Rural Health

Research on the Recruitment and Retention of Rural Midwives

About the research

The Ministry is doing research to gain a better understanding of what motivates midwives to work in rural settings and the key problems and challenges associated with keeping midwives in rural practice. This research will help the future development of a package of initiatives to support rural midwives and address the recruitment and retention of rural midwives.

Key questions for the research are:

What factors attract midwives to rural practice?
What factors encourage midwives to remain in rural practice?
What factors deter midwives or drive them away from rural practice?
What strategies are used successfully, or might be used, to recruit and retain rural midwives in New Zealand?

The Ministry has contracted Pam Oliver & Associates, a team of independent researchers to do this research. The team have an interest in midwifery and have done research in the area before.

What will the research involve?

The researchers will be looking for input from a broad range of people who have a particular interest in rural midwifery. This includes:

midwives and midwifery managers
midwifery professional and consumer organisations
rural women’s organisations
women who have given birth in rural areas.

Information will be gathered through a combination of interviews and a questionnaire survey with rural midwives.

Taking part in the research

This is an opportunity for you to provide your views and ideas. The more quality information the Ministry has, the better the Ministry is able to effectively address rural midwifery workforce issues.

The research team will be sending out a letter with a questionnaire to all rural midwives in mid-October 2008 and will also contact rural midwives to ask if they wish to be interviewed. The Ministry would appreciate your participation in the research by completing the questionnaire. Participating in the research is voluntary and the questionnaire is anonymous to the Ministry.

If you would also like to take part in a research interview, please call the Research Manager, Pam Oliver, on 0508 765 4837 (0508 POLIVER) or email pamo@clear.net.nz, to arrange this. Interviews will be done either in person or by phone, and will be completely confidential.

Everyone taking part will be entitled to receive a copy of the summary of findings at the completion of the research.

Contact us for further information

If you would like more information about the research, please contact: Pam Oliver, Research Manager (09 372 7749 / pamo@clear.net.nz )

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Page last updated: 17 October 2008