Self-Reported Experiences of Midwives Working in the UK across Three Phases during COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study

Susan McGrory (), Ruth D. Neill, Patricia Gillen, Paula McFadden, Jill Manthorpe, Jermaine Ravalier, John Mallett, Heike Schroder, Denise Currie, John Moriarty and Patricia Nicholl
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Susan McGrory: School of Nursing and Paramedic Science, Magee Campus, Ulster University, Londonderry BT48 7JL, UK
Ruth D. Neill: School of Medicine, Ulster University, Londonderry BT48 7JL, UK
Patricia Gillen: School of Nursing and Paramedic Science, Belfast Campus, Ulster University, Belfast BT15 1ED, UK
Paula McFadden: School of Applied Social Policy Sciences, Magee Campus, Ulster University, Londonderry BT48 7JL, UK
Jill Manthorpe: NIHR Policy Research Unit in Health and Social Care Workforce, King’s College London, 22 Kingsway, Holborn, London WC2B 6LE, UK
Jermaine Ravalier: School of Science, Bath Spa University, Newton Park, Newton St Loe, Bath BA2 9BN, UK
John Mallett: School of Psychology, Coleraine Campus, Ulster University, Cromore Road, Coleraine BT52 1SA, UK
Heike Schroder: Queen’s Management School, Queen’s University Belfast, 185 Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5EE, UK
Denise Currie: Queen’s Management School, Queen’s University Belfast, 185 Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5EE, UK
John Moriarty: School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen’s University Belfast, 69-71 University Street, Belfast BT7 1HL, UK
Patricia Nicholl: School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Queen’s University Belfast, 69-71 University Street, Belfast BT7 1HL, UK

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 20, 1-17

Abstract: Maternity services cannot be postponed due to the nature of this service, however, the pandemic resulted in wide-ranging and significant changes to working practices and services. This paper aims to describe UK midwives’ experiences of working during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study forms part of a larger multiple phase research project using a cross-sectional design based on an online survey. The online survey used validated psychometric tools to measure work-related quality of life, wellbeing, coping, and burnout as well as open-ended questions to further understand the experiences of staff working during the pandemic. This paper reports the qualitative data collected from the open-ended questions. The qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis and the four main themes that emerged were ‘relentless stress/pressure’, ‘reconfiguration of services’, ‘protection of self and others’, and ‘workforce challenges’. The key conclusions were that midwives experienced a reduction in quality of working life and significant stress throughout the pandemic due to a range of factors including staffing shortages, restrictions placed on women’s partners, changes to services and management support, all of which compounded workforce pressures that existed prior to the pandemic. This research recommends consultation of front-line midwives in relation to possible changes in practice and workforce planning in preparation for crises such as a pandemic and to ensure equitable and supportive management with access to practical and psychological support.

Keywords: COVID-19; midwifery; maternity care; stress; burnout; workplace (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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