The research's aim is to find out whether the use of a "action-orientating documentation" makes a difference or causes changes in how midwives act in midwife-led units. The focus is the encouraging the woman’s self determination and an awaiting attitude of the midwife. In their work and in the application of complementary measures, midwives need to be given support in order to reduce the proportion of woman who are transferred on to obstetrician-led unit during birth.

As a first step, an action-orientating documentation template is being developed. The basis for the development of this is provided by interviews with team midwives, an interdisciplinary working group and the analysis of 137 documented births in midwife-led unit. The newly developed documentation sheets allow the continuous recording of the individual status of women in labour. Furthermore, they serve to help structure and reflect on the clinical decision making of midwives. Particular attention is payed on the treatment of women in the latence phase of the first stage and on prelabour rupture of membranes.

In a second step, the effects of the use of the “action-orientating documentation” instrument will be evaluated by comparing the documented births in the intervention clinic with those of a control clinic.

The results will lead to recommendations for the first use of a "action-orientating documentation" in midwife-led units in Germany.
 

Principal investigator:
Prof. Dr. Friederike zu Sayn- Wittgenstein

 
Research assistants:
Astrid Krahl, Health-care manager grad. (Dipl. Pflegewirtin (FH)), CM (since 01/08/2007)
Antje Kehrbach, pedagogue grad. (Dipl. Berufspädagogin), CM (01/02/2007 – 31/07/2007)
 

Student assistant: Carina Krause

Contact: 
University of Applied Sciences Osnabrueck
Faculty of Business Management and Social Sciences
Postfach 1940
49009 Osnabrück, Germany 
 
Fon: +49 (0)541 969 3779
Fax: +49 (0)541 969 3765
E-Mail: krahl(at)wi.fh-osnabrueck.de

This study is being conducted in cooperation with the Nursing Services Research Network North-Rhine-Westphalia, financed by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research.