The resulting project ideas were checked for their practicability and project paths were developed. Already established offers of the University were updated. The challenge of civil liability, clarification of the rental modalities of the location and the recruitment of cooperation partners constitute the biggest challenges.

The following three projects are supposed to be realized in the winter term 2017/2018:

1.
“Midwifery students learn from pregnant women” consists of regular interviews between students of the first semester and pregnant women about the experience of the pregnancy.
2.
“Midwives from Syria and students learn from and with each other” includes a series of teaching lessons concerning language competences on the topics of pregnancy, delivery and the German health system, combined with intercultural exchange
3.
Implementation of a postnatal exercise course by postgraduates as an entrance into standard offers.

Results: A formative and summative evaluation will be carried out at the beginning of 2018. The improvement of the theory-practice exchange and the contribution to close supply gaps will be taken as criteria.

Conclusion/outlook: Establishing innovative teaching approaches and new models of care are accompanied by organizational and systemic challenges. There are plans to integrate the new offers in the module “Midwifery practice in complex situations” starting in the summer semester 2018, covering 102 practice lessons. A close network with local actors can lead to an extension of the midwifery specific offers up to an inter-professional health-care center.

Ethical criteria and conflict of interests: The research / project was not submitted to an ethics committee for the following reasons: Principles of ethical research were adhered to on the basis of the Code of Ethics of the German Sociological Association (DGS).

The work was financed by third party funds from the university. There is no conflict of interest.


References

1.
Otago Polytechnic. Midwifery, Pregnancy Follow-Throughs. [Zugriff/cited Oct 2017]. Verfügbar unter/available from: https://www.op.ac.nz/study/health-and-community/midwifery/follow-throughs External link
2.
Dehnbostel P. Lernen im Prozess der Arbeit. Muenster: Waxmann; 2015.
3.
Hochschule für Gesundheit. Leitbild. 2017. [Zugriff/cited Oct 2017]. Verfügbar unter/available from: https://www.hs-gesundheit.de/de/thema/die-hochschule/ueber-uns/leitbild/ External link