Task analysis: An evidence-based methodology for strengthening education and training of nurses and midwives in Liberia

Abstract

  Liberia suffers from high maternal, infant and child mortality. In response, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare prioritized a basic package of health services in 2007. Ensuring health workers are competent to deliver these services is crucial for safe and effective health care. A task analysis survey of health workers was conducted to determine how often recently graduated health workers perform tasks from the basic package of health services, and whether training was received for these tasks either in school or on the job. The findings informed updates to the curricula, core competencies and job descriptions of these cadres to help ensure a competency-based education linked to readiness for an entry-level position. Sample findings in key tasks, such as antenatal care and integrated management of childhood illnesses, highlight the need for examining where these competencies are included in the educational preparation of nurses and midwives. This paper will focus on nurse and midwife cadres and describe the: 1) Implementation of the study in Liberia, 2) Key findings and analysis of select clinical tasks, and 3) Recommendations for improving and integrating educational programs.   Key words: Competency-based education, core competencies, curricula, task analysis, nursing education, midwifery education