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| Title: | Enhanced midwifery practice |
| Authors: | National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery |
| Publisher: | National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery |
| Issue Date: | Nov-2005 |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/10147/254313 |
| Type: | Working Paper |
| Language: | en |
| Description: | The National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery (National Council) supports the
development of enhanced midwifery roles within the maternity services and believes that such roles will greatly
improve the services offered to women and their families. Ireland currently has the highest birth rate in the
European Union (EU) at 15.2 births per 1000 people. The birth rate has risen significantly over the last five years
and there were 70,620 babies born here in 2007; an increase of over 6000 on 2006 figures (Central Statistics
Office (CSO) 2007). The increasing birth rates have led to an increase in demand for maternity services and to
compound this problem, the care required by women who present to the services has become increasingly
complex. Factors contributing to this complexity include an increase in first-time and older mothers, higher
levels of immigration, the large number of women with concomitant medical conditions (i.e. infectious diseases
and diabetes), technological advances that have increased the survival rate of very premature infants, increased
assisted conception with a greater risk of multiple births and raised expectations in relation to care and
outcomes (Health Service Executive (HSE), 2005, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) 2006, Royal
College of Physicians Ireland-Institute of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists 2006). Evidence shows that supportive
and high quality maternity care not only contributes to ensuring a healthy start for the newborn baby but can
also facilitate mothers and fathers develop the skills to be confident and caring parents (Women’s Health
Council (WHC) 2004a, Department for Education and Skills 2004). In light of this, it is even more important to
consider the particular needs of women and their families and provide high-quality maternity services
appropriate to these needs. Midwives are in a central position within the maternity services, supporting,
advising, encouraging and caring for women throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period and can
help to develop a maternity service more responsive to women’s needs through new and innovative enhanced
roles.
Part of the remit of the National Council is to provide guidance to the health services on development of
midwifery practice to meet emerging patient/client needs within the maternity services. This position paper aims
to address the specific implications of enhanced midwifery practice |
| Keywords: | NURSING
MIDWIFERY
BIRTH RATE |
| Series/Report no.: | Position Paper
5 |
| Appears in Collections: | NCNM
|
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