BACKGROUND: Chinese midwifery is under threat and has been denigrated, with virtually all midwives practising in the labour wards. AIMS: The present study aims to inform the development of a proposed continuing professional education programme. METHOD: Questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews were used to investigate the views of new mothers after vaginal births and midwives. The questions focussed on midwives' education, practice and mothers' experience and knowledge of maternity care. Data were analysed using descriptive statistical techniques. PARTICIPANTS: Five researchers, 253 midwives and 214 women. SETTINGS: Ten maternity units/hospitals in seven Chinese cities. FINDINGS: Both mothers and midwives valued continuity of midwifery care. The majority of midwives were obstetric nursing educated; one-fifth had a midwifery background. A smaller minority had a maternity/childcare or obstetric education. Midwifery education is medico/nursing orientated, with only 11.6% of the curriculum midwifery-oriented. DISCUSSION: The perceived different needs reflect the different orientations of the respondents. The programme should be structured to meet mothers' and midwives' needs, cultivate midwives' lifelong learning capacity, and encourage evidence-based practice. CONCLUSION: The study has shown a fundamental problem in Chinese midwifery education, in that midwives do not have access to evidence-based material. Self-directed learning with portfolio assessment is likely to prove useful for the proposed programme; this may facilitate midwives' personal/professional development to update their knowledge, understanding and competence towards their full role as midwives.
BACKGROUND: Chinese midwifery is under threat and has been denigrated, with virtually all midwives practising in the labour wards. AIMS: The present study aims to inform the development of a proposed continuing professional education programme. METHOD: Questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews were used to investigate the views of new mothers after vaginal births and midwives. The questions focussed on midwives' education, practice and mothers' experience and knowledge of maternity care. Data were analysed using descriptive statistical techniques. PARTICIPANTS: Five researchers, 253 midwives and 214 women. SETTINGS: Ten maternity units/hospitals in seven Chinese cities. FINDINGS: Both mothers and midwives valued continuity of midwifery care. The majority of midwives were obstetric nursing educated; one-fifth had a midwifery background. A smaller minority had a maternity/childcare or obstetric education. Midwifery education is medico/nursing orientated, with only 11.6% of the curriculum midwifery-oriented. DISCUSSION: The perceived different needs reflect the different orientations of the respondents. The programme should be structured to meet mothers' and midwives' needs, cultivate midwives' lifelong learning capacity, and encourage evidence-based practice. CONCLUSION: The study has shown a fundamental problem in Chinese midwifery education, in that midwives do not have access to evidence-based material. Self-directed learning with portfolio assessment is likely to prove useful for the proposed programme; this may facilitate midwives' personal/professional development to update their knowledge, understanding and competence towards their full role as midwives.