When we think about midwifery, we often think of beauty that is brought by new life.
However, only a few are aware of the work-related stress midwives experience. This thesis
explores the causes of stress for midwives that work in Slovenian maternity hospitals, their
ways of coping with stress and their suggestions for changes to feel less stress at their work.
First, I measured to what extent 65 midwives who completed the online questionnaire agree
with items of adapted Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale, and
The Health Professions Stress Inventory. Then I carried outsemi-structured interviews with 10
midwifes who mainly work in delivery rooms of Slovenian maternity hospitals. I analysed the
data using the grounded theory approach and thematic analysis. I found out that the majority
of midwives are burdened by interpresonal relations at work with their colleagues,
gynaecologists and obstetricians. Yet the most stressful for them are the situations in which
they feel overwhelmed by the number of birthing mothers in delivery room and in unexpected
situations where life is endangered. After difficult cases like this, midwives often feel drained
and can experience insomnia. To cope with feelings of distress they often analyse difficult
cases by themselves, talk with others about cases, they distract themselves with different
hobbies, spend their time in nature, and use specific patterns of thinking that emphasize the
acceptance of sad events in the delivery room and boundaries between one's own life and
someone else's trials. When coping with work-related stress, midwives mainly wish for more
organizational support, more team conversations after urgent events in delivery rooms, and
more opportunities to talk to a mental-health professional. Midwives also want more training
about how they can cope better with work related stress and help their patients in distress.
They expect the hospital management to listen to them and address the difficulties they face.
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