Evaluation of strategies designed to enhance student engagement and success of indigenous midwifery students in an Away-From-Base Bachelor of Midwifery Program in Australia: A qualitative research study.

Background: A strategy to close the gap in relation to Indigenous health is the employment of more Indigenous health professionals. However, despite government reviews, research studies and educational initiatives, Indigenous students' retention and completion rates of tertiary education remains below those of non-Indigenous Australians.

Objective: To evaluate two enhancements to an Away-from-Base Bachelor of Midwifery program for Indigenous students, namely the appointment of an Indigenous Academic Liaison Midwife to provide academic and cultural support and an additional clinical placement in a high-volume tertiary hospital.

Women's perceptions of social support during labour: development, reliability and validity of the Birth Companion Support Questionnaire.

Objective: to develop and test the reliability and validity of a research instrument to measure women's perceptions of social support provided during labour by at least one lay birth companion.

Design: a cross-sectional study was carried out from April 2009 to February 2010.

Setting: non-tertiary hospital in the outer western region of Brisbane, Australia.