Dear Friederike and Mechthild, 
Apologies for the delayed answer due to holidays (Ans, you were right!)
In addition to Ans' comments, please find below a reply on behalf of Maudy Dettingmeyer (Dutch Organisation of Midwives).
Best wishes, 
Marianne Amelink

M.P. Amelink-Verburg, midwife-researcher
TNO Quality of Life, CPP
Sector Reproduction and Epidemiology
P.O. Box 2215, 2301 CE Leiden
tel. + 31  71 518 1839
e-mail [log in to unmask]

CONTINUOUS EDUCATION
Dutch midwives are registered by law (BIG- Act = for individual health care professionals)  In this act several professions must be registered, such as pharmacists, dentists, physicians and midwives. Under this act a field of expertise and training requirements are defined to this limited group of professions, in fact it means that professionals who have a diploma as midwife or dentist can be registered. In the future this system of registration will be revised into a system of  periodical registration for 5 years. After 5 years professionals must prove that  they comply with  supplementary requirements. Those supplementary requirements will be formulated,  probably having work experience.
 The BIG-register is the responsibility of the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.

At this moment, midwives are not obliged to participate in continuing education. The KNOV (Royal Dutch Organisation of Midwives) is working on their own Quality-register  in which we will prescribe requirements such as participation in education, working on their midwifery skills. For this register, midwives should participate for 40 hours a year in continuing education. Continuing education can be: seminars, conferences, quality circle, training midwifery skills, but also participation in research (limited hours/year).
The quality of the education will be judged by a committee.
Other part of obligations for registration are: 
-	working with KNOV guidelines
-	having a complaints arrangement
-	being registered in BIG Act

The Quality register is accessible for all Dutch midwives (member of KNOV en non-members). Registration is this register is voluntary. Midwives have the opportunity to distinguish themselves by being registered, they show that they care for participating in continuing education and care for quality of care.




-----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
Van: A forum for discussion on midwifery and reproductive health research. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Namens Ans Luyben
Verzonden: vrijdag 8 juli 2005 12:57
Aan: [log in to unmask]
Onderwerp: Re: Continuing education


Hi Mechthild,

Maybe Marianne can comment on this ( probably on holidays), but I'll try for a start.

See below:

Love, Ans



-----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
Van: A forum for discussion on midwifery and reproductive health research. [mailto:[log in to unmask]]Namens Mechthild Gross
Verzonden: Montag, 4. Juli 2005 08:25
Aan: [log in to unmask]
Onderwerp: Continuing education


This is an email from Friederike Barre:

Dear colleague,

The midwifery research unit at the Medical University Hanover has been authorised by the health ministry of North Rhine- Westphalia to work out a guideline for continuing midwifery education. Currently, midwives have to attend 60 hours further education within three years.

I am going to work out the content, the structure and the standard of quality for this guideline. We would be very interested to know how further midwifery education takes place in the Netherlands. It will be very much appreciated if you could answer the following questions.

*   Are midwives obliged to participate in continuing
    education?/ NL: They are trying to, but not concrete guidelines yet
*   Are there any guidelines concerning continuing
    education?/ Not yet
*   How many hours per year are obligatory?/ Not known, but probably it is
going to be something like the UK ( I am an RM as registred in the UK)
*   Who is authorized to offer continuing education?/ Probably universities
and the association
*   Is there a quality audit?/ Yes
*   Who and to whom do the midwives have to declare
    their participation in continuing education?/ The association ( KNOV) and because they are a kind of mediacal practitioners the state ( see BIG/online Ministerie van Volksgezondheid. The Netherlands happen to have a midwife, who is a government responsible for midwiferery ( I think this is a thing every country should aim for). She is part of the Health Department. It used to be Ria de Boer. But she said to me, she would retire in December 2004, which is a pity, but... I do not know, who is responsible now. Maybe Marlies knows, or Kathy ? All should be transparent nationally. I think that is a good thing.
*   What is considered in continuing education (seminars,
    conferences, quality circle, self studies, .....)?/ The association. There is a particular group responsible for this.
*   Where can I find information in the internet? I am not quite sure. But
it should be something like : www.knov.nl. Although I am a member, I haven't used this website too often- it was still under reconstruction. Otherwise: they are based in Bilthoven. Otherwise try: www.kpn.nl ( telephone
directories) and "knov" or "koninklijke nederlandse organisatie verloskundigen".

With us, seminars are mainly offered by the federal und regional associations of the midwives, but there are also seminars provided by hospitals or private persons.

I would be very grateful, if you could give me some
information on the questions. I´m looking forward to hear from you.

Yours Sincerely,
Friederike Barre ([log in to unmask])




Dr. Mechthild M. Gross, RM RN Research Fellow
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecoloy & Reproductive Medicine Medical School Hanover Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1 D - 30625 Hannover
Tel: ++49 511 532 6116, Fax: ++49 511 532 6851 [log in to unmask]