Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41940619›Full record

ArticleJournal of midwifery & women's health

Alignment of Midwifery Education in Nepal With Global Standards and Essential Competencies From the International Confederation of Midwives: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Khim Bahadur Khadka, Deepak Paudel, Binod Bindu Sharma, Ramesh Prasad Adhikari, Anju Poudel, Urmila Baral, Kamala Rana Magar, Bidhya Banstola, Guenter Froeschl, Olena Ivanova

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Article in Journal of midwifery & women's health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Khim Bahadur KhadkaProvincial Health Directorate, Ministry of Health, Pokhara, Gandaki, Nepal.
Deepak PaudelCenter for International Health, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.
Binod Bindu SharmaProvincial Health Training Centre, Ministry of Health, Pokhara, Gandaki, Nepal.
Ramesh Prasad AdhikariProvincial Health Directorate, Ministry of Health, Pokhara, Gandaki, Nepal.
Anju PoudelProvincial Health Directorate, Ministry of Health, Pokhara, Gandaki, Nepal.
Urmila BaralProvincial Health Directorate, Ministry of Health, Pokhara, Gandaki, Nepal.
Kamala Rana MagarPokhara Academy of Health Sciences, Western Regional Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal.
Bidhya BanstolaPokhara Academy of Health Sciences, Western Regional Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal.
Guenter FroeschlCenter for International Health, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.
Olena IvanovaCenter for International Health, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMaternal and neonatal mortality rates in Nepal remain high, reflecting persistent gaps in the quality of maternal and newborn care. To address this issue, a national midwifery education program was initiated in 2016. This study assessed Nepal's preservice midwifery curricula against global standards and competencies defined by the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM).

methodsA mixed-methods study was conducted, comprising a desk review of national standards and curricula against ICM education standards (2021) and competencies (2024), 15 stakeholder interviews, 3 focus group discussions, and site visits to 4 hospitals and one midwifery school. Quantitative data were mapped using a 4-point alignment scale, and qualitative data were coded and thematically analyzed.

resultsThe Nepal Nursing Council standards for the bachelor's in midwifery program aligned with 72% of the ICM education standards. The standards for the certificate in midwifery program covered 67%, whereas the certificate in midwifery curriculum from the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training aligned with only 52%. The bachelor's in midwifery curriculum met 89% of the ICM essential competencies, the certificate in midwifery curriculum met 76%, and the certificate in nursing curriculum met 43%. These quantitative gaps were contextualized by qualitative findings, including theory-practice mismatches, shortages of qualified faculty members and training resources, and insufficient supervision. DISCUSSION: Stakeholders confirmed the absence of dedicated midwifery regulations and clear career pathways in the country as an issue. Without targeted reforms to standardize curricula, investment in infrastructure, and legally recognizing midwifery as a distinct profession, Nepal's ability to reduce preventable maternal and neonatal mortality will be compromised.

Indexed as

Clinical CompetenceCurriculumEducation, Nursing, BaccalaureateMidwiferyNurse MidwivesFemaleFocus GroupsHumansNepalPregnancycurriculumeducationhealth care workforcematernal and newborn healthmidwiferyNepal

Identifiers

PMID41940619
PMCPMC13263916

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