The experiences of nurse midwife technician students in acquiring maternal mental health clinical competencies in Malawi: Qualitative Research

Abstract

Aim

To explore the experiences of nurse midwife technician (NMT) students in acquiring maternal mental health competencies in Malawi.

Method

An exploratory descriptive design was employed in two nursing colleges. Twenty third-year NMT students aged 20–30 years were recruited using purposive sampling. Data were collected through four focus group discussions, with five students per group, and were analyzed manually using thematic analysis guided by Braun and Clarke's six-phase framework: familiarization with the data, generating initial codes, searching for themes, reviewing themes, defining and naming themes, and writing the report.

Results

The study identified four main themes: (1) assessment of women with maternal mental health problems, (2) need for clinical support, (3) neglected maternal mental health competencies in midwifery practice, and (4) clinical learning gaps. Many students experienced negative emotions, lacked knowledge and resources, had limited opportunities to practice maternal mental health competencies, and had short clinical placement durations. Gaps in the midwifery curriculum were also highlighted, including the absence of specific maternal mental health competencies and appropriate teaching methods.

Conclusion

This study recommends a review of the nursing and midwifery curricula in nursing colleges to incorporate additional maternal mental health competencies, implement student-centered teaching strategies, provide adequate learning resources, and extend clinical practice periods to help students achieve these competencies. Clinical support through supervision and clinical instruction should also be emphasized to help reduce students’ negative emotions.