Group Meetings
The first meeting of this group was held at the end of July 2003 and a list of areas of interest and related skills among those present was generated and circulated. A competition was run to create a logo for the group. Meetings are held quarterly and further meetings have been as follows:
17.12.03: A demonstration was given of the DIPEx website (www.dipex.org) and identification of a number of possible sub-groups was started. A sub-group around evaluating the pre-registration midwifery curriculum is to be led by Dr Jen Leamon.
17.3.04: Philippa Yeeles, the Research Involvement Officer for INVOLVE (www.invo.org.uk), spoke about 'Public participation in research - 3Rs: Recruitment, Retention and Remuneration'. INVOLVE (formerly known as Consumers in NHS Research) is an organisation funded by the Department of Health with the aim of promoting public involvement in NHS, public health and social care research.
14.7.04: 'The Emotional Processing Instrument '- Profs. Roger Baker and Peter Thomas spoke about its potential relevance to childbearing women.
17.11.04: Rebecca Haworth and Liz Hickson, clinical psychologists based with family services, gave a presentation of their study into 'Enhancing the quality of attachment of first time mothers'. There was also an update on the proposed action research project evaluating elements of the pre-registration midwifery 2001 programme.
23.2.05: Dr Catherine Pope (University of Southampton) and Dr Julia Frost (University of Bristol) gave a talk about their recent study entitled: 'Utopian birth: the mismatch between women's accounts of operative deliveries and the 'natural birth'.
24.5.05: Clinical mentorship: more than sitting with Nellie (PDF 28 kb) - Dr Rosalind Bluff presented a seminar based on her PhD study about work-based learning and apprenticeship. Working alongside a role model, the learner received instructions on how to perform skills but not about the theory to support their practice. The role model was unqualified and could pass on good/bad habits or habits that were never intended to be copied. In addition, some aspects of practice, such as obstetric emergencies, might never be witnessed and so learning about these did not take place. In the current educational climate, learning the role of midwife is more than just sitting with Nellie.
5.10.05: Exploring the emotion work of midwives - Dr Billie Hunter (University of Swansea) presented the findings of her important study on the emotion work of midwives, details of which can be found in the following publications:
Hunter B (2004) Conflicting ideologies as a source of emotion work in midwifery. Midwifery 20 (3), 261-272.
Hunter B (2005) Emotion work and boundary maintenance in hospital-based midwifery. Midwifery 21(3), 253-266.
13.4.06: Jo Hartley presented findings from her recently completed PhD research on Transgressing the skin: a phenomenological study into the transition to first motherhood.
27.6.06: Stranger in the Birth Room - Dorset Action on Abuse and WOMen, Babies and their families programmatic research group (WOMB) were pleased to welcome Kathryn Gutteridge who explored the impact of childhood abuse on women in childbirth and as new mothers. More Details (PDF 109kb)
