Understanding the impact of Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency notifications on midwives’ wellbeing, midwifery practise, and career: A qualitative study

Abstract

Background

Limited evidence exists about the impact of regulatory complaints processes on registered midwives and the wider midwifery profession within the Australian context.

Aim

To understand the broader impact of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) notifications process on midwives’ wellbeing, midwifery practise and career, and explore supports that midwives use and need.

Methods

A contextualist qualitative approach using semi-structured, in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of eleven Australian midwives. Data were analysed through reflexive thematic analysis.

Findings

Three themes derived from the data were: ‘Profound personal and professional impacts’, ‘A fundamentally flawed process’, and ‘Finding strength in support’. Midwives subject to a notification report high levels of distress and inadequate support, resulting in devastating personal and professional impacts. During investigations midwives were dissatisfied with the AHPRA’s communication and timelines, their health and wellbeing were negatively impacted, lost confidence in practise, and questioned their self-identity.

Discussion

Midwives subject to notification processes through the AHPRA find this stressful and protracted with negative impacts on health, wellbeing and professional practise. Midwives impacted by notifications need adequate supports from peers and a range of organisations within the industry. Improvements to streamline regulation processes and access to support mechanisms within organisations and the wider profession is urgently needed.

Conclusion

The current regulatory complaints process of midwives in Australia warrants urgent review and reform. With present midwifery workforce shortages, midwives impacted by notification processes need adequate support to remain in the profession.