The lived experiences of Maltese midwives and obstetricians caring for childbearing migrant women

Abstract

The local healthcare system has witnessed steady growth in births within families of foreign nationals, thus exposing Maltese midwives and obstetricians to the diverse challenges of caring for multi-cultural people. While international studies have looked at how this phenomenon affects migrant women, little research has been done to explore the views of the healthcare providers themselves. The study aimed to explore the lived experiences of Maltese midwives and obstetricians caring for childbearing migrant women. The qualitative paradigm was used to conduct the research by using a semi-structured interview schedule. The interview guide was specifically designed for the purpose of the research. A total of four midwives and four obstetricians were recruited by purposive sampling, and all participants took part in one audio-recorded interview, the data of which was collected between December 2016 and January 2017. Ethical issues were taken into consideration and adhered to throughout the research process. This research was guided by the philosophical underpinnings of Heidegger. Data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as described by Smith, Flower and Larkin (2009). The resulting four super-ordinate themes identified how meeting with childbearing migrant women was initially a ‘wake-up call’ for midwives and obstetricians, which was followed by feelings of ‘powerlessness’ and a ‘process of metamorphosis’ to ultimately suggesting the need for ‘compassionate maternity care’. The findings demonstrated that midwives and obstetricians faced numerous challenges when caring for childbearing migrant women. These ranged from, difficulties in communicating, to lack of compliance to appointments and care plans. For this reason midwives and obstetricians have suggested a reorientation of our maternity service to provide more culturally compliant, sensitive, non-stereotyped, and compassionate care. Key recommendations include; better interpreting services, increase in transcultural education among healthcare professionals through the implementation of continuous professional development courses, provision of psychological support for healthcare professionals and improved inter-professional collaboration.