‘Doing’ is never enough, if ‘being’ is neglected. Exploring midwives’ perspectives on the influence of an emotional intelligence education programme, a qualitative study

Abstract

BackgroundThe role of the midwife is emotionally demanding with many midwives experiencing high levels of stress and burnout, and a great number considering leaving the profession. This has serious implications for the delivery of high-quality, safe maternity care. One of the major factors leading to job dissatisfaction is the conflict between midwives’ aspiration of truly ‘being’ with the woman and the institutional expectations of the role which focuses on the ‘doing’ aspects of the job. ‘Being’ present to a woman’s psychological needs, whilst meeting the institutional demands, requires high levels of emotional intelligence (EI) in the midwife. Therefore, enhancing midwives’ EI could be beneficial. EI education programmeAn EI programme was made available to midwives with the intention to promote their emotional intelligence and enable them to utilise relaxation techniques for those in their care. AimTo explore midwives’ perspectives on the influence of the EI education programme on their emotional wellbeing and experiences of practice. MethodThe study took a descriptive qualitative approach. Thirteen midwives participated in focus group interviews. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. FindingsThe overarching theme of ‘The Ripple Effect’ included three themes of ‘Me and my relationships’, ‘A different approach to practice’ and ‘Confidence and empowerment’. The programme was seen to create a positive ripple effect, influencing midwives personally, their approach to practice, and feelings of confidence in their role. ConclusionEI education can reduce emotional stress in midwives, enhance their empathy and feelings of confidence, thus, improving the quality of care they provide.