General introduction | 15 Netherlands (with greater accountability and working alone) contributes to their wellbeing has not yet been studied. There is also no previous research about NQMs’ transition-into-practice in the Netherlands and how they perceive their work from the point of graduation as a registered and accountable midwife in practice. Due to the independent and autonomous work of NQMs in the Netherlands, often without the resources of nearby fellow midwives, it is not known how they perceive their transition-into-practice.24,44 Furthermore, it has not been previously studied how stakeholders in midwifery care in the Netherlands perceive the importance of supporting NQMs and what they perceive as applicable in the current organization of midwifery care. Aim of this thesis and research questions Therefore, this thesis aims to provide knowledge about 1) the occupational wellbeing of NQMs in practice, 2) the transition-into-practice experiences of NQMs, and 3) how to support this transition period in practice. As research shows that NQMs in practice need supportive fellow midwives for self-confidence and feelings of competence in practice,24,26 we also studied experienced midwives’ wellbeing, their perceptions on supporting NQMs, and whether they have intentions of leaving the profession. Research questions within this thesis are: 1. How do NQMs perceive their transition-into-midwifery practice, and how is this transition supported in practice? 2. What are the levels of wellbeing of NQMs and of experienced midwives in the Netherlands, and which determinants are associated with wellbeing and intentions to leave the practice? 3. What are the desired and the feasible components of support of the NQMs’ transition-into-practice? With these studies, we aim to contribute to the knowledge of midwives’ occupational wellbeing and the importance of adding positive wellbeing to the knowledge of midwives’ wellbeing internationally. With this knowledge, the midwifery profession can identify the work-related factors associated with positive wellbeing and make changes in the organization of midwifery care according to these factors. Furthermore, this thesis contributes to knowledge about the transition-into-practice experiences of communitybased NQM midwives and their wellbeing. With this new knowledge, we aim to contribute to the professional wellbeing of NQMs and, ultimately, to their performance in practice and overall contribution to the required quality of midwifery care. Without this knowledge, it is impossible to gain a thorough picture of the wellbeing and performance of NQMs in community-based practice in particular.
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