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Review
. 2024 Jun 13:8.
doi: 10.18332/ejm/188195. eCollection 2024.

A narrative review of Master's programs in midwifery across selected OECD countries: Organizational aspects, competence goals and learning outcomes

Angela Kranz  1 , Anja A Schulz  2 , Konstanze Weinert  1 , Harald Abele  1   3 , Markus Antonious Wirtz  2
Affiliations
Review

A narrative review of Master's programs in midwifery across selected OECD countries: Organizational aspects, competence goals and learning outcomes

Angela Kranz et al. Eur J Midwifery. .

Abstract

Shifting midwifery education to a university level is of great importance for healthcare systems worldwide by preparing graduates for current and future challenges. Some of them referring to management, research and teaching tasks as well as advanced practitioner roles, require competences that can only be acquired in a Master's program. The objectives of this narrative review are to outline the differences and commonalities of organizational aspects of Master's programs in selected OECD countries and to point out the competence goals and learning outcomes they are based on. Fifteen Master's programs in twelve OECD countries were identified and analyzed. Considering the organizational characteristics, differences are found in admission requirements and qualification levels, while similarities relate to the awarded title (MSc). All programs aim to develop abilities for research to advance midwifery practice. Leadership and management abilities are addressed through effective teamwork and communication. The programs' aims are to develop abilities for midwifery education tasks. Whereas competence goals mostly align across the programs, they are addressed differently through various learning outcomes. Development and enhancement of Master's programs in midwifery are needed by focusing on core elements, such as common competence goals. It is equally important to adapt them to national healthcare and educational systems.

Keywords: Master’s programs in midwifery; competence goals; higher education; learning outcomes; narrative review; postgraduate education.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have each completed and submitted an ICMJE form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. The authors declare that they have no competing interests, financial or otherwise, related to the current work. M.A. Wirtz reports that he has received a grant from the German Research Foundation, he has participated on the Ethics Committee of the University of Freiburg, and he is a member of the German Association of Rehabilitation Sciences.

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Figure 1
PRISMA flowchart for narrative review (2024)
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