NZ midwives navigated pandemic 'often without fully knowing risk to themselves'

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2021-06-08 09:24

New Zealand

PHOTO: Alex Pasarelu/Unsplash

International and national guidance for midwives practicing during the start of the pandemic was mostly focussed around people working in hospitals, creating uncertainty for most NZ midwives who work in primary care settings. A new review found that midwives had to navigate a constantly changing situation on their own; for example, advice for home visits changed every month and guidance appeared to focus more on PPE and screening for healthcare providers than on taking care of women with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. The authors say a key takeaway is that midwives need a single source of evidence-based guidance that can be regularly updated over time.

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Research Elsevier, Web page

Journal/
conference: Women and Birth

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: AUT University, Victoria University of Wellington, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China

Funder: Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences funding at AUT university was obtained for focused COVID-19 related work and used to employ a research assistant for this review.

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