Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33752996›Full record

ArticleWomen and birth : journal of the Australian College of Midwives2022

Midwives' experiences of providing maternity care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.

Zoe Bradfield, Yvonne Hauck, Caroline S E Homer, Linda Sweet, Alyce N Wilson, Rebecca A Szabo, Karen Wynter, Vidanka Vasilevski, Lesley Kuliukas

Open access · greenAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Women and birth : journal of the Australian College of Midwives, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 46 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
46citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
11.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

46 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 82 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Pregnancy in the Shadow of Covid-19: A Qualitative Study.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Zoe BradfieldSchool of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Curtin University, Western Australia, Australia; King Edward Memorial Hospital, Western Australia, Australia. Electronic address: Zoe.bradfield@curtin.edu.au.
Yvonne HauckSchool of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Curtin University, Western Australia, Australia; King Edward Memorial Hospital, Western Australia, Australia. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/@YvonneHauck1.
Caroline S E HomerMaternal, Child and Adolescent Program, Burnet Institute, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/@CarolineHomer.
Linda SweetSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Quality and Patient Safety and Research, Western Health Partnership, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/@LindaSweet.
Alyce N WilsonMaternal, Child and Adolescent Program, Burnet Institute, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/@AlyceNWilson.
Rebecca A SzaboDepartment of Medical Education and Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/@InquisitiveGyn.
Karen WynterCentre for Quality and Patient Safety and Research, Western Health Partnership, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/@Karenwynter1.
Vidanka VasilevskiSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Quality and Patient Safety and Research, Western Health Partnership, Victoria, Australia. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/@Vidanka2.
Lesley KuliukasSchool of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Curtin University, Western Australia, Australia. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/@lkuliukas.
Curtin University · AUBurnet Institute · AUDeakin University · AUThe University of Melbourne · AUWestern Health · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

problemThe COVID-19 pandemic has required rapid and radical changes to the way maternity care is provided in many nations across the world.

backgroundMidwives provide care to childbearing women across the continuum and are key members of the maternity workforce in Australia.

aimTo explore and describe midwives' experiences of providing maternity care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.

methodsA two-phased cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted. Data were collected through an online survey and semi-structured interviews between May-June 2020.

findingsSix hundred and twenty midwives responded to the online survey. Many reported a move to telehealth appointments. For labour care, 70% of midwives reported women had limited support; 77% indicated postnatal visiting was impacted. Five main themes were derived from the qualitative data including: coping with rapid and radical changes, challenges to woman-centred care, managing professional resilience, addressing personal and professional challenges, and looking ahead. DISCUSSION: Restrictions applied to women's choices, impacted midwives' ability to provide woman-centred care, which resulted in stress and anxiety for midwives. Professional resilience was supported through collaborative relationships and working in continuity models. Midwives revealed 'silver linings' experienced in providing care during the pandemic.

conclusionFindings provide valuable evidence to understand the impact on midwives who have provided care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Knowledge will be useful for health leaders and policy makers as they consider ways to continue care during the pandemic and support the essential midwifery workforce. Recommendations are presented to improve preparedness for future pandemics.

Indexed as

COVID-19Maternal Health ServicesMidwiferyNurse MidwivesAustraliaCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansPandemicsPregnancyQualitative ResearchChallengesCOVID-19Health servicesMaternity careMidwivesPandemicResilience

Identifiers

PMID33752996
PMCPMC9051255
OpenAlexW4229037593

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.