Abstract
Problem: Like other low- and middle-income countries, Ghana has high maternal mortality stemming from pre-eclampsia. Ghanaian midwives are frontline service providers of emergency care in obstetric complications and have the greatest potential to maximise pre-eclampsia outcomes. Little is known about the potential barriers and challenges to midwives' capacity to provide quality care in pre-eclampsia in Ghana. Therefore, we aimed to explore and gain insights into midwives’ experiences of pre-eclampsia care including their knowledge, skills, and psychological aspects such as midwives' resilience. Background: There is a rising global incidence of pre-eclampsia. Quality midwifery care in inter-professional collaborative practice is crucial to reducing pre-eclampsia-related morbidity and mortality. Methods: A qualitative descriptive exploratory study. In-depth semi-structured interviews (n = 35) were performed in 2021 and analysed by thematic analysis. Findings: There were three main themes. 1) Competence and Confidence in care; midwives provided timely and appropriate care based on sound knowledge and skills; they explained how pre-eclampsia care was organised within a multidisciplinary context and described collaborative working amongst midwives for mutual learning and support. 2) Emotional concerns and empathy; midwives’ described fulfillment in achieving positive pre-eclampsia outcomes. In contrast, maternal loss was distressing and traumatic. 3) Call for improved care resources for pre-eclampsia; midwives recommended expansion of continuing professional development opportunities, appropriate infrastructure, resources, tailored public education, and a review of pre-service education to support their participation in pre-eclampsia care. Conclusion: To improve the quality of care in pre-eclampsia, midwives should be capacitated, systems should promptly address barriers, and prioritise midwives’ emotional well-being.
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
3-1-2024
Volume
37
Issue
2
PubMed ID
37977957
Publication Title
Women and Birth
Publisher
Elsevier
School
School of Nursing and Midwifery
RAS ID
62380
Funders
Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
First Page
332
Last Page
339
Comments
Garti, I., Gray, M., Bromley, A., & Tan, J. Y. (2024). Midwives’ experiences of providing pre-eclampsia care in a low- and middle-income country – A qualitative study. Women and Birth, 37(2), 332-339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2023.11.001