Abstract

The political union between the countries of North and South Yemen prompted nurse-midwife educators to re-examine the midwifery curricula of both countries and define the roles midwives play as members of the health team, based on the unique circumstance in which Yemeni midwives operate within the health care system. The faculty of the Health and Manpower Institute (HMI), the main educational institution for the education of midwives, recognised that the delineation of tasks attributed to the practice of midwifery varied widely within Yemen, and between Yemen and other countries, despite the existing international definition of the role. In 1992, the Agency for International Development (AID) funded a workshop for the HMI faculty. Nineteen midwives, nurses and other health care professionals used task analysis techniques to define key knowledge, skills and attitudes that a midwife should be taught in Yemen. Task analysis, a psychometric (test development) technique, is a process that can be used to develop specific role delineations. This article describes in detail the process of task analysis in identifying key skills, knowledge and attitudes to be taught to student midwives in Yemen, clarifying the role of midwives and identifying the usefulness of a derived task listing in educational development and student evaluations.

PIP:

With the political union of North and South Yemen, Health and Manpower Institute (HMI) faculty noted a need to define tasks related to the practice of midwifery since these tasks differed greatly within Yemen and between Yemen and other countries. In 1992, USAID provided funds to the Family Health Training Project to put on a 3 day workshop in basic evaluation skills for 19 midwife teachers, nurses, and X-ray technicians. The workshop facilitators had the participants use the process of task analysis to define key knowledge, skills, and attitudes that a midwife should learn in Yemen. Task analysis is a psychometric (test development) technique. The steps of task analysis are data collection, development of a comprehensive document of the tasks, and evaluation of the task document. When task analysis is used as an evaluation methodology, the first step is making a detailed list of expected competencies (i.e., task statements) which are used to guide curriculum development. Program managers can use norm-referenced evaluation methods (i.e., comparing the pefformance of 1 midwife student or practitioner to that of others in the same or similar group) and/or criterion-referenced evaluation methods (i.e., an expected and predetermined standard of competent performance). The task statements can also be used for practicing midwives to perform self-assessment of their competency. The task list can also be used in more global evaluation strategies (e.g., licensure exams). HMI faculty learned and used task analysis during the workshop to identify core clinical competencies and to set goals and objectives (e.g., competency checklist aimed to improve midwifery instruction and improve quality of care). At the end of the workshop, the 2 groups built a consensus and finalized a Performance Assessment Instrument. Faculty members of midwifery schools throughout Yemen have field tested the instrument for validity.