Evaluation of the effectiveness of a video-based educational intervention on perinatal mental health related stigma reduction strategies for healthcare professionals: A single group pre-test-post-test pilot study.

Background: Healthcare professionals have a role to play in reducing perinatal mental health related stigma.

Aim: To assess the effectiveness of a video-based educational intervention developed to provide guidance to healthcare professionals on perinatal mental health related stigma reduction strategies.

Design: A single group pre-test-post-test pilot study with no control group.

Midwifery students' experiences of their clinical internship placement during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland: A qualitative descriptive study.

Objective: To explore the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on midwifery students' experiences of clinical internship placement in the final year of their midwifery programme.

Design: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted following ethical approval. Four online focus groups were facilitated.

Parents experiences of pregnancy following perinatal loss: An integrative review.

Background: Pregnancy following perinatal loss has a profound effect on parents and may contribute to intense psychological distress including grief, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression. The subsequent pregnancy may also be perceived as more stressful due to the fear of recurrent loss. Midwives and other health care professionals need to be sensitive and empathetic to the needs of these parents when providing care in a pregnancy subsequent to a loss.

A Rapid Realist Review of Quality Care Process Metrics Implementation in Nursing and Midwifery Practice.

Quality measurement initiatives promote quality improvement in healthcare but can be challenging to implement effectively. This paper presents a Rapid Realist Review (RRR) of published literature on Quality Care-Process Metrics (QCP-M) implementation in nursing and midwifery practice. An RRR informed by RAMESES II standards was conducted as an efficient means to synthesize evidence using an expert panel.

Interventions to reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders among healthcare staff in nursing homes; An integrative literature review.

Background: : The incidence of workrelated musculoskeletal disorders have been consistently high in nursing sectors and are a significant cost to the health service due to absenteeism. Workrelated musculoskeletal disorders are more common among healthcare workers in nursing homes due to the high dependency needs of older persons which often include need for help with self-care and mobility. Therefore, staff are exposed to potential injury associated with moving and handling patients.

The Paternal Experience of Fear of Childbirth: An Integrative Review.

Background: It is estimated that approximately 13% of expectant fathers experience a pathological and debilitating fear of childbirth.

Objective: The aim of this integrative review was to examine and synthesise the current body of research relating to paternal experience of fear of childbirth.

Methods: A systematic literature search of five databases-CINAHL, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, PsycArticles and PsycInfo-identified seventeen papers.

Quality care process metrics (QCP-Ms) in nursing and midwifery care processes: a rapid realist review (RRR) protocol.

In 2018, the Office of the Nursing and Midwifery Services Director (ONMSD) completed phase one of work which culminated in the development and launch of seven research reports with defined suites of quality care process metrics (QCP-Ms) and respective indicators for the practice areas - acute care, midwifery, children's, public health nursing, older persons, mental health and intellectual disability nursing in Ireland. This paper presents a rapid realist review protocol that will systematically review the literature that examines QCP-Ms in practice; what worked, or did not work for whom, in what contexts, to what extent, how and why? The review will explore if there are benefits of using the QCP-Ms and what are the contexts in which these mechanisms are triggered. The essence of this rapid realist review is to ascertain how a change in context generates a particular mechanism that produces specific outcomes.

Women's experience of obstetric anal sphincter injury following childbirth: An integrated review.

Background: Perineal injury during childbirth is a very common event which affect women during childbirth. Significant morbidities are associated with third-and-fourth degree perineal tears in particular, also referred to as obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS). With an increasing global birth rate and rising interventions in birth, the incidence of perineal trauma following vaginal birth is increasing on an international scale, impacted also by more accurate classification and definitions of OASIS and increased pre-existing co morbidities amongst affected women.

Culturally Sensitive Care in the Neonatal Setting to Infants Born to Parents From the Traveler Community: An Exploration of the Perspectives of Neonatal Staff.

Culture and traditions influence people's health beliefs and these influence their actions and behaviors to prevent ill health and promote health and well-being. This qualitative study explored nurses'/midwives perspectives of culturally sensitive care in a neonatal setting to infants born to parents from the Traveler community. A descriptive qualitative approach was used to interview 10 nurses/midwives from a neonatal unit in Ireland.

Safety first: Factors affecting preceptor midwives experiences of competency assessment failure among midwifery students.

Background: Assessment of clinical practice is a core component of midwifery education. Clinical assessment is challenging and affected by a number of factors. Preceptor midwives are reported to be reluctant to fail students in clinical assessments.

Midwifery students' experiences of their clinical internship: A qualitative descriptive study.

