Open AccessThe role of the registered midwife
Author(s) -
C.F. van Niekerk
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
curationis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.408
H-Index - 21
eISSN - 2223-6279
pISSN - 0379-8577
DOI - 10.4102/curationis.v5i2.396
Subject(s) - quality (philosophy) , power (physics) , psychology , nursing , medicine , business , philosophy , physics , epistemology , quantum mechanics
What is specific about the role of the registered midwife, is that it is not specific. How could it be specific when: • every mother is unique • every labour is unparalleled • every baby is different • every situation is singular? Role descriptions differ because: • practitioner views do not coincide • authors disagree • time moves on • needs, statistics and values change. Roles are dynamic because: • technology demands increased intellectual and psychomotor development • humaneness demands affective and effective co-ordination of care • mortality and morbidity rates demand reduction • money, status and power demand quality