Commitment to professional development distinguishes midwives as engaged health professionals and lifelong learners. The Professional Development Portfolio (PDP) gives midwives the opportunity to highlight their professional learning, as they meet the expectations of the Quality Assurance Program administered by the College of Midwives.
All midwives (both practising and non-practising/inactive) are required to participate in the Quality Assurance Program, including the PDP, as outlined in the Quality Assurance Regulation under the Midwifery Act, 1991. This supports midwives in ongoing professional development and maintaining professional competence, contributing to health care quality through the practice of midwifery.
The first cohort of midwives to complete a cycle of the PDP were midwives who were registered with the College on or before October 1, 2021. These midwives were required to declare that they completed the required components of the PDP: self-assessment, setting of long and short-term learning goals, completion of learning activities and reflective practice exercise by October 1, 2024. Those in the general and supervised practice classes were also required to submit documentation of peer case reviews for review. .
In accordance with the PDP program, 20% of reporting midwives were randomly selected by the College to have their Portfolio reviewed for completion. Midwives who do not declare on time and are marked non-compliant with the declaration are also included in the audit pool.
Overall, 91% of midwives required to report were marked compliant upon renewal. Following the portfolio review process, where midwives were asked to submit their Professional Development Portfolio documentation, as well as evidence of completion of learning activities and peer case reviews (where applicable), over 99% of reporting midwives were ultimately deemed compliant, with the remaining being referred to a panel of the QAC.
In their portfolio submissions, midwives showcased their learning goals in many areas, across the spectrum of midwifery care. Activities undertaken reflected clinical areas of interest, such as perineal repair, emergency management, and prescribing; as well as non-clinical skill enhancement, in areas like health equity, cultural safety, leadership and communication, and quality improvement. Midwives engaged in formal education programs as well as self-directed learning pathways developed by midwives on their own, reflecting an array of different learning goals and activities. Sources of professional learning were varied, and included midwives’ participation in workshops, conferences, lectures, rounds, and courses. Learning was accessed online, in-person, and from a variety of educational sources.