Work situation and professional role for midwives at a labour ward pre and post implementation of a midwifery model of care – A mixed method study

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To explore and analyse the experience of work situation and professional role for midwives at a labour ward pre and post the implementation of a midwifery model of care (MiMo).

Methods: A simultaneous mixed method was used. The qualitative core component departed from three focus group interviews (n = 16 midwives). Secondary inductive and deductive content analysis was performed using an unconstrained matrix to make a corresponding comparison of the different time points. The supplemental component was a quantitative survey about the work situation (n = 58).

Results: The qualitative results pre the implementation showed three categories: Balance between Women and Organization, Midwives—Diverse as both Profession and Person, and Strained Work Situation. Post the intervention they transformed to Balance between Midwifery and Organization, Midwives—An Adaptable Profession, Strained Work Situation, and a new category Ability to concretize midwifery was found. There were no significant differences in the measures of work situation in the quantitative analyses.

Conclusions: The synthesized findings based on the qualitative part show that MiMo has a potential to strengthen the professional role and midwifery practice. As such, MiMo has the capability to offer benefits to the labour wards with additional considerations.

KEYWORDS:

• Midwifery
• mixed method
• work situation
• professional role
• stress
• burnout
• demand and control

Acknowledgments

This research would not have been possible to accomplish without the participation of the midwives that used their precious time to answer questions about their work situation and professional role. Their contributions are sincerely appreciated and gratefully acknowledged.

Contribution of authors

All authors have fulfilled the conditions required for authorship. MH and GH has designed the study, IL performed the interviews. MH and IL performed the qualitative analysis. MH, CT, and AD performed the quantitative analysis. MH, GH, and IL performed the Mixed-Method analysis. MH wrote the manuscript and all authors took part in edited the paper and provided comments on the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final version.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no financial or other relationships to declare which might lead to a conflict of interest.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Malin Hansson

Malin Hansson, earned her master degree in Reproductive and Perinatal Health from the Institute of Health and Care Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. She is now a doctoral student at the same institute and University. 

Ingela Lundgren

Ingela Lundgren, earned her doctorate degree in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Department of Women´s and Children´s Health, Uppsala University, Sweden. She is a full professor of Reproductive and Perinatal Health at the Institute of Health and Care Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Anna Dencker

Anna Dencker, earned her doctorate degree in Reproductive and Perinatal Health from the Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Gothenburg University, Sweden. She is an Associate professor at the same University.

Charles Taft

Charles Taft, earned his doctorate degree from the Department of Psychology at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. He is an associate professor at the Institute of Health and Care Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Gunnel Hensing

Gunnel Hensing, earned her doctorate degree in Social Medicine from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. She is full professor of Social Medicine at the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at the same university.