"Overwhelmed and out of my depth": Responses from early career midwives in the United Kingdom to the Work, Health and Emotional Lives of Midwives study.
Burnout
Dissatisfaction
Emotional wellbeing
Midwives
Stress
Workforce
Journal
Women and birth : journal of the Australian College of Midwives
ISSN: 1878-1799
Titre abrégé: Women Birth
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 101266131
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Nov 2020
Nov 2020
Historique:
received:
05
10
2019
revised:
20
12
2019
accepted:
04
01
2020
pubmed:
26
1
2020
medline:
30
10
2020
entrez:
26
1
2020
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Efforts to resolve the longstanding and growing staffing crisis in midwifery in the United Kingdom have been hampered by very poor retention rates, with early career midwives the most likely to report burnout and intention to leave the profession. To establish the key, self-described factors of satisfaction and dissatisfaction at work for early career midwives in the United Kingdom, and suggest appropriate and effective retention strategies. Thematic analysis was undertaken on a subset of free text responses from midwives who had been qualified for five years or less, collected as part of the United Kingdom arm of the Work, Health and Emotional Lives of Midwives project. Midwives described feeling immense pressure caused by an unremittingly heavy workload and poor staffing. Where relationships with colleagues were strong, they were described as a protective factor against stress; conversely, negative working relationships compounded pressures. Despite the challenges, many of the midwives reported taking great pleasure in their work, describing it as a source of pride and self-esteem. Midwives valued being treated as individuals and having some control over their shift pattern and area of work. These results, which reveal the strain on early career midwives, are consistent with the findings of other large studies on midwives' wellbeing. All available levers should be used to retain and motivate existing staff, and recruit new staff; in the meantime, considerable creativity and effort should be exercised to improve working conditions. This analysis provides a 'roadmap' for improving staff wellbeing and potentially retention.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Efforts to resolve the longstanding and growing staffing crisis in midwifery in the United Kingdom have been hampered by very poor retention rates, with early career midwives the most likely to report burnout and intention to leave the profession.
AIMS
OBJECTIVE
To establish the key, self-described factors of satisfaction and dissatisfaction at work for early career midwives in the United Kingdom, and suggest appropriate and effective retention strategies.
METHODS
METHODS
Thematic analysis was undertaken on a subset of free text responses from midwives who had been qualified for five years or less, collected as part of the United Kingdom arm of the Work, Health and Emotional Lives of Midwives project.
FINDINGS
RESULTS
Midwives described feeling immense pressure caused by an unremittingly heavy workload and poor staffing. Where relationships with colleagues were strong, they were described as a protective factor against stress; conversely, negative working relationships compounded pressures. Despite the challenges, many of the midwives reported taking great pleasure in their work, describing it as a source of pride and self-esteem. Midwives valued being treated as individuals and having some control over their shift pattern and area of work.
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSIONS
These results, which reveal the strain on early career midwives, are consistent with the findings of other large studies on midwives' wellbeing. All available levers should be used to retain and motivate existing staff, and recruit new staff; in the meantime, considerable creativity and effort should be exercised to improve working conditions.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
This analysis provides a 'roadmap' for improving staff wellbeing and potentially retention.
Identifiants
pubmed: 31980392
pii: S1871-5192(19)30977-1
doi: 10.1016/j.wombi.2020.01.003
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Pagination
e549-e557Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2020 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.