gms | German Medical Science

Background: Midwives promote physiological processes during the peripartum period and assist women in making informed decisions. Their long-term contribution to the promotion of women’s and their families’ health and well-being significantly contributes to the sustainability of society. A comprehensive understanding of the activities of midwives’ work is crucial for the professional identity of midwives and midwifery students.

Aim/research question: The objective of this review was to identify the tasks that women, midwives, and midwifery students define as core activities of midwives.

Methods: An integrative review was conducted using the Whittemore and Knafl method. The search terms “good midwife,” “midwifery practice,” and “role and midwife” were employed in the PubMed database. Inclusion criteria included the explicit presentation of midwifery tasks and activities. Analysis was performed using a concept matrix following Webster and Watson’s approach. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used to assess study quality.

Results: Sixteen studies were included in the review, comprising ten qualitative, quantitative, theoretical studies, and two editorials. Seven overarching concepts for the core activities of midwives were identified: Midwives 1) “establish a partnership relationship,” 2) “are present,” 3) “provide woman-centered care,” 4) “support and advocate for women,” 5) “provide appropriate guidance and information to women,” 6) “assess the condition and needs of women and their children,” and 7) “support women provide evidence based care.” These concepts largely align with established midwifery theories such as “being with woman” and “woman-centered care.” The identified core activities primarily focus on actions of midwives occurring within the context of interaction and communication.

Relevancy: The core activities of midwives are often insufficiently conceptualized and documented. This has negative implications for both the professional identity of midwives and midwifery students and influences how the work of midwives is evaluated. Specific competencies for describing the competencies of midwives are sometimes too complex for practical use. A detailed description of specific actions can help better illustrate the core activities of midwives.

Recommendations/conclusion: A detailed description of and engagement with the identified core activities have the potential to promote the visibility of midwifery practice.

Ethics and conflicts of interest: A vote on ethics was not necessary. The research was financed by third-party funds. There are no conflicts of interest.