gms | German Medical Science

Background: Economization in the healthcare system is reflected in and changes a midwife’s professional relationships as well as her relationship to her work. In addition to support that is not geared to the needs of the woman giving birth, general and working conditions lead to increasing dissatisfaction on the part of the midwife.

Question/goal: What signs of economization are there and how are they reflected in clinical midwifery work? This includes both the midwife’s professional relationships and the consequences for the woman giving birth. Changes that can influence working conditions are presented from the midwives’ perspective.

Methodology: Qualitative, descriptive study design. 15 guided interviews with midwives who have between five and 15 years of professional experience. Evaluation of the data through structuring qualitative content analysis according to Mayring.

Results: Changes in clinical midwifery work due to economization were identified as a core topic. Women who give birth need continuous, individual and needs-oriented support in order to make the birth experience a positive one. Midwives need a working environment that makes this support possible for them.

Discussion: Midwives have to bow to the framework conditions of the institution, which often have economic interests in mind rather than patient-related interests. Dissatisfaction arises due to an imbalance because they cannot accompany a woman in labor in her service in the way she wants. Instead of accompaniment, they report managing the birthing woman and, in their perception, they find themselves in an area of tension between the passion for their profession and the general conditions that prevail there. Economization is reflected in their work in such a way that the power of structures, processes, orientations and effects increases. It is important to create working conditions that both allow for business considerations and ensure that people continue to work as midwives.

Summary: Good working conditions help ensure that midwives continue to accompany women during childbirth in clinical settings. This makes it possible for the start in life to be experienced as a strengthening experience instead of a complication.

Ethics and conflicts of interest: This abstract was written in the context of a master’s thesis. A vote on ethics was not necessary. The research was financed by own resources. There are no conflicts of interest.

The PDF file of the poster submitted for the meeting is available in German as Attachment 1 [Attach. 1].