Aide-memoire diaries in longitudinal research

Background: Diaries can be used as contemporaneous tools for gathering data, frequently in combination with interviews. However, diaries can also be used by study participants as personal records to improve their recall during interviews, without having to be collected for analysis. Aim: To discuss the use of diaries as aide-memoires by participants in a study exploring women’s views and experiences of the quality of maternity care they received in community maternity units in Scotland. Discussion: The use of aide-memoire diaries was an effective way to enhance the quality of data collected during interviews. Conclusion: This use of diaries would help longitudinal research in different contexts, including long-term care, as an aide-memoire to help participants recall their experiences throughout their care. Implications for practice: Aide-memoire diaries provide a private platform for contemporaneously and honestly recording participants’ reflective accounts throughout their experiences of care

"Doing" is never enough, if "being" is neglected: exploring midwives' experiences of an emotional intelligence (EI) programme: a qualitative study. [Presentation]

The role of the midwife is emotionally demanding, with many midwives experiencing high levels of stress and burnout, and a great number considering leaving the profession. This has serious implications for the delivery of high-quality, safe maternity care. One of the major factors leading to job dissatisfaction is the conflict between midwives' aspiration of truly 'being' with the woman and the institutional expectations of the role, which focuses on the 'doing' aspects of the job. 'Being' present to a woman's psychological needs, whilst meeting the institutional demands, requires high levels of emotional intelligence (EI) in the midwife. Therefore, enhancing midwives' EI could be beneficial. An EI programme was made available to midwives with the intention to promote their emotional intelligence and enable them to utilise relaxation techniques for those in their care. The aim of this study was to explore midwives' perspectives on the influence of the EI education programme on their emotional wellbeing and experiences of practice. The study took a descriptive qualitative approach. Thirteen midwives participated in focus group interviews. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The overarching theme of 'The Ripple Effect' included three themes of 'Me and my relationships', 'A different approach to practice', and 'Confidence and empowerment'. The programme was seen to create a positive ripple effect, influencing midwives personally, their approach to practice, and feelings of confidence in their role. Attendance at an EI education programme equipped the midwives in this study with stress management skills which enhanced their emotional wellbeing and experiences of practice

Exploring midwives' experiences of an emotional intelligence programme (EIP): a qualitative study.

This poster summarises the results of a study that sought to evaluate an emotional intelligence programme for midwives. This programme aimed to address reported challenges experienced by midwives in terms of a discrepancy between wanting to be emotionally and psychologically supportive of their patients, and task-focused institutional expectations for how the midwife should be spending their time

"Doing" is never enough, if "being" is neglected: exploring midwives' perspectives on the influence of an emotional intelligence education programme: a qualitative study. [Article]

The role of the midwife is emotionally demanding, with many midwives experiencing high levels of stress and burnout, and a great number considering leaving the profession. This has serious implications for the delivery of high-quality, safe maternity care. One of the major factors leading to job dissatisfaction is the conflict between midwives' aspiration of truly 'being' with the woman and the institutional expectations of the role, which focuses on the 'doing' aspects of the job. 'Being' present to a woman's psychological needs, whilst meeting the institutional demands, requires high levels of emotional intelligence (EI) in the midwife. Therefore, enhancing midwives' EI could be beneficial. An EI programme was made available to midwives with the intention to promote their emotional intelligence and enable them to utilise relaxation techniques for those in their care. The aim of this study was to explore midwives' perspectives on the influence of the EI education programme on their emotional wellbeing and experiences of practice. The study took a descriptive qualitative approach. Thirteen midwives participated in focus group interviews. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The overarching theme of 'The Ripple Effect' included three themes of 'Me and my relationships', 'A different approach to practice', and 'Confidence and empowerment'. The programme was seen to create a positive ripple effect, influencing midwives personally, their approach to practice, and feelings of confidence in their role. Attendance at an EI education programme equipped the midwives in this study with stress management skills which enhanced their emotional wellbeing and experiences of practice

"Doing" is never enough if "being" is neglected: the influence of an emotional intelligence programme (EIP) on midwives' emotional wellbeing and experiences of practice: a pilot survey study.

This brief report summarises the methodology, findings and conclusion of a study that aimed to evaluate the impact of an emotional intelligence training programme for midwives. The programme aimed to address known issues with high stress and burnout in the midwifery profession

Expectant parents’ perspectives on the influence of a single antenatal relaxation class: a qualitative study.

Aim: This study explores the perspectives of expectant parents on the influence of a single antenatal class incorporating education on childbirth physiology and relaxation techniques. Method: The data for this qualitative descriptive study were collected via in-depth interviews with six women and three birth partners. Findings: An enhanced understanding of childbirth physiology formed a ‘different way of thinking’ about childbirth, ‘inspired and motivated’ the exertion of the learnt relaxation techniques which led to a ‘deep sense of calmness’ associated with increased confidence and reduced fear. However, reaching such sense of calmness during childbirth required a ‘space for relaxation’ which was influenced by birth attendants. An overarching theme of ‘a positive outlook’ towards childbirth was identified. Conclusion: Including education on childbirth physiology and a range of relaxation techniques may reduce fear, empower prospective parents and positively influence their experiences of pregnancy and childbirth

Patient-Centred Care in Maternity Services

Providing patient-centred care (PCC) is one of the goals described by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to deliver quality of care. Across several interventions described in the literature, there is no clear consensus of one that will best fit the diversity of women coming to seek care in maternity services and across the variety of healthcare providers (HCPs) who provide that care. A reason for that may be the lack of consensus about the model of care to adopt for maternity services reveals a neglected area of research. Managing quality of care should also mean considering the best model of care in practice for all women, incorporating the core and legitimate attributes of maternity care

The influence of a single antenatal relaxation class (ARC) on perinatal psychological wellbeing and childbirth experience: an observational study.

This presentation discusses the results of a study to review the outcomes of an antenatal relaxation class. The study aimed to examine the influence of this class on perinatal psychological wellbeing and childbirth. The study used an observational approach, with a sample of 91 childbearing women and three sets of online surveys

A different way of being.

This presentation gives an overview of the findings from the author's PhD project, which aimed to explore the impact of an antenatal relaxation class on maternal psychological wellbeing and childbirth

A different way of being: the influence of a single antenatal relaxation class (ARC) on maternal psychological wellbeing and childbirth experiences: an exploratory sequential mix-method study.

This poster describes a study that aimed to evaluate the impact of an antenatal relaxation class on the psychology and wellbeing of pregnant women during childbirth