BMC medical education
Respectful maternity care among midwifery graduates trained under competency-based versus conventional curricula in Ethiopia: a comparative cross-sectional study
By Wondie AG, Siebeck M, Sendekie TY and 2 others.
Abstract
Background
In Ethiopia, midwifery education emphasizes theory over practice, limiting clinical competence, including professional behaviors. Debre Tabor University (DTU) adopted a competency-based curriculum in 2013 to address this. This study examined whether graduates trained under competency-based and conventional curricula differed in their observed provision of respectful maternity care (RMC).
Methods
A comparative cross-sectional study assessed observed mistreatment during care provided by 68 BSc midwifery graduates (32 trained under a competency-based curriculum and 36 under a conventional curriculum) from third-generation Ethiopian universities. Care was assessed through direct observation using a validated tool. Mean mistreatment scores were compared using t-tests, and the between-group difference was visualised using a Gardner-Altman plot.