Table 1 Factor structure of crucial midwifery competences

Instructing/training students/junior staff (0.770)

Collecting own clinical/patient/surveillance data (0.738)

Locating/accessing equipment for clinical work (0.732)

Undertaking clinical examinations of patients (0.729)

Interpreting results from clinical investigations (0.692)

Inputting data into written/computerized records (0.681)

Undertaking budget planning activities (0.680)

Actively assisting in change management activities (0.663)

Planning patients' discharge (0.653)

Introducing new ideas into own clinical work ((0.644)

Making decisions about patients' clinical problems (0.641)

Undertaking health promotion/prevention activities (0.627)

Writing clinical/shift and other reports (0.618)

Using technical equipment (0.609)

Prioritizing work according to patients' needs (0.569)

Showing patients and their families how to do things (0.554)

Interpreting own patient data (0.546)

Undertaking technical midwifery procedures (0.503)

Factor 2 (accounting for 5.5% of the variance, Cronbach's α = 0.8710): Extending service provision

Identifying areas worthy of investigation in practice (0.747)

Applying pharmacology to practice (0.720)

Recognizing and managing risk in clinical care (0.699)

Requesting laboratory investigations and results (0.684)

Making appropriate patient referrals (0.617)

Liaising with other health care professionals (0.613)

Analysing patient data (0.610)

Designing systems for patient monitoring/observation (0.546)

Consulting with colleagues about care options (0.518)

Assessing patients' psychological and social needs (0.501)

Assessing costs and outcomes of procedures (0.497)

Factor 3 (accounting for 3.9% of the variance, Cronbach's α = 0.6467): Assessment skills (0.488)

Appraising own and other's performance (0.488)

Critically evaluating published research (0.373)