Recently graduated midwives in Uganda: Self-perceived achievement, wellbeing and work prospects.

Objective: to investigate how recent graduates from a combined work/study midwifery degree programme in Uganda viewed its effects on their wellbeing and work prospects.

Design: Using an adapted version of the Qualitative Impact Protocol (QuIP), a phenomenological approach was applied to thematic analysis to examine semi-structured interviews and WhatsApp group discussion.

Setting: Introduction of enhanced midwifery training (from Diploma to Degree level) combining study with professional practice within a low income country health system facing extreme capacity constraints.

Developing a work/study programme for midwifery education in East Africa.

Background: there is extensive evidence to show that skilled midwifery care is crucial in reducing maternal deaths; however, in East Africa, the midwifery profession has been subsumed within the nursing role. This paper highlights issues in the preparation of skilled midwives in three East African countries, specifically, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania and provides a case study description of a flexible work/study programme designed to develop skilled midwives to meet internationally regarded ICM competency standards in midwifery education and practice. THE MODEL: a flexible, competency-based Bachelor's of Science in Midwifery programme (BScM) has been developed based on fifteen years' experience of running a Bachelor of Science in nursing programme.