BACKGROUND:
Well-educated and prepared midwife educators are crucial for providing high-quality education and training. Midwifery educators are required by the International Confederation of Midwives to maintain clinical competence, however there is little known about the strategies used, and factors that influence this.

OBJECTIVES:
To identify how midwifery educators maintain clinical competence, and the barriers and enablers that influence this process.

METHODS:
The authors searched six databases for peer-reviewed articles, published from 2004 to 2024, to explore how midwifery educators maintain clinical competence. Content analysis was used to report findings.

RESULTS:
1951 articles were retrieved in the preliminary search. After screening, 21 articles were included in the final review. Three main strategies used by midwifery educators to maintain clinical competence were identified: (1) incorporating clinical practice into educator’s roles at education institutes; (2) workshops and training programs; and (3) midwifery educators engaging in hands-on clinical practice at hospitals. Barriers to implementing strategies for maintaining clinical competence among educators included high workload and insufficient support from employers. These barriers were particularly evident in low- and middle-income countries, where maintaining clinical competence was a huge challenge. Conversely, enablers included opportunities for regular time in clinical practice, and ongoing workshops and trainings.

CONCLUSIONS:
Multiple barriers, including a lack of time, resistance from clinical staff, and education institutes not valuing clinical practice, hinder educators' ability to maintain clinical competence. Regular clinical practice requires institutional and clinical site support, dedicated dual roles are unavailable to most educators. Educators often engage in hands-on clinical practice on their own initiative, which is difficult when balancing a high teaching workload. Institutional support is crucial to facilitate educators’ involvement in clinical practice.

KEY MESSAGE:
Midwife educators require institutional support and dedicated opportunities for maintaining competence in clinical practice. Clinical practice enhances educators’ clinical skills and significantly benefits students by providing educators with up-to-date knowledge of clinical practices. Poster session 3 (Group B)