University of Tasmania
Browse

File(s) under permanent embargo

Midwives experiences of establishing partnerships: working with pregnant women who use illicit drugs

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-20, 03:17 authored by Miles, M, Chapman, Y, Karen FrancisKaren Francis, Taylor, B

Objective: to present the interpreted experiences of midwives who choose to work with pregnant women who also use illicit drugs.

Design: twelve (n=12) Australian midwives were interviewed. Each interview was audio-taped, de-identified and transcribed. The interviews were analysed using a systematic, thematic analysis approach informed by Heideggarian hermeneutic phenomenology.

Findings: three themes identified from the data that encapsulate the experience were establishing partnerships, making a difference, and letting go and redefining practice. The interpretations of establishing partnerships which includes engagement, genuine regard and compassion, with a subtheme courting the system are presented in this paper. The midwives' experiences were both positive and negative, as they were rewarded and challenged by the needs of women who use illicit drugs and the systems in which they worked.

Conclusion: the midwives in this study found that establishing partnerships was essential to their work. They appraised their experience of working with pregnant women who used illicit drugs and found strategies that attempted to meet the needs of the women, the system and themselves. The participants revealed that to support women and families who use illicit drugs in their community, partnerships must be based on deep respect and trust. Significant components engagement, genuine regard and compassion that are central to midwifery partnerships require revisiting to address the needs of this vulnerable population of women.

History

Publication title

Midwifery

Volume

30

Issue

10

Pagination

1082-1087

ISSN

0266-6138

Department/School

School of Nursing

Publisher

Churchill Livingstone

Place of publication

Journal Production Dept, Robert Stevenson House, 1-3 Baxters Place, Leith Walk, Edinburgh, Scotland, Midlothian, Eh1 3Af

Rights statement

Copyright 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Nursing

Usage metrics

    University Of Tasmania

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC