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Surviving and Thriving in Midwifery. Edition No. 1

  • Book

  • 208 Pages
  • March 2025
  • John Wiley and Sons Ltd
  • ID: 5960755
A practical, evidence-based approach to psychological and professional well-being for midwives

Midwifery is an essential profession with a life-saving role in perinatal care. However, studies show that midwives experience remarkably high levels of work-related psychological distress, leading to equally high levels of attrition from the profession. If these issues are not addressed, the loss of qualified midwives may seriously impact the profession’s ability to fight perinatal and infant mortality worldwide.

Surviving and Thriving in Midwifery offers a practical, evidence-based guide for midwives to achieve social, psychological, and professional success. Drawing upon extensive research as well as the personal experiences of midwives, the book invites readers to respond to a range of workplace challenges and develop robust strategies for coping, conflict resolution, and more. Thoroughly grounded in occupational psychology, it is a vital tool for any midwife looking to thrive in this critical profession.

Surviving and Thriving in Midwifery readers will also find: - A global perspective on midwifery across the life course- The author’s personal journey through their own experience of losing their fitness to practice through ill health, before regaining it and achieving lasting success- Detailed strategies for building psychological safety in midwifery teams, setting boundaries, and many more

Surviving and Thriving in Midwifery is ideal for aspiring, student, and qualified midwives worldwide.

Table of Contents

List of Contributors viii 

Author Contact Details and Biographies ix 

Foreword xi 

Preface xiii 

Acknowledgements xv 

List of Figures xvi 

List of Tables xvii 

Chapter 1 Introduction 1 

Intro to Chapter 1 

Circumstances, which No Man can Be a Judge of: Sarah Stone and the Improvement of Midwifery 2 

Contemporary Midwifery 5 

What to Expect from this Book 10 

Chapter 2 Unearthing Your Identity as a Midwife 12 

Intro to Chapter 12 

Personal Identity, Values and Vision 12 

Navigating Your Professional Journey 15 

Finding Your Chosen Community 19 

Self-Awareness and Personal Development 21 

Tools for Self-Awareness and Personal Development 22 

In Conversation(Karen and Sally Exploring Sally’s Personal Journey Through Constructing Her Identity) 26 

Chapter 3 Surviving and Thriving the Day to Day 28 

Intro to Chapter 28 

Managing Demands and Protecting Resources 29 

Maintaining Compassion 32 

Optimising Shift Work 35 

Midwifing Outside the System 38  

In Conversation (Sally and Karen Explore Personal Thoughts and Experiences on Maintenance of Occupational Health) 43 

Chapter 4 Responding to Workplace Challenges 50 

Intro to Chapter 50 

Coping with Stressors 51 

Problematic Substance Use 54 

Tools for Adaptive Coping 62 

Problem-Solving and Decision-Making 66 

In Conversation (Sally and Karen Explore Personal Experiences of Responding to Workplace Challenges) 68 

Chapter 5 Thriving in Interpersonal Relationships at Work 72 

Intro to Chapter 72 

Enabling Your Team to Thrive 72 

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion 73 

Psychological Safety and Trust 75 

Successful Conflict Resolution 77 

Managing and Challenging Workplace Incivility 80 

In Conversation (Sally and Karen Explore Personal Thoughts on Interpersonal Relations at Work) 85 

Chapter 6 Surviving When Things Go Wrong 89 

Intro to Chapter 89 

Surviving Traumatic Incidents 90 

Developing Personal Insight and Forgiveness 94 

Escalating Concerns 97 

Maximising Opportunities for Learning 102 

In Conversation (Karen and Sally Explore Personal Insight into What Happens When Things Go Wrong) 105 

Chapter 7 Thriving in Evidence-based Practice and Academia 110 

Intro to Chapter 110 

Typical Expectations and Tips for Career Advancement 111 

Top 10 Tips for Academic Success 114 

Writing for Publication 117 

Using Evidence to Inform Practice 124 

In Conversation(Karen and Sally Share Insight from Their Academic Career Journey) 130 

Chapter 8 Leading with Impact 132 

Intro to Chapter 132 

What is a Leader? 132 

What Kind of Leader Will You Be? 133 

We are All Leaders 136 

Leading with Compassion 146 

Lifting Others up as You Climb 148 

In Conversation(Sally and Karen Explore Personal Insights on Leadership) 149 

Chapter 9 Turning Visions into Practice 152 

Intro to Chapter 152 

Goal Setting 152 

Be the Change You Want to See 156 

In Conversation (Sally and Karen’s Final Reflections) 158 

Recommended Resources and Links to Organisations 160 

Appendix 163 

List of Values 163 

References 164 

Index 176

Authors

Sally Pezaro Coventry University, UK. Karen Maher Aston University, UK.