Midwives working in Nova Scotia: An exploratory qualitative study of their experiences of work and perceptions of their profession

Abstract

Midwives support the health of women and their families, and midwifery is associated with numerous benefits such as high maternal satisfaction, low birth complications, and relatively few interventions. Midwifery has existed as a regulated profession in many places globally since the early twentieth century but in Nova Scotia it only became regulated in 2009. Currently, there are a small number of midwives practicing in Nova Scotia, and although there has been some research conducted in the province, we know relatively little about midwives’ working conditions and how their conditions affect their health. The key objectives of this qualitative exploratory study were: 1) to gain an in-depth understanding of how midwives working in Nova Scotia experience their work, and the impacts of their work on their health (physical, social, emotional and mental health), and 2) to understand how midwives perceive their profession. One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with six midwives working in Nova Scotia, audio-taped, and analyzed for key themes and sub-themes. A social constructivist approach informed this study, and individuals' subjective meanings viewed as formed through their interactions with others and the prevailing historical and cultural norms. Analysis revealed that participants experienced some positive working conditions (theme 1) but there were also many challenging working conditions with negative health implications (theme 2). Participants reported provincial supports and challenges within the Nova Scotia healthcare system (theme 3) and also offered recommendations to improve their working conditions (theme 4). The study findings may inform policies and programs aimed at improving working conditions for midwives in Nova Scotia and may also help to increase the public’s understanding of the work of midwives. Improving the working conditions of midwives in Nova Scotia may ultimately be a step towards promoting and improving the health of this sector of the healthcare workforce.