Current midwifery education system and curriculum in turkey, Germany, and Greece and comparison with international midwifery confederation (ICM) qualifications

Background: Health indicators and working conditions of midwives differ from each other in Turkey, Greece and Germany. This research is a comparison of midwifery undergraduate programs of three countries, and the conformity of the curriculum to International Confederation of Midwives’ (ICM) standards has been evaluated. Method: This research was prepared in partnership with a European Union Project. This comparative study evaluated midwifery school curricula based on core competencies for Midwifery Practice, which focuses on ICM s midwifery education curriculum updated in 2019. In this study, competencies specific to pre-pregnancy and prenatal care, competencies specific to care during childbirth and childbirth, and curriculum content related to competencies specific to ongoing care of women and newborns were investigated. Results: A large part of the curricular undergraduate programs of the three countries are at the level to meet the competencies set by the ICM. It has been observed that in subjects such as preparation for birth, supporting the mother s post-pregnancy mourning process that results in abortion, and postpartum baby loss, delivery techniques for the fetus in different presentations, appropriate manoeuvring and position change skills in emergency situations, newborn and adult advanced resuscitation skills, methods and techniques to reduce pain at birth there is no standard or no content. Conclusion: Educators need to focus on inadequate areas to educate students which can meet the qualifications specified by the ICM. Theoretical and practical skills used to train advanced midwives as well as the midwifery programs should be opened to take the internship opportunities into account.