Midwives being ‘with woman’: An integrative review

Background Midwives being ‘with woman’ is embedded in professional philosophy, standards of practice and partnerships with women. In light of the centrality of being ‘with woman’ to the profession of midwifery, it is timely to review the literature to gain a contemporary understanding of this phenom...

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Main Authors: Bradfield, Zoe, Duggan, Ravani, Hauck, Yvonne, Kelly, Michelle
Format: Journal Article
Published: Elsevier BV 2017
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/56299
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author Bradfield, Zoe
Duggan, Ravani
Hauck, Yvonne
Kelly, Michelle
author_facet Bradfield, Zoe
Duggan, Ravani
Hauck, Yvonne
Kelly, Michelle
author_sort Bradfield, Zoe
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Background Midwives being ‘with woman’ is embedded in professional philosophy, standards of practice and partnerships with women. In light of the centrality of being ‘with woman’ to the profession of midwifery, it is timely to review the literature to gain a contemporary understanding of this phenomenon. Aim This review synthesises research and theoretical literature to report on what is known and published about being ‘with woman’. Methods A five step framework for conducting an integrative literature reviews was employed. A comprehensive search strategy was utilised that incorporated exploration in electronic databases CINAHL, Scopus, Proquest, Science Direct and Pubmed. The initial search resulted in the retrieval of 2057 publications which were reduced to 32 through a systematic process. Findings The outcome of the review revealed three global themes and corresponding subthemes that encompassed ‘with woman’: (1) philosophy, incorporated two subthemes relating to midwifery philosophy and philosophy and models of care; (2) relationship, that included the relationship with women and the relationship with partners; and (3) practice, that captured midwifery presence, care across the childbirth continuum and practice that empowers women. Conclusion Research and theoretical sources support the concept that being ‘with woman’ is a fundamental construct of midwifery practice as evident within the profession’s philosophy. Findings suggest that the concept of midwives being ‘with woman’ is a dynamic and developing construct. The philosophy of being ‘with woman’ acts as an anchoring force to guide, inform and identify midwifery practice in the context of the rapidly changing modern maternity care landscapes. Gaps in knowledge and recommendations for further research are made.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-562992019-11-25T07:47:37Z Midwives being ‘with woman’: An integrative review Bradfield, Zoe Duggan, Ravani Hauck, Yvonne Kelly, Michelle Background Midwives being ‘with woman’ is embedded in professional philosophy, standards of practice and partnerships with women. In light of the centrality of being ‘with woman’ to the profession of midwifery, it is timely to review the literature to gain a contemporary understanding of this phenomenon. Aim This review synthesises research and theoretical literature to report on what is known and published about being ‘with woman’. Methods A five step framework for conducting an integrative literature reviews was employed. A comprehensive search strategy was utilised that incorporated exploration in electronic databases CINAHL, Scopus, Proquest, Science Direct and Pubmed. The initial search resulted in the retrieval of 2057 publications which were reduced to 32 through a systematic process. Findings The outcome of the review revealed three global themes and corresponding subthemes that encompassed ‘with woman’: (1) philosophy, incorporated two subthemes relating to midwifery philosophy and philosophy and models of care; (2) relationship, that included the relationship with women and the relationship with partners; and (3) practice, that captured midwifery presence, care across the childbirth continuum and practice that empowers women. Conclusion Research and theoretical sources support the concept that being ‘with woman’ is a fundamental construct of midwifery practice as evident within the profession’s philosophy. Findings suggest that the concept of midwives being ‘with woman’ is a dynamic and developing construct. The philosophy of being ‘with woman’ acts as an anchoring force to guide, inform and identify midwifery practice in the context of the rapidly changing modern maternity care landscapes. Gaps in knowledge and recommendations for further research are made. 2017 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/56299 10.1016/j.wombi.2017.07.011 Elsevier BV restricted
spellingShingle Bradfield, Zoe
Duggan, Ravani
Hauck, Yvonne
Kelly, Michelle
Midwives being ‘with woman’: An integrative review
title Midwives being ‘with woman’: An integrative review
title_full Midwives being ‘with woman’: An integrative review
title_fullStr Midwives being ‘with woman’: An integrative review
title_full_unstemmed Midwives being ‘with woman’: An integrative review
title_short Midwives being ‘with woman’: An integrative review
title_sort midwives being ‘with woman’: an integrative review
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/56299