What do midwives think about interprofessional working and learning?

Objective: this study describes the views of midwives and educators regarding interprofessional working and learning within midwifery care. Design: qualitative methods using semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Participants: 39 participants, drawn from three participant groups - midwifery educators, newly qualified midwives and Heads of Midwifery - from four university sites throughout the UK took part in the research. Findings: midwives are called upon to work collaboratively with other professionals during the daily provision of maternity care. Midwives are aware of the competencies required for effective collaboration and are supportive of the inclusion of interprofessional education in the training of student midwives. However, the relevance of this education was questioned by some participants because it is not apparent whether its inclusion will result in midwives who are better able to collaborate. Key conclusions: midwives are supportive of interprofessional learning for students but are uncertain whether it will result in changes in practice. Implications for practice: interprofessional education may support collaboration in practice, but future educational research aimed at understanding how learning is applied to practice is needed. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.