162 | Chapter 7 The participants’ remarks revealed the importance that stakeholders place on the necessity for NQMs to gain work experience (Statement 9). They placed greater valued on time spent working than on training programmes for professional education and support. When it came to mentoring, the participants had various opinions concerning the feasibility of this option (Statements 10 and 12). They stated that, in their opinion, a oneyear mentoring period would be too long. Other participants commented on the aspect of financial feasibility – there are currently no facilities for mentoring and support. Others wanted to link up with existing consultations in professional practice, in terms of discussing cases in midwifery practice. The participants also commented on the importance of the role played by the profession as a whole in supporting NQMs, as opposed to the part played by academies (Statement 15). According to participants, the academies are responsible for support until graduation. After graduation the professional group is responsible for providing support for NQMs. The participants stated that giving student midwives employment status in their final year (Statement 16) is not a viable option. Nor did they express any desire to make major changes to the midwifery curriculum. Round 2 In Round 2, consensus was reached on six of the nine statements. The findings show that consensus was reached on responsibilities (Statements 14 and 15). The participants agreed that while the academies are responsible for preparing undergraduates for work in everyday practice, it is the workplace that is responsible for introducing graduates to professional practice. The stakeholders feel that the workplace is responsible for clarifying NQMs’ tasks and responsibilities (Statement 2), for providing feedback on their performance (Statement 7) and for organising backup facilities for NQMs (Statement 6). No consensus was reached regarding the importance and applicability of the NQMs’ need for a stable working environment (Statements 4 and 5). Nor was there any consensus regarding curriculum changes designed to increase the number of placements in the final year (Statement 16).
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