Midwifery symposium : abstracts

Abstract

Dr Rita Borg Xuereb addresses the Midwifery Symposium held on the 18th November 2011. In this year four students have completed a Masters Degree in Midwifery while nine students completed a four year BSc undergraduate programme. Historically, formal midwifery education dates back to the 17th Century and the Act regulating midwifery studies passed in 1902. By 1915, Midwifery education leading to a Diploma was under the auspices of the University. After more than half a century, on the personal initiative of Professor Rizzo Naudi, the Midwifery school was joined with the Nursing school as one division to develop courses on an academic level within the Institute of Health Care in 1988. Midwifery became a separate division from Nursing in 2009. In 20 I 0, the department together with nine other departments moved to faculty status, the Faculty of Health Sciences, under the leadership of Professor Angela Xuereb as the first Dean. The success of the midwifery department owes its existence to all the midwifery lecturers who have worked as a team to put up the profile of midwifery education in Malta. These abstracts reflect the profession's endeavours to provide the crux for best practice locally.