Midwifery and nursing honours programs in Australia and New Zealand: A scoping review of contemporary challenges and opportunities

Problem: Contemporary resources that identify the challenges and experiences of Midwifery and Nursing honours students and providers within Australia and New Zealand are lacking. Background: The establishment and development of accredited, tertiary education for Midwifery and Nursing has enhanced professionalism and opportunity. However, the progression from registration pathway programs to Higher Degrees by Research remain limited. Aim: To undertake a scoping review of Australian and New Zealand honours programs and synthesise student and provider perspectives. Methods: A scoping review was undertaken. Publicly available grey literature and relevant database searched. English language, peer-reviewed publications were identified from the past 10-years. Findings: Within Australia, 16 universities, and 2 in New Zealand, offer a Midwifery and/or Nursing honours program. Within Australia, the majority of programs were offered in both Midwifery and Nursing streams, however only Nursing in New Zealand. Four studies met inclusion criteria and described strengths and challenges of the current offerings. Discussion: Challenges included: logistical issues related to low/decreasing enrolments and resource. Students identified burdens associated with student driven research and balancing the multiple demands of clinical roles. Opportunities were seen in terms of providers professional interactions between academic and clinical sites. Students viewed honours programs as an opportunity to actively partake in research and determine their commitment to further research training including Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Conclusion: Progressing the professional status of both Midwifery and Nursing is based on discrete professional research and evidence. Honours programs provide a research focused degree to prepare nurses and midwives, but challenges are present.