Objective: On the-job training of Community Midwives (CMWs) is of critical importance in
enabling midwives to provide services that meet standards of quality care. The objective of this
study was to assess the intervention of an internship for CMWs that would increase their ability
to provide quality maternal, newborn, and child health services.
Method: A pre and post-intervention design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of an
internship of 32 working days. Validated questionnaire was used to assess the CMWs’
knowledge and skills before and after the intervention. Overall, 252 CMWs from 14 districts of
the Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan participated in the study.
Result: The intervention improved both the knowledge and skills of the midwives. The pre and
post skills and knowledge assessments demonstrated statistically significant increases in the
mean scores (p <0.0001).
Conclusion: Challenges were encountered in organizing and accessing internship sites and
experienced mentors. However, the study found that the internship program helpful for the
CMWs to enhance their knowledge and hands-on practice. We recommend that it be continued
in future for this cadre of midwives.