What helps or hinders student midwives' confidence and ability to support women's normal labour and  birth?

Authors: Wood, J. and Fry, J.

Conference: 14th International Normal Labour and Birth Research Conference

Dates: 17-19 June 2019

Abstract:

Background: Intervention in labour and birth has increased rapidly over the last twenty years, ostensibly to improve the outcomes for women and babies. However, these interventions are not without cost and can undermine women's experiences. In view of the fact that these interlinked interventions can in themselves increase morbidity and mortality, there is an international drive to reverse this trend. This is evidenced by the recent Lancet series entitled 'Stemming the Global Caesarean Section Epidemic' and more recently by the Royal College of Midwives' Blue Top Guidelines 'Midwifery Care in Labour'. It is well known that midwifery care can positively improve clinical outcomes and experiences for women and their babies. However, in the context of relatively high intervention rates, normal labour and birth are inevitably less commonly seen. This may have an impact on midwifery skills and commitment to both promote and support women’s physiological labours and birth. Current student midwives will be the ones who determine how midwifery is practiced in the future. It is therefore important to consider whether, in an environment of increased intervention, contemporary midwifery practice affects the extent to which student midwives can learn how to support physiological labour and birth. We have determined that there is a paucity of research within this area which needs to be addressed. Objectives: Against this background, we propose a research project which aims to determine barriers and enablers to student midwives in supporting women's normal labours and births. Our research question is: What helps or hinders student midwives' confidence and ability to support women's normal labour and birth? Methods: Using the Online Survey supported by Bournemouth University, a survey has been designed to gather data to describe the existing views and experiences of students from a large cohort of 260 student midwives who are in placement across nine National Health Service Trusts in the South of England. The questionnaire comprises some closed questions utilising Likert scales and some open questions. Data will be analysed using the survey software and thematic analysis for the qualitative data.

The study has been approved by Bournemouth University’s Ethics Committee.

Findings: will be available to be presented at the Normal Birth Conference Conclusions/Implications: will be available to be presented at the Normal Birth Conference

Source: Manual