Introduction to nursing, midwifery and person-centred care

Abstract

Nursing is generally held to mean caring for patients across the life span, while midwifery tends to focus on the childbearing woman with a particular emphasis on supporting healthy pregnancy and birth. Despite this difference, the two disciplines have many features in common. This text provides the foundation information in the areas where these two disciplines overlap. Although there are many commonalities, there are also differences between the disciplines in terms of their professional identity and ideology, scope of practice and the technical skills required. This text considers the broad scope of professional practice of each discipline through its central focus on the person