gms | German Medical Science

Background: In Germany, a total of 321 applications for recognition of the profession of midwife were submitted in 2017 [1]. In order to be able to work in Germany, these midwives must first attend an adaptation course. It is still mostly unknown how many midwives come from countries that are not EU countries. But little is also known about the support needs of midwives who complete an adaptation course. The task of the providers of adaptation courses is to develop didactic concepts for the specific promotion of the individual learning processes of this particular group, taking into account the resources and needs of midwives from non-EU countries.

Aim/Research Question: The central questions include the needs, requirements and experiences of midwives from non-EU countries. In addition, the competencies of midwives and teachers will be asked. Participants will also be asked about the support they need in the learning process. The aim of the study is to identify the needs of midwives from non-EU countries.

Methods: Within the framework of the qualitative study, data was collected in the form of four guideline-based focused interviews. Midwives from non-EU countries who have already completed an adaptation course were interviewed. The results were analysed and evaluated by means of a summary content analysis according to Mayring.

Results: In seven categories different experiences and a variety of resulting needs of the interviewed midwives were shown. These relate to the process of migration, recognition, adaptation course and career entry. Respondents mention needs such as language learning, finding information, support and simplification in the recognition process, consideration of qualifications, technical content and preparation for freelance work during the adaptation course, guidance and support during the internship and flexibilization of the adaptation course. In addition, they describe performance differences between their home countries and Germany and the reasons for their career aspirations.

Relevance: With rising birth rates [2] and barely changed figures for occupational midwives [3], alternative models are needed to secure the provision of obstetric care for families in Germany. The recruitment of midwives from other countries is becoming increasingly important. Successful inclusion processes for immigrant midwives require tailored support measures and didactic concepts for successful social and vocational inclusion processes. To date, little relevant research has been conducted on the issues raised by this study.

Conclusion: The impressions and experiences of the midwives interviewed during the individual process stages are very different, as are the needs for support. From the results of this work, initial recommendations for training and professional practice can be derived. Adaptation courses should be developed based on didactic concepts in which the needs and resources of midwives from non-EU countries are taken into account as situational learning prerequisites.

Ethics and conflicts of interest: No vote on ethics was obtained. The research was financed by own resources. There are no conflicts of interest.

The PDF file of the poster submitted for the meeting is available in German as Attachment 1 [Attach. 1].