This multi-case study explores the transition experience of graduate midwives during the first months of registered practice. These midwives had experienced a curriculum designed to produce midwives fit for practice at the point of registration but also equipped with the capability for self- directed personal development. Dramaturgical analysis of data collected from on line blog and telephone interviews explores the midwives' significant learning experiences to consider how their individual dispositions impact on their learning practices, and further analysis for workplace affordances clarifies how the ongoing development of these new midwives is affected by the community, structures and artefacts of the workplace. Findings suggest that the affordances of the workplace in terms of the activities available to these new midwives support a high quality learning experience, which promotes their rapid development as fit for purpose autonomous practitioners. The interdependencies of the workplace are structured to maintain the status quo rather than support change and development. Issues identified as conflicting with personal development are lack of time or resources to perform to their full potential, opposition from more established members of staff to their initiatives, and a culture of medicalisation which undermines a model of woman centred care and the promotion of normal childbirth. High academic achievers continue to make use of academic practices and tools to support learning and critique of practice but all learn mainly through experience and consulting others. The study concludes by recommending areas for further study. These relate to evaluating different models of preceptorship, exploring the dissonance between learning cultures in the university and practice setting and exploring the dissonance between ideals of midwifery practice and current structures of maternity care.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:551630 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Haigh, Jackie |
| Publisher | Lancaster University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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