Compassion in Midwifery 001
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Compassionate Midwifery: appreciating, describing and understanding women's lived experience of compassion.
IRAS ID
203024
Contact name
Diane Menage
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Coventry University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 2 months, 31 days
Research summary
Compassion in healthcare has been in the spotlight over recent years. There is widespread agreement that compassion is a requirement of good midwifery care and all midwives are required and to practise with compassion in accordance with their professional codes and rules. Yet studies about what ‘compassionate midwifery’ actually means to women who receive maternity services are absent from the literature. An understanding of the experience of compassionate midwifery from the woman’s perspective is, as yet, completely undeveloped. A better understanding about how women experience compassionate midwifery and what sort of midwifery behaviours and attitudes are perceived as compassionate will provide valuable insight and knowledge which has potential to inform midwifery practice, education and service.
This study aims to learn about the experience of compassionate midwifery care from women who are using maternity services or who have used them within the last six weeks. Approximately 20 participants will be recruited from women who identify themselves as having had compassionate midwifery care during their maternity care at two NHS Trusts in The Midlands. Data collection will be though face-to-face interviews in the woman's own home or if preferred via Skype or telephone or participants can supply a written account. Interviews will be audio recorded and transcribed to text for analysis. Recruitment and data collection will take place over a 4 month period and data analysis, write up and dissemination of findings over the following yearREC name
HSC REC B
REC reference
16/NI/0066
Date of REC Opinion
12 Apr 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion