'Everybody expects the perfect baby...and perfect labour...and so you have to protect yourself ': discourses of defence in midwifery practice in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Nursing Inquiry
Ruth Surtees

Abstract

Increasing fears of litigation among those involved in childbirth impact differently on the 40 midwives I interviewed and observed in the field during the course of my doctoral research. 'Defensive practice' within a culture of 'risk' was a theme that emerged strongly from the interview transcript data from this study, the primary aim of which was to analyse the actions between women and midwives that constitute midwifery partnerships. The context for the analysis was a large ethnographic study undertaken with a variety of midwives working in a main city in Aotearoa/New Zealand in 2003. Complex and contesting forms of knowledge production were analysed drawing on insights from Foucauldian-influenced discourse analysis. My work highlights the ways in which the practices of contemporary midwives in Aotearoa/New Zealand are caught within the intersection of an array of competing discourses. In the data from my study, the midwives talked of their complex negotiations of time and space, and their abilities to balance elements of risk within realms of restraint and responsibility in partnership with women. For the midwives I interviewed, 'keeping ourselves safe' takes place in different locations. Risk is located by some midwives as ...Continue Reading

References

Feb 1, 1986·Australian and New Zealand Journal of Medicine·M D Smith
Jun 1, 1995·Birth·M W EnkinJ P Neilson
Aug 1, 1997·Social Science & Medicine·D Lupton
Apr 9, 1998·The Annals of Pharmacotherapy·M A SmytheR L Begle
Jun 27, 2000·Social Science & Medicine·K L BassettA Kazanjian
May 24, 2007·Nursing Inquiry·Mary Carolan, Ellen Hodnett
Dec 1, 1991·Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology : Official Journal of the International Society of Electrophysiological Kinesiology·W TroniV Contegiacomo

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Oct 22, 2013·Women and Birth : Journal of the Australian College of Midwives·Athena HammondDeborah Davis
Jan 20, 2012·International Journal of Nursing Practice·Meredith McIntyreYsanne Chapman
Jan 1, 2014·Women and Birth : Journal of the Australian College of Midwives·Felicity CopelandCaroline S E Homer
Jan 20, 2016·Women and Birth : Journal of the Australian College of Midwives·Rachel ReedMargaret Barnes
Sep 14, 2015·Women and Birth : Journal of the Australian College of Midwives·Sandra HealyCatriona Kennedy
Mar 20, 2018·Nicotine & Tobacco Research : Official Journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco·Jude BallRichard Edwards
Oct 3, 2012·Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health·Louise MarshRose Patterson
May 23, 2013·The Journal of Asthma : Official Journal of the Association for the Care of Asthma·Marewa GloverJulienne Faletau
Sep 7, 2020·Applied Ergonomics·Kubra OkuyucuAngie Doshani

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics : the Official Organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics
R Davis-Floyd
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
Ilanit GordonJames F Leckman
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved