The history of ideas of Nordic midwives’ excursions from the early 19th century to the millennium

Abstract

The midwifery art has emphasised the uniqueness of human beings throughout its Nordic history. The educated Nordic midwife has in the last decade celebrated several hundred years of memories. This article studies how the key ideas of the midwifery art and patterns of ideas become evident in the zeitgeist from the beginning of the 19th century to the millennium in the Nordic countries. The legacy and pattern of ideas of the art of midwifery are interpreted in relation to the texts of the selected historical sources and based on Ricoeur's phenomenological‐hermeneutic approach to the text and further to the dedication of understanding and interpretation. The historical sources refer to unprinted primary sources from historical archives and printed secondary and tertiary sources. The patterns of ideas include a tripartite whole: the true cultivation of the head, the philosophy and aesthetics of the hand, the strength of the heart and the drive of calling. These ideas open for unique visions and attest to the evident in modern midwives. Today's midwives have academic training with examinations, and the education is based on scientific evidence. The midwife profession is authorised by the state and supervised by the authorities.

Emotional Intelligence and Role-Modeling Nursing's Soft Skills

“…Emotional intelligence involves “the awareness of the role that emotion plays in personal relationships and the purposeful use of emotion to communicate, build rapport, and motivate self and others” (Zaccagnini & White, 2015 p. 258). Additionally, EI includes the appreciation of the part these qualities play in providing safe and quality healthcare (Honkavuo, 2019; Olawoyin, 2018; Zaccagnini & White 2015).…”