Midwives' perceptions of being 'with woman': A phenomenological study

Bradfield, Z; Hauck, Y; Duggan, R; Kelly, M

Midwives' perceptions of being 'with woman': A phenomenological study

Bradfield, Z Hauck, Y Duggan, R Kelly, M

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2019, 19 (1)
Issue Date:: 2019-10-21

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Bradfield, Z	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Hauck, Y	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Duggan, R	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Kelly, M	en_US
dc.date.available	2019-10-09	en_US
dc.date.issued	2019-10-21	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2019, 19 (1)	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/137896
dc.description.abstract	© 2019 The Author(s). Background: Being 'with woman' is a central construct of the midwifery profession however, minimal research has been undertaken to explore the phenomenon from the perspective of midwives. The aim of this study was to describe Western Australian midwives' perceptions of the phenomenon of being 'with woman' during the intrapartum period. Methods: Descriptive phenomenology was selected as the methodology for this study. Thirty one midwives working across a variety of care models participated in individual interviews. Giorgi's four stage phenomenological approach was employed to analyse data. Results: Three themes were extracted 1) Essential to professional identity; 2) Partnership with women; and 3) Woman-Centred Practice. Midwives described the importance of being 'with woman' to the work and identification of midwifery practice. Developing a connection with the woman and providing woman-centred care inclusive of the woman's support people was highlighted. Conclusions: For the first time, we are able to offer evidence of how midwives understand and perceive the phenomenon of being 'with woman' which has theoretical and practical utility. Findings from this study provide evidence that supports expert commentary and confirms that midwives conceptualise the phenomenon of being 'with woman' as essential to the identity and practice of the profession. Some previously identified 'good midwifery practices' were revealed as practical manifestations of the phenomenon. This new knowledge facilitates clarity and provides evidence to support statements of professional identity, which is useful for the development of educational curricula as well as supporting graduate and professional midwives. The findings emphasise the importance of the development of language around this important philosophical construct which permeates midwifery practice, enhances professional agency and supports the continued emphasis of being 'with woman' with new understanding of its applied practices in a variety of care models.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1186/s12884-019-2548-4	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Obstetrics & Reproductive Medicine	en_US
dc.title	Midwives' perceptions of being 'with woman': A phenomenological study	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	1	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	19	en_US
utslib.for	1114 Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine	en_US
utslib.for	1110 Nursing	en_US
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.issue	1	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	19	en_US

Abstract:

© 2019 The Author(s). Background: Being 'with woman' is a central construct of the midwifery profession however, minimal research has been undertaken to explore the phenomenon from the perspective of midwives. The aim of this study was to describe Western Australian midwives' perceptions of the phenomenon of being 'with woman' during the intrapartum period. Methods: Descriptive phenomenology was selected as the methodology for this study. Thirty one midwives working across a variety of care models participated in individual interviews. Giorgi's four stage phenomenological approach was employed to analyse data. Results: Three themes were extracted 1) Essential to professional identity; 2) Partnership with women; and 3) Woman-Centred Practice. Midwives described the importance of being 'with woman' to the work and identification of midwifery practice. Developing a connection with the woman and providing woman-centred care inclusive of the woman's support people was highlighted. Conclusions: For the first time, we are able to offer evidence of how midwives understand and perceive the phenomenon of being 'with woman' which has theoretical and practical utility. Findings from this study provide evidence that supports expert commentary and confirms that midwives conceptualise the phenomenon of being 'with woman' as essential to the identity and practice of the profession. Some previously identified 'good midwifery practices' were revealed as practical manifestations of the phenomenon. This new knowledge facilitates clarity and provides evidence to support statements of professional identity, which is useful for the development of educational curricula as well as supporting graduate and professional midwives. The findings emphasise the importance of the development of language around this important philosophical construct which permeates midwifery practice, enhances professional agency and supports the continued emphasis of being 'with woman' with new understanding of its applied practices in a variety of care models.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/137896