Midwives' perceptions of work related stress in midwifery in Malta

Abstract

Work-related stress (WRS) is a major issue in healthcare, with the midwifery profession ranked as one of the most stressful occupations. This issue in midwifery has not yet been addressed in local research. This study aimed to explore midwives’ perceptions of WRS in midwifery practice in Malta, by identifying which factors contribute to WRS and how WRS affects the delivery of care and midwives’ wellbeing. A non-randomised cross-sectional study was conducted whereby a self-designed questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 50 midwives working at three obstetric wards, the delivery suite and the neonatal unit at a local state hospital. Quantitative data were analysed using simple descriptive statistics whilst content analysis was used to analyse answers from the open-ended questions. The study yielded a response rate of 76% (n = 38). Participants identified lack of staff and resources, high patient load, daily rates of inductions of labour and caesarean sections as stress-contributing factors. Results also showed that WRS has a negative impact on midwives’ provision of care and their physical and psychological wellbeing. The study identified several stressful factors and found that these negatively impact local midwives’ wellbeing and pose a threat to the delivery of midwifery care. Future research exploring the effects of WRS in more depth and using larger samples is recommended.