Along with common mission of controlling the normal processes of human reproduction, the spheres of medicine and midwifery have different but overlapping purposes and philosophies. “Midwifery and medicine have different but complementary purposes, philosophies and perspectives” (Ament, 2006, p. 21). Theoretical concepts which are relevant for the present day midwifery philosophy include the prevalence of professionalism, due process of providing high quality care and scientific basis for midwifery services.
Both midwives and physicians take care of women during their pregnancy and labor and provide neonatology care, focusing on different aspects of the processes. Still, the definition of the concept of professionalism is significant for both professions. Though physicians have much greater authority in regulating the processes, health care institutions have taken an initiative of training midwives for enhancing their professionalism and improving the quality of the services. This has led to the development of nurse-midwife. Nurse midwives are trained personnel who link up the pregnant women with other family members and support the normal processes within the families. At present, midwifes have to obtain specialized skills and profound knowledge on women’s health care (Rooks, 1997). Taking into account the high level of their social responsibility, midwives are obliged to enhance the level of their professionalism as one of significant elements of contemporary midwifery philosophical framework.
The concept of due process is significant for evaluating the quality of health care services. Nurse Midwives are trained in a given field of health science and have graduated from a recognized university. Contemporary US midwives have to take a national certification exam so that to have the right for practice in the field. On the other hand, the practicing nurse has only the heath care knowledge and doesn’t have the midwifery skills (Ament, 2006). Therefore, the nurse midwives and the practicing nurses work hand in hand to ensure the high level of women’s healthcare. The state regulations and certification as well the concept of due process are aimed at improving the quality of health care by making health care workers meet the generally established standards for their theoretical knowledge and the level of practical skills.
Establishing the links between social and health care dimensions and using scientific basis for providing midwifery services is important for defining the place of midwives in American health care system and community. On the one hand, midwives have to obtain knowledge on the main sociological principles because this knowledge is compliant with their professional practice. On the other hand, the public opinion of the value of midwifery has a significant impact upon the role these nurses can play in providing health care services. The concept of human health presupposes overall wellbeing in physical, mental and social spheres. “Women largely shifted their trust from midwives to physicians because of their belief that scietifically based medical practice was safer and better, and that whatever improvements would come woukd come from medicine” (Rooks, 1997, p. 133). Thus, scientific basis for providing midwifery services influences not only the quality of health care services but also the public attitude towards them.
The domain of women’s health presupposes various challenges which need to be met by contemporary midwifery nurses. The society relies on midwifery for providing higher level of health care services to pregnant women (Ehrenreich, 1993). The prevalence of professionalism, due process and scientific basis for midwifery are the central concepts of contemporary midwifery philosophy which are expected to improve the quality of services and increase satisfaction of women and their family members with the quality of the provided care.
References
Ament, L. (2006). Professional issues in Nurse Midwifery. U.S.A: Jones and Bartlett
Enhereich, B. (1993). Witches, midwives, and nurses. New York: The Feminist Press.
Rooks, J.P. (1997). Midwifery and childbirth in America. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.