The work of midwives: The socio-institutional theory of the meaning of midwives’ work-life balance

IF 2.6 3区医学 Q1 NURSING Midwifery Pub Date : 2024-11-14 DOI:10.1016/j.midw.2024.104240

Kate Buchanan , Kate Dawson , Jacqueline Taylor , Sara Bayes

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Abstract

Background

Globally, midwifery is facing a potential workforce crisis. A significant number of midwives intending to leave the profession often cite burnout as contributing to this decision. While it has been reported that work-life balance is a key element in deciding to stay in midwifery, little is known about what constitutes work-life balance and the barriers to achieving this.

Aim

The aim of this study was to explore what work-life balance means to Australian midwives, and to determine its crucial features.

Methods

Qualitative Description methodology was used for this study. Data were collected from 31 midwives in Australia working in hospital settings, and different models of care. Data were collected using open ended questions via an online survey. Thematic analysis with a socio-institutional lens was applied to the data.

Findings

The findings were organised to three themes: ‘Tipping the balance: The socio-institutional factors that shape midwives’ work-life balance; ‘Taking it home: The unique occupational characteristics of midwifery emotion work’ and ‘Finding harmony: Midwifery agency fosters presence and joy’. Together these explain the macro-, meso- and micro- level factors that characterise midwives’ work-life balance.

Conclusion

The concept of work-life ‘blending’ is proposed as a more accurate depiction for midwifery than ‘balance’, where integration of work and life can be beneficial if autonomy and midwifery role and professional identity are valued. The majority of midwives are women who carry a significant domestic burden outside of work, and gender affirming structural changes to better support the role and full scope of the midwives to facilitate blending of work and life in a way that works for them are recommended.

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助产士的工作：助产士工作与生活平衡的社会制度理论。

背景：在全球范围内，助产士正面临着潜在的劳动力危机。大量打算离开助产士行业的助产士往往认为职业倦怠是做出这一决定的原因。据报道，工作与生活的平衡是决定是否留在助产士行业的一个关键因素，但人们对什么是工作与生活的平衡以及实现这一平衡的障碍知之甚少：方法：本研究采用定性描述法。数据收集自澳大利亚 31 名在医院环境和不同护理模式下工作的助产士。通过在线调查使用开放式问题收集数据。采用社会机构视角对数据进行主题分析：研究结果：研究结果分为三个主题："打破平衡：调查结果：研究结果分为三个主题："平衡：影响助产士工作与生活平衡的社会制度因素；"把工作带回家：助产士情感工作的独特职业特征 "和 "寻找和谐：助产机构促进临场感和愉悦感"。这些内容共同解释了助产士工作与生活平衡的宏观、中观和微观因素：与 "平衡 "相比，工作与生活 "融合 "的概念更适合助产士，如果自主性、助产士角色和职业认同得到重视，工作与生活的融合是有益的。大多数助产士都是妇女，她们在工作之余还要承担大量的家务负担，因此建议进行性别平权结构改革，以更好地支持助产士的角色和全部工作范围，从而以适合她们的方式促进工作与生活的融合。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Midwifery 医学-护理

CiteScore

4.50

自引率

7.40%

发文量

221

审稿时长

13.4 weeks

期刊介绍： Midwifery publishes the latest peer reviewed international research to inform the safety, quality, outcomes and experiences of pregnancy, birth and maternity care for childbearing women, their babies and families. The journal’s publications support midwives and maternity care providers to explore and develop their knowledge, skills and attitudes informed by best available evidence. Midwifery provides an international, interdisciplinary forum for the publication, dissemination and discussion of advances in evidence, controversies and current research, and promotes continuing education through publication of systematic and other scholarly reviews and updates. Midwifery articles cover the cultural, clinical, psycho-social, sociological, epidemiological, education, managerial, workforce, organizational and technological areas of practice in preconception, maternal and infant care. The journal welcomes the highest quality scholarly research that employs rigorous methodology. Midwifery is a leading international journal in midwifery and maternal health with a current impact factor of 1.861 (© Thomson Reuters Journal Citation Reports 2016) and employs a double-blind peer review process.