gms | German Medical Science

Background: The challenges involved in the implementation of academic training are many and diverse. They require in particular structural changes in hospitals and clinics. The indistinct and diverse financial resources of the responsible practice institutions make long-term planning especially difficult. The Universitätsklinikum Freiburg puts 22 practical training places per year at the disposal of students of the BSc Midwifery Science course.

To ensure that the legal requirements are fulfilled it is necessary to have a clear allocation of responsibilities and a stabile network structure.

Aim: The aim is the fulfilment of the legal requirements for practice instruction in academic midwifery training, as well as the implementation of instructional concepts.

Process: In 2017 the Universitätsklinikum Freiburg laid the groundwork for practice development with the realignment of its care organisation. The central pillars of management, pedagogy and subject expertise together form the basis for the concept in responsible practice institutions. In the area of pedagogy one midwife is designated as main practice leader who is, amongst other things, responsible for the organisation of regular working groups. From the very beginning, both freelance midwives and cooperating clinics have been integrated into this structure.

Result: Through the organisational development process, a stable structure for the practical training of students was created. As a result, it was possible to achieve an instructional guidance rate of over 25%. Furthermore, in addition to fulfilling the required practical instructions other relevant areas of responsibility, such as controlling or additional training, could also be established and further developed.

Conclusion: A vPE concept based on several students offers an economical course of action to set up firmly implemented organisational structures. Corresponding pedagogical resources, a coordination team and subject experts are indispensable when guaranteeing the fulfilment of the legal guidelines. Furthermore, the “Three Pillar Management – pedagogy – science” requires experts at the academic level, which as a result creates professional opportunities for midwives who may wish to take on leadership or pedagogical responsibilities, or who want to specialise in a specific subject area.

Ethics and conflicts of interest: A vote on ethics was not necessary. The research was financed by own resources. There are no conflicts of interest.