Education pathways, mentoring and future intentions of nurse and midwifery consultants in a NSW Health District

Abstract

Clinical Nurse and Midwifery Consultants (CNC/CMCs) play an important role within NSW Health Services. They are required to function within five domains of practice: clinical service and consultancy, clinical leadership, research, education, and clinical services planning and management. This study engaged with one Health District's current CNC/CMC network members with a view to informing the development of a strategy for career and succession planning. One hundred CNC/CMCs were invited to participate in an online survey and in one of three focus groups. The survey explored: the participants' demographics, their educational pathways prior to and during the role, the relationship of this education to the five domains of CNC/CMC practice, their priorities for their own future education needs, the education priorities they suggested for other aspiring CNC/CMCs, and who was mentoring into their role. The focus group added further clarity to the survey data. The survey was completed by 61% of invitees and 19% attended the focus groups. The findings identified an experienced workforce, with 25% of CNC/CMCs intending to leave over the next five years, yet only 20% mentoring others. Nearly half (47%) of the participants held or were working towards a Master's degree. A third of these Master's degrees were considered by the participants to support knowledge in all five of the CNC/CMCs' domains of practice, in comparison to only 11% of graduate certificates. The focus-group participants expressed the view that the Master's qualification supported them to meet the domains of the CNC/CMC role, and suggested that aspiring CNC/CMCs should aim for this level of education. When considering their own personal educational needs, the CNC/CMCs prioritised service planning and management and research, but they felt that aspiring CNC/CMCs should prioritise the development of clinical knowledge, followed by clinical leadership.

Examining The Management and Treatment Approaches for Depression in Pregnant Women

“…Another study showed that midwives require an additional 30 minutes for an effective depression screening 23 . These findings are consistent with research by Edga (2010), which reported that midwives need more time to conduct physical examinations, leaving most women with psychological stress untreated 24 . Another challenge identified is the healthcare professionals' lack of knowledge about managing depression and the absence of specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) or guidelines for managing depression in pregnant women at community health centers.…”