Background: Globally the safety of mothers and babies is fundamental in maternity care. Central to ensuring this safety is appropriate preparation of midwifery students' to ensure graduates are equipped to assume the responsibilities of delivering safe and effective maternity care. In preparation for autonomous practice Irish midwifery students' undertake a 36 week internship in the final year of the BSc Midwifery programme.

Preparing midwifery students for practice: The value of elective placements in enhancing midwifery practice.

An elective placement where students are facilitated to access different models of midwifery care was included in the 18 month Higher Diploma Midwifery programme in 2008 in a university in Ireland. All students since then have had the opportunity to experience this placement which is advocated by the regulatory board for Nursing and Midwifery in Ireland (NMBI). This paper details the integration of an elective placement referred to as an 'observation week' into the 18 month midwifery programme.

Employing a Qualitative Description Approach in Health Care Research.

A qualitative description design is particularly relevant where information is required directly from those experiencing the phenomenon under investigation and where time and resources are limited. Nurses and midwives often have clinical questions suitable to a qualitative approach but little time to develop an exhaustive comprehension of qualitative methodological approaches. Qualitative description research is sometimes considered a less sophisticated approach for epistemological reasons.

Exploring perinatal death with midwifery students' using a collaborative art project.

Objective: To explore the influence of the Amulet artwork and exhibition on midwifery students' perceptions of caring for parents experiencing perinatal death.

Design: A descriptive qualitative design involving face-to-face semi-structured interviews following institutional ethical approval.

Setting: A regional Maternity Hospital in Ireland which hosted the National Artwork and Exhibition exploring the hidden world of infant death.

Midwifery education in Ireland--The quest for modernity.

Midwifery education in Ireland has undergone significant changes in recent years including the introduction of direct entry midwifery programmes and a transfer of education to the university sector. While this has provided increased educational opportunities for midwives, the challenge for midwife educators is to prepare students for the increasing complexities of maternity care with a focus on obstetric risk and maternal morbidities with the need to educate midwifery students to support normality and provide woman centred care. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland has recently produced new Standards and Requirements for midwifery education and Practice Standards for midwives.

Improving the content and face validity of OSCE assessment marking criteria on an undergraduate midwifery programme: a quality initiative.

Unlabelled: Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE's) have been adopted as a means of assessing midwifery students' clinical skills. The purpose of the OSCE is to provide a standardised method for the evaluation of clinical skill performance in a simulated environment. This paper describes how a quality improvement initiative using both internal and external expert review was utilised to improve OSCE assessment marking criteria.

Working and learning: post-registration student midwives' experience of the competency assessment process.

Aim: to explore student midwives experiences of the Clinical Competency Assessment process utilised on the Higher Diploma in Midwifery (18 month) programme.

Background: the assessment of clinical skills and practice has traditionally been an integral part of midwifery educational programmes; however the method of clinical assessment has changed and developed. Similar to other countries, in Ireland assessment of clinical practice is achieved through the utilisation of a broad competency framework provided by the regulatory body, An Bord Altranais (2005) which is yet to be evaluated from a midwifery perspective.

Peer-supported review of teaching: making the grade in midwifery and nursing education.

This paper outlines the value of peer-supported review of teaching for nurse and midwifery educators in an academic environment. Reflection and continuing professional development are important tenets of an educators' practice and can be addressed via peer observation. Definitions and models of peer observation are presented.

Nursing students' views of clinical competence assessment.

This paper reports on some outcomes of a research study evaluating a new assessment framework of clinical competence used in undergraduate nursing programmes in the Mid West Region of Ireland. First, this paper presents both the strengths and weaknesses of the present model, as articulated by student nurses. Second, it generates a broader critical debate around the concept of competency assessment.

Preceptors' views of assessing nursing students using a competency based approach.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate clinical competence assessment in BSc nursing registration education programmes. This research was undertaken in two phases and incorporated both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. In the first phase, two focus groups were conducted with preceptors working in general, mental health and intellectual disability nursing (n=16).

An exploration of student midwives' experiences of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination assessment process.

This paper reports on a qualitative descriptive study that explored student midwives' experiences of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination assessment process for obstetric emergencies within a university setting. The development of fundamental clinical skills is an important component in preparing students to meet the responsibilities of a midwife. There is an international concern that the transfer of midwifery education into universities may impact on the development of midwifery clinical skills.

Competency assessment methods - tool and processes: a survey of nurse preceptors in Ireland.

Determining student nurses' clinical competence is underpinned by significant challenges including a lack of reliable assessments methods and multiple factors that impact on the assessment function of preceptors. The purpose of this study was to explore preceptors' views and experiences of a competency assessment tool and process used to assess BSc student nurses' clinical competence. Data were collected using a mixed method descriptive approach that included focus groups (n=16) and a survey of preceptors (n=837) in general, mental health and intellectual disability nursing in Ireland.