Newly qualified midwives’ lived experiences of caring for women during labour and birth

Abstract

Once student midwives successfully complete their midwifery training, they become newly qualified midwives [NQMs] and their professional midwifery career commences. As they embark on this journey, one of the maternity settings where they get to provide midwifery care is the birthing unit. This study focuses on the lived experiences of NQMs while working at the birthing unit. The study addressed this scenario and aimed to elicit and understand the meaning of NQMs’ lived experiences of caring for women during labour and birth. The objectives of this study revolved around capturing NQMs’ experiences of caring for women during labour and birth, uncovering the meaning of these experiences and elicit any supportive measures which NQMs identify as helpful when caring for women during labour and birth in such initial phase of their career. A Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenological research approach was adopted and a purposive sampling technique was used to recruit ten participants. One-time, one-to-one, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with each of the ten participants in this study. These included NQMs employed at the main local hospital who had worked at the Central Delivery Suite [CDS] as part of their rotation period in the last two years post qualification. The research process and analysis of the data were guided by van Manen’s (1990) six-step approach. Hermeneutic philosophical notions and the William Bridges transition theory (1991) guided the study and the interpretation of the findings. Two themes and their corresponding subthemes emerged from the data. The theme Baptism of Fire captures all the challenges, hurdles and impediments that NQMs faced once they started their placement at the CDS. In the theme Containing the Fire, findings revealed that after some time, things started to fall into place and NQMs started to better cope with challenges and address obstacles they faced. The main outcome of this study reveals that NQMs' experiences at the CDS were impacted by the outcome of their placement at the birthing unit when they were still student midwives, as well as the support and guidance they found from their colleagues once they started their rotation period and became part of the team as qualified midwives. Findings were congruent with the current literature however, there were a number of unique findings that emerged from this study. These include that working at the CDS and assisting a woman in labour and birth gives NQMs a sense of fulfilment. Moreover, they viewed their experience at the CDS as the essence of midwifery and a steppingstone in the growth of their career, as they felt that they had become true midwives. Based on the findings of this study, several recommendations were highlighted, mainly for further research and implications for practice, policy and education to better assist NQMs as they embark on their journey of caring for women during labour and birth. The main recommendation, based on the participants' narratives, is for NQMs to be assigned to a senior midwife when on the birthing unit, so they have someone to refer to for guidance and support.