ORIGINAL RESEARCH

 

Caring as a core concept in educating midwifery learners: A qualitative study

 

 

Mmajapi E. Chokwe; Susan C.D. Wright

Adelaide Tambo School of Nursing Science, Tshwane University of Technology

Correspondence

 

 

---

ABSTRACT

Caring is the core business of nursing and midwifery, involving a relationship in which the carer is committed to the needs of the one being cared for (Mason-Whitehead, Mcintosh, Bryan & Mason). Caring is the emotion which drives a midwife to care, the motive aimed at assisting someone to grow and self-actualise (Watson). The concern in midwifery is that irrespective of caring being central to the midwifery profession, caring taught in theoretical learning does not always translate into caring behaviour in practice. A qualitative exploratory study examined how midwifery educators impart the skill of caring during theoretical learning and clinical accompaniment, in order to respond to the general complaint made both locally and internationally that midwives are uncaring. The aim was to explore caring during theoretical learning and clinical accompaniment from the perspective of midwifery educators. Participants in the study were midwifery educators teaching midwifery in institutions of learning in Tshwane, South Africa. The naive sketch was used to gather data, wherein one central question was asked and the educators were invited to narrate and respond. Three themes emerged: the meaning of caring; how caring was conveyed during theoretical learning; and how it was conveyed during clinical accompaniment. Although the midwifery educators expressed how they conveyed caring to the learner midwives, it was not evident how caring competencies were assessed in order to ensure caring midwives at the end of training.

---

OPSOMMING

Omgee is die kernwaarde van 'n verpleegkundige en vroedvrou. Omgee behels 'n verhouding waar die person wat omgee verbind is om in die behoeftes van die een wat sorg benodig te voldoen (Mason-Whitehead, Mcintosh, Bryan & Mason). Omgee is die emosie wat die vroedvrou noop om om te gee, om 'n person te help groei en self-aktualiseer (Watson). Die kwelpunt in verloskunde is dat ongeag van die sentrale belang van omgee vir verloskundiges, die teoretiese onderig oor omgee nie altyd uitgeleef word in die praktyk nie. 'n Kwalitatiewe ondersoekende studie het die wyse ondersoek waarop vroevrou opvoerders die vaardigheid om om te gee, oordra tydens teoretiese en kliniese begeleiding, ten einde te reageer op die plaaslike en internasionale algemene klagte, dat vroedvroue nie omgee nie. Om omgee tydens teoreties en kliniese onderrig vanuit die perspektief van die opvoedkundige verloskundige te ondersoek. Die deelnemers het bestaan uit verloskundige opvoedkundiges wat verloskunde doseer in hoer onderwys institusies in Tshwane, Suid-Afrika. 'n Naïewe skets is gebruik om data in te samel met een sentrale vraag. Drie temas het voortgespuit: die betekenis van omgee; hoe die konsep oorgedra is tydens teoretiese onderrig; en hoe die konsep oorgedra is tydens kliniese onderrig. Alhoewel die verloskundige opvoedkundiges kon verduidelik hoe hulle omgee oorgedra het aan die leerling vroedvroue, was daar geen bewyse van hoe omgee vaardighede evalueer is nie ten einde omgee vaardige vroedvroue aan die professie te lewer.

---

 

 

“Full text available only in PDF format”

 

 

References

Abrahams, N., Jewkes, R. & Mvo, Z., 2001, 'Health care-seeking practices of pregnant women and the role of the midwife in Cape Town', Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health 46(4), 240-247. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1526-9523(01)00138-6        [ Links ]

Bassett, C., 2001, 'Educating for care, a review of the literature', Nurse Education in Practice 1, 64-72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1054/nepr.2001.0009 PMid:19036246        [ Links ]

Begley, C.M., 2001, '"Knowing your place: Student midwives" views of relationships in midwifery in Ireland', Midwifery Journal 17(1), 222-233. http://dx.doi.org/10.1054/midw.2001.0262 PMid:11502142        [ Links ]

Brink, H., 2006, Fundamentals of research methodology for health care professionals, 2nd edn., Juta, Cape Town.         [ Links ]

