INTRODUCTION TO MIDWIFERY AND THE PROFESSION

Abstract

Starting your midwifery programme is an exciting time and a key element of your role is being ‘with woman’. One of the aims of this chapter is to explore various beliefs about how care should be provided, with the aim of starting you off thinking about the kind of midwife you would like to be. It explores philosophies and models of care, including the 6C’s and how, through the use of appropriate language, you always keep women at the centre of your care. The latter half of this chapter helps you understand the role of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the regulatory body that is responsible for setting the rules and regulations that govern our practice as midwives, and how these will impact on you the moment you become a student midwife. They will shape the knowledge and skills you acquire, but more importantly the way you behave and what is expected of you by the public. Philosophy of care