Rate My Professor Christine Griffiths

Christine Griffiths serves as Head of School of Midwifery at Otago Polytechnic | Te Kura Matatini ki Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. She is a Principal Lecturer with extensive experience in midwifery education, having held the position of Bachelor of Midwifery Programme Coordinator. By 2025, she had completed 16 years at Otago Polytechnic, progressing from senior lecturer roles. Her academic qualifications include a PhD awarded by Auckland University of Technology in 2019, MA (Hons), DipSocSci, GCTLT, PpHtR4, CBiculComp, RM, and RGON. These credentials underpin her contributions to midwifery practice and pedagogy.

Griffiths' research focuses on enhancing midwifery education and practice through woman-centred care, integration of LGBTQIA+ health equity, support for midwives in high-deprivation areas, and culturally responsive maternity services. Key publications include the 2021 paper 'Development of the Woman-Centred Care Scale-Midwife Self-Report' in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, co-authored with D.L. Davis, V. Stulz, L. Davie, J. McAra-Couper, K. Graham, and L. Sweet, which developed and validated a tool for self-assessing midwife adherence to woman-centred principles. In 2023, she co-authored 'Taking up the challenge of trans and non-binary inclusion in midwifery curricula: Experiences of midwifery academics in Aotearoa New Zealand' in Midwifery, exploring inclusive curriculum strategies. Earlier work features 'Staying involved because the need seems so huge: Midwives working with women living in areas of high deprivation' (2013, International Journal of Childbirth). She has supervised master's theses such as those on midwife-obstetrician communication (R. Cassie, 2019), Japanese women's birth experiences (K. Doering, 2012), and benefits of mentoring students (E. Bilous, 2018). Griffiths contributes to the New Zealand College of Midwives Journal editorial board and offers expert input in professional competence reviews. Her scholarship advances equitable, culturally safe midwifery, influencing education and clinical standards across New Zealand.