Chokwe, M.E., Wright, S.C.D. &. Erasmus, D.G.J., 2010, Perceptions and experiences of caring in midwifery, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria.         [ Links ]

Creswell, J.W., 2007, Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches, 2nd edn., Sage, Thousand Oaks.         [ Links ]

Dickson, N., 1996, 'A theory of caring for midwifery', Australian College of Midwives Incorporated 9(2), 20-24.         [ Links ]

Gallagher, A., 2007, 'The respectful nurse', Nursing Ethics 14(3), 360-370.         [ Links ]

Griffiths, P., 2008, 'The art of losing, a response to the question is caring a lost art', International Journal of Nursing Studies 45, 329-332.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2007.09.008 PMid:1802178        [ Links ]

International Confederation of Midwives (IMC), 2008, 'Competencies for midwifery educators', viewed 26 July 2011, from http://www.internationalmidwives.org        [ Links ]

International Confederation of Midwives (IMC), 2010, 'Global standards for midwifery education', viewed 30 November 2011, from http://www.internationalmidwives.org        [ Links ]

Jesse, E., 2006, 'Watson's philosophy of nursing practice', in M.R. Alligood & A.M. Tomey (eds.), Nursing theory utilisation and application, pp. 103-129, Elsevier, Philadelphia.         [ Links ]

Karaöz, S., 2005, 'Turkish nursing students perceptions of caring', Nurse Education Today 25(1), 31-40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2004.09.010 PMid:15607245        [ Links ]

Li-Min W., Chi-Chun, C. & Chung-Hey, C., 2009, 'Evaluation of a caring education for Taiwanese nursing students, a quasi-experiment with before and after comparison', NurseEducationToday 29,873-878.http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2009.05.006 PMid:19505747        [ Links ]

Lincoln, Y.S. & Guba, E.G., 1985, Naturalistic inquiry, Sage, CA.         [ Links ]

Mason-Whitehead, E., Mcintosh, A. & Bryan, A. & Mason, T., 2008, Key concepts in nursing, Sage, Thousand Oaks.         [ Links ]

Meadows, R., 2007, 'Beyond caring', Nurse Administration Quarterly 31(2), 158-161.         [ Links ]

Mulaudzi, M., Mokoena, J. & Troskie, R., 2001, Basics in nursing ethics, Clyson, Cape Town.         [ Links ]

Perry, R.N.B., 2009, 'Role modelling excellence in clinical nursing practice', Nurse Education in Practice 9, 36-44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2008.05.001 PMid:18590978        [ Links ]

Rafii, F., Oskouie, F. & Nikravesh, M., 2007, 'Caring behaviours of burn nurses and the related factors', viewed 20 March 2010, from http://www.boimedcentral.com/1472-690306        [ Links ]

South African Nursing Council, 1985, 'Regulations relating to the approval of and the minimum requirements for the education and training of a nurse (general, psychiatric and community) and midwife leading to Registration', Government Notice No. R.425 as amended, 22 April 1988, viewed 14 October 2008, from http://www.sanc.co.za/regulat/Reg-cem.htm        [ Links ]

Speziale, H.J.S. & Carpenter, D.R., 2007, Qualitative research in nursing: Advancing the humanistic imperative, 4th edn., Lippincott, Philadelphia.         [ Links ]

Watson, J. & Foster, R., 2003, 'The attending nurse caring model: Integrating theory, evidence and advanced caring-healing therapeutics for transforming professional practice', Journal of Clinical Nursing 12, 360-365.         [ Links ]

Watson, J., 2007, 'Watson's theory of human caring and subjective experiences: Carative factors', Texto Contexto Enfermagem 16(1), 129-135. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0104-07072007000100016        [ Links ]

 

 

Correspondence:
Mmajapi Chokwe
PO Box 911-1569
Rosslyn 0200
South Africa
Email: chokweme@tut.ac.za

Received: 31 Jan. 2012
Accepted: 13 July 2012
Published: 27 Nov. 2012