A problem-based education programme for registered nurses in advanced midwifery and neonatology

[摘要] English: It is the aim of the current government that primary health care should beestablished in South Africa to address the health care needs of the entire SouthAfrican population. In this regard midwives are seen as the key figuires toestablish comprehensive perinatal health care. The altered focus of the deliveryof health care from curative to primary health care demands expertise frommidwives to enable them to meet the needs of the community. This requiires analternative approach to nursing education.Various researchers expressed a concern regarding continuing professionaleducation for midwives.To address these problems, grass root involvement by practising midwilves isproposed, in order to prepare them for continuing education. A proposal wasmade that continuing professional education should be implemented in theregions. The Perinatal Committee of the Free State supported the need for aneducation programme for midwives in the region.In response, the learning needs of the registered nurses were formally assessedand the Advanced University Diploma in Midwifery and Neonatolog1y wasdeveloped and implemented. The community's perinatal health care problemsand the learning needs of the potential students played a significant role: in the development of the objectives and the selection of the content. An innovativeteaching methodology, namely problem-based learning was chosen.With the development and implementation of the Advanced University Diplomain Midwifery and Neonatology the researcher not only tried to prepare graduateswho can function in clinical context with the demands placed on them areconstantly changing, where problems and situations are not easily defined orsolved and where the body of knowledge is rapidly changing. The researcheralso aimed to prepare health workers who will contribute maximally to theimproved health of the individuals and communities they serve and tried to helpstudents to learn how to learn, that is to create independent learners who willassume active responsibility for a lifetime of continuing education and who willbe able to keep up with advances in their field.

[发布机构] University of the Free State