Theory building in nurse-midwifery The care process

Midwives and Normalcy in Childbirth: A Phenomenologic Concept Development Study

“…Cragin conducted a critical analysis of Lehrman, 8 Thompson et al, 9 and Kennedy 10,11 that also verified belief in normalcy as a primary aspect and process of midwifery care 19 . Cragin 19 states that the theoretical development in midwifery consistently identifies “protection and nurturance of the ‘normal’ in processes related to women's health, implying a judicious use of technology and intervention.” In addition, Cragin concludes that theory development in midwifery must extend beyond physiologic processes and outcomes, to encompass women's minds, bodies, and the context of their life experiences 19 …”

“…Theoretical descriptions of the midwifery model of care have appeared in the United States only in the last 20 years. The concept of normalcy is explicitly identified in the works of Lehrman, 8 Thompson et al, 9 Kennedy, 10,11 and Kennedy and MacDonald, 12 Kennedy et al, 13 and Kennedy and Shannon 14 . Gould 15 reported a classic concept analysis of normal labor.…”

“…Thompson et al 9 undertook a theoretical description of the process of nurse‐midwifery care. Six descriptors derived from the ACNM Philosophy were identified, including “health promoting.” 18 The authors defined health promoting as “those actions that encourage behaviors conducive to the woman's well‐being throughout her life cycle and specifically promote the naturalness of pregnancy and birth.” 9 These descriptor concepts were further refined and clustered into the ethical concepts of competence, compassion, and covenant fidelity; the concept of normalcy is positioned within covenant fidelity 9 …”

A Descriptive Study of “Being with Woman” During Labor and Birth

“…One essential hallmark of the philosophy of the American College of Nurse‐Midwives is the importance of the therapeutic value of human presence 3 . Four American nurse‐midwifery studies 2,4–6 and one metasynthesis 7 that evaluated six qualitative studies of midwifery care identified concepts and themes that build a theoretic framework for midwifery care. All these researchers found that a midwife's being with woman was an essential component of midwifery care from both the woman's and the midwife's perspective.…”

“…All these researchers found that a midwife's being with woman was an essential component of midwifery care from both the woman's and the midwife's perspective. Thompson et al 6 discovered that one indicator of client satisfaction with nurse‐midwifery care was physical and emotional support during labor. Lehrman 2 learned that women perceived greater self‐esteem and satisfaction with their labor experience because the nurse‐midwife was present.…”