PHVIT9580 Theories and Models for Midwifery Course description

There is an increasing internationalisation within the field of midwifery and maternity care research. Researchers from the Anglo-Saxon cultural area are dominating the field, because they are many in numbers, have a long research tradition, and are producing research of high quality. Guidelines and models of care aimed to be used in all countries are developed. International research literature and textbooks in English are important part of the curricula in midwifery educations in the Nordic countries as well as in other countries. The internationalisation is welcomed and international research, models of care and guidelines can improve quality and outcomes of care in the Nordic countries as well as other countries.

For small countries, there is a danger of introducing and implementing thoughts, models and guidelines without taking the local context in consideration. We find it important to know and recognize our own context for several reasons. We need to assess international research results, guidelines and models of care into a Nordic context, and to be conscious about what we can contribute with to the rest of the world.

This course will focus on theories and models in midwifery and maternity care. Central theories and models in relation to childbirth and reproductive health will be introduced e.g. linked to salutogenesis, pathogenesis, evidence-based practice, a midwifery model of woman-centred care, developed in a Nordic context (MiMo), the global Quality Maternal and New-born Care (QMNC). Perspectives encompassing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies will be explored and implications of different theoretical approach, linked to students´ own research, will be discussed in the context of the Nordic region and internationally.

The course will run as a five-day course over a period of two months.

This course is aimed at PhD students admitted to the PhD Programme in Health Sciences and is also open to Nordic and international PhD students with a research project within the field. Admission requirements are a completed master's degree (120 ECTS credits) or equivalent qualification.

The course can also be offered to students who have been admitted to the "Health Science Research Programme, 60 ECTS", by prior approval from the supervisor and based on given guidelines for the research programme.

On completion of the course, the PhD candidate has achieved the following learning outcomes, defined in terms of knowledge, skills, and general competence:

Knowledge

The PhD candidate can

• critically assess the historic and cultural roots of midwifery in the context of the Nordic countries.
• critically assess and evaluate the application of theories and models for midwifery and maternity care.

Skills

The PhD candidate can

• identify and integrate conceptual and theoretical frameworks for midwifery into the student’s own research project.

• formulate and discuss complex issues, strengths and challenges of midwifery and maternity care in the Nordic context of high income and welfare societies.

Competences

The PhD candidate can

• communicate and take an active part in debates on theories and models in the context of the Nordic countries.

Background

This PhD course has been an introductory course at the national, interdisciplinary research school Muni-Health-Care, financed by the Norwegian research Council (NRC), the last eight years (2016-2023). As the NRC ends the financing of the research school at the end of 2023, partners must assume responsibility for the courses in the next phase of the research school. OsloMet has been a partner in Muni-Health-Care since the start, but has not been responsible for any PhD-course in the research school so far. We therefore ask that OsloMet takes responsibility for the course from 2024.

Introduction

The overall aim of the Muni-Health-Care research school is to contribute to the improvement of the health and care services in the municipalities by building research capacity, developing research culture and generate sound scientific knowledge for the Norwegian municipality sector. The Norwegian municipalities vary largely in size, demography, economic and social structures. The municipal health and care services is the largest health care service within Norwegian health care. It provides the bulk of services to the Norwegian population, serving approximately 270.000 recipients annually. The services span from health promoting services to newborn, young children and teenagers, to day-to-day complex services to frail older people and people with long-term conditions across the lifespan.

Since its inception, Muni-Health-Care has contributed to the call for more research in this field by developing relevant state-of-the-art knowledge, reflecting the large variability and local needs of Norwegian municipalities. Furthermore, Muni-Health-Care has contributed to increased research capacity and culture by providing high quality doctoral education to a new generation of researchers and build research networks aimed at developing this field of research and clinical practice.

In eight years, 110 PhD students from 16 academic institutions in Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Iceland has successfully graduated from Muni-Health-Care’s program, in which they all have completed this introductory course during the first year.

The Municipal Health and Care Services as a Research Setting

The Municipal Health and Care Services as a Research Setting is an introductory course for PhD candidates whose research area is within the municipal health service. The course is interdisciplinary and aims to address several challenges associated with doing research within this sector.

The course will focus on key issues that must be addressed when conducting research into the municipal health care services and will emphasize different theoretical perspectives, organizational frameworks and structures, collaboration within the services and user involvement in research. There will also be lectures on key research topics and the challenges linked to these. The students will present their projects, participate in discussions, and function as opponents to fellow students’ presentations. The course will consist of lectures, presentations, group works, seminars and a final home exam.

The course will run as a three-day intensive physical course, followed by 4 follow-up webinars over the course of the next two semesters. The webinars will focus on the participants’ own projects, linking them to the overall theoretical and methodological topics addressed in the course.

Learning outcomes:

On completion of the course, the PhD candidate has achieved the following learning outcomes, defined in terms of knowledge, skills, and general competence:

Knowledge

The PhD candidate has knowledge of

• Significant political, legal, financial and organizational aspects of the municipal health and care services
• Relevant research related to the municipal health and care services
• Theoretical and methodological perspectives of relevance to research into the municipal health and care services
• Key challenges and opportunities linked to research within this context

Skills

The PhD candidate can

• Analyse and discuss key characteristics and challenges related to the municipal health and care services
• Analyse and discuss central research topics and methodological issues related to municipal health and care services
• Present and argue for the need to carry out research on various aspects of the municipal health and care services

Competences

The PhD candidate can

• Reflect on and discuss topics related to the development of the municipal health and care services
• Reflect on and discuss user involvement in research in the municipal health and care services
• Critically assess the need for research within the municipal health and care sector
• Discuss specific research studies in light of relevant theoretical and methodological perspectives

Work and teaching methods consist of lectures, self-study, group work, seminars and plenary discussions.A high degree of activity and involvement is expected from the participants.

The participants submit an abstract of their research study prior to the start of the course. Each participant gives an oral presentation of their research study during the course and the participants provide feedback ("opposition") to each other. A written reflection note is submitted before each webinar, discussing theoretical and methodological issues of one’s own study, drawing on the literature in the course.

The assessment consists of an Individual home examination which must be submitted within four weeks after the end of the three-day intensive course. In the essay, the candidate will discuss an issue related to his/her own research study, drawing on the literature and presentations and discussions on the course. The essay cannot exceed 3000 words.

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