Ethos and pathos in the delivery room

To understand the ethos and pathos in the discourses of pregnant women and healthcare professionals in the context of the delivery room.

This is a qualitative and interpretative study. The research approach was discourse analysis. The study participants were 36 women and 24 health workers from seven maternity hospitals in midwestern Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The discourses indicate the notion the women have of childbirth, centered in the eyes of others and in their representations. The nurses have difficulty operationalising care and building a professional image. The medical discourse stresses the skills, the ability to intervene in high-risk situations, and changes in the status of the profession.

The construction of the ethos of physicians and nurses to essential to design more flexible fields of knowledge and ensure a professional performance that is consistent with their role, committed to the ethical and legal issues of obstetric care.