‘Doing’ is never enough, if ‘being’ is neglected. Exploring midwives’ perspectives on the influence of an emotional intelligence education programme, a qualitative study

The role of the midwife is emotionally demanding with many midwives experiencing high levels of stress and burnout, and a great number considering leaving the profession. This has serious implications for the delivery of high-quality, safe maternity care. One of the major factors leading to job dissatisfaction is the conflict between midwives ’ aspiration of truly ‘being’ with the woman and the institutional expectations of the role which focuses on the ‘doing’ aspects of the job. ‘Being’ present to a woman’s psychological needs, whilst meeting the institutional demands, requires high levels of emotional intelligence (EI) in the midwife.
Source: Women and Birth - Category: Midwifery Authors: Source Type: research