20.4 The Heart of Midwifery Care: International Evidence on Compassion
The Maternity & Midwifery HourShow Notes
While professional frameworks uphold compassionate care, growing global evidence indicates that disrespectful and abusive care remains a persistent systemic issue within maternity services worldwide.
This session addresses the need for robust evidence to deepen our understanding around compassionate midwifery and the humanisation of birth. It also tells the story of three midwife-researchers and members of a research network: The International Research Network for Compassionate Midwifery, who will talk about their own research and the power of networking. Drawing from distinct healthcare environments in the UK, South Africa, and Uganda, the speakers will illustrate how targeted research is helping to build a strong evidence base on the theory and practice of compassionate midwifery. The benefits of bringing together research carried out in diverse cultural and geographical settings will be discussed and, in particular, the insights into both the similarities and the differences seen in different settings. Local, national and international evidence on compassion can drive reform across midwifery education, practice, policy and culture; safeguarding maternal rights and raising global care standards.
Hosted by: Dr Jenny Hall, Midwifery Editor, Matflix & Maternity and Midwifery Forum
Contributions from: Dr Diane Menage, Chair of the International Research Network for Compassionate Midwifery, Honorary Senior Research Fellow at De Montfort University, UK Dr Petronella Lunda, Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing, North-West University, South Africa Kenyonyozi Rubagumya, Assistant Lecturer, Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Mountains of the Moon University, Fort Portal, Uganda
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