Midwifery Student Confidence for Supporting Physiologic Birth: A 5-Country Exploration
Authors: Wood, J., Farley, C., Baranowska, B., Lazar, J., Tataj-Puzyna, U., Davison, C., Dole, D., Kalu, F., Fry, J., Healy, M., Ritchie, E., Wergynowska, M.
Conference: Virtual International Day of the Midwife 2026
Publication Date: 05/05/2026
Abstract:This poster represents the culmination of over 6 years of collaborative international work exploring student confidence for supporting physiologic birth. In 2019 at the International Normal Labor and Birth Research Conference, two English midwife educators presented their developing survey exploring midwifery student confidence for supporting normal labour and birth. They invited interested researchers to contact them should they wish to join. A group of 12 academic midwives from five countries, (Australia (AU), England (EN), Northern Ireland (NI), Poland (PO), and the United States of America (US), engaged in this collaborative study. Early challenges for our work to move forward included planning meeting times for busy professionals, working through time zone differences, and determining computer platforms for live virtual discussions. Language differences and nuanced meanings in English language were carefully pondered. Variations in midwifery curricula didactic and clinical progressions and their influence on the variables of interest were discussed. Adapting the survey to the structure of midwifery education and practice in each country while retaining similar meaning was considered. Cross-country research offers benefits of networking globally, appreciating cultural context, and comparing emic and etic perspectives on study processes and findings. It can be enriching on a personal level through developing friendships and deeper understanding of issues confronting midwifery across the globe.
Source: Manual