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Women-with-midwives-with-women: a model of interdependence
1Department of Nursing and Community Health, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK. V.Fleming@gcal.ac.uk
Aim:
To develop a research-based conceptual model of midwifery practice.
Design:
Qualitative using grounded theory.
Setting:
Midwifery practice in New Zealand and Scotland.
Participants:
250 midwives and 219 clients from the two countries.
Findings:
Data from the participants provided the contextual background as well as the major categories. Forming the background were the concepts of: beliefs, colleagues, culture, experience, expertise, education, environment, friends, families, intuition, knowledge and professionalism. The major categories of the model which emerged from the data were: attending and presencing, supplementing and complementing, reflection and reflexivity. These are discussed as pairs while the basic social process (core category) of reciprocity embraces the whole midwife-client relationship.
Conclusions:
This model offers the beginnings of documentary evidence of the essence of the midwife-client relationship and may go some way towards the creation of a written body of midwifery knowledge. It has potential applicability for both midwifery education and practice.