Abstract
M.Cur.
Poor quality of midwifery care has been of major concern in Swaziland.
This has been attributed to a number of reasons of which one is the
education of midwifery students. The research question has been, "To what
extent has the clinical learning of midwifery students produced competent
midwives in the country?" The question has been answered by exploring the
clinical learning experience of the midwifery students in a college in
Swaziland. Data were collected by means of a focus group interview. Two
groups each comprising of five participants were interviewed separately.
Data was analysed following the steps provided by Tesch (1990) as quoted
by Creswell (1994:153-155). From the findings factors that impacted either
positively or negatively on the clinical learning of students were discovered.
Because of the presence of more negative factors the conclusion was that the
clinical learning of midwifery students produces competent midwives to a
lesser extent. Recommendations to form the basis for the strategies to
improve the clinical learning of the students were outlined. Validity and
reliability has been maintained through out the study. Ethical standards for
researchers as stipulated by DENOSA have been considered in the whole
study.