References
Supporting an ethnic minority woman's choice for pain relief in labour: A reflection
Abstract
Despite professional expectations for midwives to provide care to women that is founded in equality and recognises diversity (
Communication is seldom thought of as a high-priority instrument in improving maternal outcomes; however, when it is timely, fitting to the situation and meets the individual needs of the woman and the health-care team, it can make a significant difference (Bick, 2010). Effective communication between women and health professionals is fundamental to the provision of safe, optimised care (Hayes et al, 2011). It is the origin of best practice, not only in midwifery but in all disciplines (Price, 2013). When providing individualised, holistic care to women, it is imperative to consider their cultural identity and needs (McCarthy et al, 2013). Inadequate or poorly organised maternity services, complicated by a lack of education in cultural understanding and inconsistent access to interpreter services, often have a detrimental effect on care provision (Tobin et al, 2014).
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting British Journal of Midwifery and reading some of our peer-reviewed resources for midwives. To read more, please register today. You’ll enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Limited access to our clinical or professional articles
-
New content and clinical newsletter updates each month