PROBLEM Limited evidence about service user and provider perceptions of the current status of midwifery services in China. BACKGROUND The Quality Maternal and Newborn Care (QMNC) Framework is an internationally recognised framework for systematically evaluating perceptions of maternity care practices, service organisation, and the values of care provision. Midwifery services in China still face challenges, including insufficient continuity of care, restricted professional roles, and uneven resource allocation, underscoring an urgent need to transform midwifery services. AIM This study used the QMNC Framework as a lens to explore the experiences of Chinese women and midwives regarding current midwifery services, and to identify the key factors supporting or hindering the provision of high-quality midwifery care. METHODS Qualitative descriptive study was conducted with women who had received maternity care and midwives from different maternity care settings. Data were generated through individual interviews and one focus group. Thematic analysis was used to develop preliminary findings, which were then mapped onto the QMNC Framework. FINDINGS Data were collected from 21 women and 18 midwives. Four themes were identified: 'Organisation and Management', 'Midwifery Professional Practice', 'Information and Support', and 'Clinical Decisions'. Each theme included positive and negative aspects of current service provision. DISCUSSION The multidimensional experience of midwifery services reflects the co-existence of positive practice and constraints, both systemic and individual deficits. CONCLUSION Positive care experiences were associated with midwifery care that more closely aligned with the principles of the QMNC Framework. The findings support greater expansion of the implementation of the Framework.
Problem Mentorship is recognised as an important strategy to support transition to practice, professional development and workforce retention in midwifery. However, little is known about the barriers and enablers influencing the implementation and sustainability of mentorship programmes. Background Midwifery workforce shortages, burnout and attrition continue to challenge maternity services internationally. Although mentorship is increasingly promoted to support midwives, the organisational and structural conditions required for sustainable mentorship remain unclear. Aim To identify and synthesise the barriers and enablers influencing the implementation and sustainability of mentorship in midwifery. Methods A scoping review was undertaken using the framework described by Arksey and O'Malley and reported in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidance. Electronic database searches were conducted in CINAHL, MEDLINE and Scopus. Studies were screened against predetermined inclusion criteria, and data were charted and synthesised descriptively. Findings Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Two overarching themes were identified: (1) organisational commitment and leadership as the foundation for sustainable mentorship and (2) formalised programme structures as enablers of effective mentorship implementation. Key enablers included leadership engagement, protected time, funding, mentor training, structured programme frameworks, mentor–mentee matching and programme evaluation. Barriers included workload pressures, limited organisational support, staffing shortages, lack of protected time and poorly defined programme structures. Discussion Mentorship programmes were most effective when embedded within organisational systems and supported through leadership, governance and structured programme design. Conclusion Sustainable mentorship in midwifery requires coordinated organisational investment, leadership engagement and formalised programme structures. Further research is needed to examine organisational and leadership perspectives on mentorship implementation.
Problem First Nations women in Australia continue to experience disproportionately harmful and inequitable maternity care shaped by systemic racism, intergenerational trauma, and culturally unsafe practices. Background In the Australian Capital Territory, maternity care is provided through Western biomedical systems that frequently fail to provide culturally safe, relational care. Racism, mistrust, and fear within these systems contribute to trauma, avoidance of care, and diminished wellbeing among First Nations women and families. Aim To explore First Nations women and families’ maternity care experiences in the Australian Capital Territory and understand their vision for restorative, culturally safe care. Methods Kapati Time Yarning, an Indigenous Research Method that centres relational storytelling, was used to gather the stories of 14 First Nations women, partners, and family members between October 2024 and March 2025. Transcribed data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings Amid broader harms, participants recalled ‘pockets of compassion’ where health professionals listened, believed women, acknowledged grief and loss, validated prior harm, and remained present amid vulnerability, which participants described as transforming grief and trauma into healing. Discussion These findings suggest that compassionate care, as experienced by participants, can transform fear and grief into acts of solidarity, reinforcing the fundamental need for relational, restorative, and culturally safe care in maternity services. Despite its transformative potential, such care was limited and inconsistent, often provided after institutional harm. Conclusion These findings extend beyond maternity care, calling for restorative, compassionate practices to be structurally embedded across systems rather than relying on pockets of goodwill, establishing respectful, relational, and culturally safe care as the norm for First Nations families.
