Enhancing Midwives’ Occupational Well-Being: Lessons From New Zealand’s COVID-19 Experience

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aut.relation.journalHealth Care Management Review
dc.contributor.authorMharapara, Tago L
dc.contributor.authorRavenswood, Katherine
dc.contributor.authorClemons, Janine H
dc.contributor.authorKirton, Gill
dc.contributor.authorGreenslade-Yeats, James
dc.date.accessioned2024-05-19T22:44:47Z
dc.date.available2024-05-19T22:44:47Z
dc.date.issued2024-05-17
dc.description.abstractBackground The World Health Organization posits that adequate maternity health is possible if midwives are supported, respected, protected, motivated, and equipped to work safely and optimally within interdisciplinary health care teams. Based on qualitative survey data, we argue that the COVID-19 pandemic amplified job demands and resources, professional invisibility, and gender norms to negatively impact midwives' well-being. Purposes We aim to develop a refined understanding of the antecedents of well-being in midwifery to equip policymakers, administrators, and professional associations with the knowledge to enhance midwives' well-being postpandemic. Methodology/Approach Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources model, we thematically analyzed qualitative survey data (N = 215) from New Zealand midwives to reveal how job demands, resources, and structural factors impacted midwives' well-being. Results We identified fear of contracting and spreading COVID-19, financial and legal imperatives (job demands), work-related hypervigilance, sense of professional duty, practical and social support, and appreciation and recognition (job resources) as key antecedents of midwives' well-being. These job demands and resources were influenced by professional invisibility and gender norms. Conclusion Policy and practice solutions must address job demands, resources, and structural factors to meaningfully enhance midwives' well-being postpandemic. Practice Implications We recommend that policymakers, administrators, and professional associations monitor for signs of overcommitment and perfectionistic strivings and then take appropriate remedial action. We also suggest that midwives receive equitable pay, sick leave, and other related benefits.
dc.identifier.citationHealth Care Management Review, ISSN: 0361-6274 (Print); 1550-5030 (Online), Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). doi: 10.1097/hmr.0000000000000406
dc.identifier.doi10.1097/hmr.0000000000000406
dc.identifier.issn0361-6274
dc.identifier.issn1550-5030
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10292/17562
dc.languageen
dc.publisherOvid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
dc.relation.urihttps://journals.lww.com/hcmrjournal/fulltext/9900/enhancing_midwives__occupational_well_being_.59.aspx
dc.rightsThis is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.
dc.rights.accessrightsOpenAccess
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.subject1117 Public Health and Health Services
dc.subject1503 Business and Management
dc.subject1605 Policy and Administration
dc.subjectHealth Policy & Services
dc.subject3507 Strategy, management and organisational behaviour
dc.subject4203 Health services and systems
dc.subject4206 Public health
dc.titleEnhancing Midwives’ Occupational Well-Being: Lessons From New Zealand’s COVID-19 Experience
dc.typeJournal Article
pubs.elements-id553188
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