Empowering Birth Attendants with Knowledge of the Essential Structure of Caring during the Birth Experience

• Published in: The Journal of perinatal education 1997-09, Vol.6 (3), p.11-17
• Main Authors: Propst, Maureen G, Schenk, Laura K, Hill, Sherry
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Births; Obstetrics; Pregnancy
• ISSN: 1058-1243; 1548-8519

This research study examined the perceptions of birth attendants providing care to women during their labor and delivery experiences. The Essential Structure of Caring during the birth experience is a descriptive vision for implementing a caring policy. Three months after an educational offering on caring during birth, the birth attendants were asked to share their experiences of caring for women during birth. Thus, the research question was: How did exposure to the Essential Structure of Caring empower you to implement caring during the birth experience? Data were generated by asking participating care providers to tell their stories during in-depth, loosely structured, taped interviews. A descriptive qualitative method of analysis was used to interpret the data. Five themes of the conceptual framework of the Essential Structure of Caring were explored to determine the extent to which care providers promoted an environment for caring for women during their birth experience. The five themes -- techniques of the professional, constant presence, need to be in company, going beyond the limit, and care provider's positive manner/being -- were derived from a previous study (Propst, Schenk, & Clairain, 1994). The themes were validated in this sample, and a sixth theme -- way of being in, respecting, and valuing the noumena (i.e., thought or intuition) -- emerged from the care providers' stories. This study adds to a growing body of research that not only describes caring but also utilizes research findings in the practice realm. This research has specific implications for the caregivers of childbearing women. The staff nurses stated that attending the inservice program on the Essential Structure of Caring was a positive influence on their practice. Some statements were: "I strived more," " I'm more aware," "I've made an extra effort," "Everything makes sense," "I think it made me reflect," "It just reinforced," and "It definitely made an impression on me." To better explain and assist others to visualize the Essential Structure of Caring a diagram was created. (see Figure 1.) The three circles represent woman, family, and care provider. The six-point star represents birth and the six themes of care during childbirth. The reflective "C" around the outside stands for caring, and its homonym (sea) is profoundly metaphoric, as the woman and her family are encompassed in a sea of caring or complete environment that envelops them. Sea also symbolizes the source of lif