Surviving and Thriving in Midwifery

A practical, evidence-based approach to psychological and professional well-being for midwives

Midwifery is an essential profession with a life-saving role in perinatal care. However, studies show that midwives experience remarkably high levels of work-related psychological distress, leading to equally high levels of attrition from the profession. If these issues are not addressed, the loss of qualified midwives may seriously impact the profession’s ability to fight perinatal and infant mortality worldwide.

Surviving and Thriving in Midwifery offers a practical, evidence-based guide for midwives to achieve social, psychological, and professional success. Drawing upon extensive research as well as the personal experiences of midwives, the book invites readers to respond to a range of workplace challenges and develop robust strategies for coping, conflict resolution, and more. Thoroughly grounded in occupational psychology, it is a vital tool for any midwife looking to thrive in this critical profession.

Surviving and Thriving in Midwifery readers will also find:

• A global perspective on midwifery across the life course
• The author’s personal journey through their own experience of losing their fitness to practice through ill health, before regaining it and achieving lasting success
• Detailed strategies for building psychological safety in midwifery teams, setting boundaries, and many more

Surviving and Thriving in Midwifery is ideal for aspiring, student, and qualified midwives worldwide.

List of Contributors viii

Author Contact Details and Biographies ix

Foreword xi

Preface xiii

Acknowledgements xv

List of Figures xvi

List of Tables xvii

Chapter 1 Introduction 1

Intro to Chapter 1

Circumstances, which No Man can Be a Judge of: Sarah Stone and the Improvement of Midwifery 2

Contemporary Midwifery 5

What to Expect from this Book 10

Chapter 2 Unearthing Your Identity as a Midwife 12

Intro to Chapter 12

Personal Identity, Values and Vision 12

Navigating Your Professional Journey 15

Finding Your Chosen Community 19

Self-Awareness and Personal Development 21

Tools for Self-Awareness and Personal Development 22

In Conversation(Karen and Sally Exploring Sally’s Personal Journey Through Constructing Her Identity) 26

Chapter 3 Surviving and Thriving the Day to Day 28

Intro to Chapter 28

Managing Demands and Protecting Resources 29

Maintaining Compassion 32

Optimising Shift Work 35

Midwifing Outside the System 38

In Conversation (Sally and Karen Explore Personal Thoughts and Experiences on Maintenance of Occupational Health) 43

Chapter 4 Responding to Workplace Challenges 50

Intro to Chapter 50

Coping with Stressors 51

Problematic Substance Use 54

Tools for Adaptive Coping 62

Problem-Solving and Decision-Making 66

In Conversation (Sally and Karen Explore Personal Experiences of Responding to Workplace Challenges) 68

Chapter 5 Thriving in Interpersonal Relationships at Work 72

Intro to Chapter 72

Enabling Your Team to Thrive 72

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion 73

Psychological Safety and Trust 75

Successful Conflict Resolution 77

Managing and Challenging Workplace Incivility 80

In Conversation (Sally and Karen Explore Personal Thoughts on Interpersonal Relations at Work) 85

Chapter 6 Surviving When Things Go Wrong 89

Intro to Chapter 89

Surviving Traumatic Incidents 90

Developing Personal Insight and Forgiveness 94

Escalating Concerns 97

Maximising Opportunities for Learning 102

In Conversation (Karen and Sally Explore Personal Insight into What Happens When Things Go Wrong) 105

Chapter 7 Thriving in Evidence-based Practice and Academia 110

Intro to Chapter 110

Typical Expectations and Tips for Career Advancement 111

Top 10 Tips for Academic Success 114

Writing for Publication 117

Using Evidence to Inform Practice 124

In Conversation(Karen and Sally Share Insight from Their Academic Career Journey) 130

Chapter 8 Leading with Impact 132

Intro to Chapter 132

What is a Leader? 132

What Kind of Leader Will You Be? 133

We are All Leaders 136

Leading with Compassion 146

Lifting Others up as You Climb 148

In Conversation(Sally and Karen Explore Personal Insights on Leadership) 149

Chapter 9 Turning Visions into Practice 152

Intro to Chapter 152

Goal Setting 152

Be the Change You Want to See 156

In Conversation (Sally and Karen’s Final Reflections) 158

Recommended Resources and Links to Organisations 160

Appendix 163

List of Values 163

References 164

Index 176

Dr Sally Pezaro is an award winning Fellow of the Royal College of Midwives, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, editorial board and consortium member and an academic researcher at Coventry University, UK.

Dr Karen Maher is a Chartered Psychologist and Academic in Organisational Psychology at Aston Business School, Aston University, UK. She is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and former Chair of the Organisational Psychology Special Interest Group for the British Academy of Management.

A practical, evidence-based approach to psychological and professional well-being for midwives

Midwifery is an essential profession with a life-saving role in perinatal care. However, studies show that midwives experience remarkably high levels of work-related psychological distress, leading to equally high levels of attrition from the profession. If these issues are not addressed, the loss of qualified midwives may seriously impact the profession’s ability to fight perinatal and infant mortality worldwide.

Surviving and Thriving in Midwifery offers a practical, evidence-based guide for midwives to achieve social, psychological, and professional success. Drawing upon extensive research as well as the personal experiences of midwives, the book invites readers to respond to a range of workplace challenges and develop robust strategies for coping, conflict resolution, and more. Thoroughly grounded in occupational psychology, it is a vital tool for any midwife looking to thrive in this critical profession.

Surviving and Thriving in Midwifery readers will also find:

• A global perspective on midwifery across the life course
• The author’s personal journey through their own experience of losing their fitness to practice through ill health, before regaining it and achieving lasting success
• Detailed strategies for building psychological safety in midwifery teams, setting boundaries, and many more

Surviving and Thriving in Midwifery is ideal for aspiring, student, and qualified midwives worldwide.