Program
Nurse-Midwifery M.S.
Year Approved
2021
First Advisor
Wu, Katrina
Abstract
Midwives have been shown to significantly improve birth outcomes; the World Health Organization proposes that 83% of maternal deaths, newborn deaths, and stillbirths could be prevented through midwifery care. However, burnout level in this profession is high; a 2017 survey of U.S. certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives revealed that 40.6% of these professionals were suffering from burnout. The purpose of this paper is to identify strategies to facilitate resilience and decrease burnout in the midwifery professionMethods: 1427 articles were screened to yield twenty research studies relevant to improving resiliency and decreasing burnout the midwifery profession. The twenty articles were summarized in a matrix. The Job Demands-Resources model was applied to the findings of the literature review.Results/Findings: Job demands included life threatening events, lack of resources, scheduling and call demands, and low managerial support. Job resources that can be utilized to enhance resilience and decrease burnout include social support, training and education, and self-reflection/self-awareness. Autonomy was a minor theme identified as a job resource. Implications for Research and Practice: Individual midwives and their employers should incorporate multilevel approaches to increasing resilience and preventing burnout.
Degree Name
M.S. Nurse-Midwifery
Document Type
Masterʼs thesis
Recommended Citation
Dorsey, S. M. (2021). The Resilient Midwife [Masterʼs thesis, Bethel University]. Spark Repository. https://spark.bethel.edu/etd/172
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