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Why Does the Midwifery Profession require a 
								Philosophy?
						
				
		
		
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				The midwifery profession requires a philosophy to make explicit its 
				belief about its purpose, responsibilities, expertise, relationships, and 
				outcomes. 
		
		
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				To identify its contribution to its specific country’s identity, economic, 
				social and cultural development 
		
		
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				To demonstrate its collaboration with other professions 
		
		
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				To identify its special identity and character 
		
		
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				To ensure the profession develops and supports a 
				staff profile that reflects its mission and special 
		
		
				character 
		
		
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				To provide a measure of quality assurance 
		
		
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				To prevent conflict between professional morals or 
				ethics and personal morals or ethics
		
		
				
						Why do you as a Midwife require a personal midwifery 
						philosophy? 
				
		
		
				• 
		
		
				To identify your contribution to your country’s identity, economic, 
				social and cultural development 
		
		
				• 
		
		
				To contribute to your midwifery profession 
		
		
				• 
		
		
				To demonstrate your collaboration with other professions 
		
		
				• 
		
		
				To identify your special identity and character as a midwife 
		
		
				• 
		
		
				To ensure your professional development that reflects your mission 
				and special character as a midwife 
		
		
				• 
		
		
				To provide a measure of quality assurance in your practice 
		
		
				• 
		
		
				To prevent conflict between your professional morals or ethics and 
				your personal morals or ethics
		
		
				
						Writing a Midwifery Philosophy 
						
								
										A philosophy is a concise statement about what you believe. 
								
						
				
				
				
		
		
				Philosophy is a journey, an evolution – not only from the ancient 
				philosophers to the modern day philosophers but also in our own personal 
				growth as our values and beliefs evolve and are challenged and shaped. 
				Philosophy will of course also influence morals and ethics not only and professional morals or ethics. Your personal philosophy is a way of looking at the universe that guides you in daily life. You won’t find it in textbooks. If you are in conflict with the philosophy of an organization or your profession you should not work there or be a member of that profession. Of course the profession’s philosophy from country to country reflects its members’ beliefs and values and should be periodically reviewed and modified. 
		
		
				
						1. A philosophy promotes an understanding of human relationships 2. A philosophy sensitizes you to the various needs associated with positive human interactions 3. A philosophy provides a framework for distinguishing, separating, and understanding personal values 4. In the case of the midwifery profession a philosophy promotes both 
				
		
		
				
						flexibility and consistency in working with women and other health professionals
						
								
										"Philosophy contributes to professionalism. Having a philosophic orientation separates the professional …from the paraprofessional in that professionals are aware of what they are doing and why they are doing it. A philosophy offers goals, values, and attitudes to strive for. It thus can be motivating, inspiring energizing to the practitioner" 
								
						
				
				
						(Merriam, 1982, pp. 90 -91). 
				
		
		From early history there have been philosophers or thinkers seeking answers to questions such as “who are we?” “why are we here ?” “what is truth?” “what is real?” “what is knowledge?” All philosophers have wanted to expand knowledge and understanding.
		
				
						These are the questions we need to reflect on. 
				
		
		Who are we? What is the profession of midwifery? Why are we here? Why does a midwifery profession exist? What is truth? What is real? What is knowledge? What do I as a midwifery practitioner contribute to answering such questions?The following is an example of part of a personal midwifery philosophy that comes from a strong belief in the midwife as a teacher: 
		
				It is my philosophy as a midwife that a woman should be actively involved in all 
		
		
				learning processes and activities concerning her pregnancy and childbirth experience including assessing her own personal learning needs and evaluating the outcomes of her birth experience. Furthermore, a woman has considerable potential for self-development and independence during this experience. Thus, each woman who entrusts herself to my care will be encouraged to develop a contract with me that represents her individual commitment to obtaining new skills and improving her existing competencies relative to her pregnancy, labour, delivery and parenting responsibilities. For my part I will commit to giving her quality, evidence based, midwifery care and to pass on my knowledge and expertise to her, to student midwives and to beginning midwifery practitioners.
		
		
				
						A philosophy encompasses a number of characteristics which can be utilized within a midwifery focus. 
				
				1. Integration of responsibilities. 
		
		Quality practice (which includes professionalism and first-rate communication), evidence, and service to women are the main missions of a modern midwifery profession. A philosophy for midwifery should explicitly describe what we believe 
		about these three missions. 
		
				2. Expertise. 
		
		It is important for midwives to link their special knowledge or expertise into ways of helping women and their families learn and to learn from the women and their families. 
		
				3. Relationships. 
		
		The relationship between the midwife and the woman is pivotal to a successful outcome of midwifery care. A healthy relationship between midwives and between midwives andmidwifery students is essential to the success of the midwifery profession. Ways in which teacher-student relationships are built and maintained should be explicitly described in a midwifery philosophy. Optimal interdisciplinary relationships benefit women, their families, and the midwifery profession. 
		
				4. Learning and practice environment. 
		
		In conjunction with relationships an illustration of belief in how to create a supportive midwifery education and practice environment for students and ongoing professional development for midwives, socially, psychologically, and physically is required. In a similar manner 
		through relationships with women and their families a supportive learning and practice environment for an optimal pregnancy and birth and the development of parenting is essential. 
		
				5. Methods, strategies, and innovation. 
		
		The midwifery profession should utilize philosophy statements to reflect on its mix of theory and practice and illustrate how it complies with its philosophy. 
		
				6. Outcomes. 
		
		The midwifery profession should be able to demonstrate in its statements of philosophy how its efforts have produced anticipated outcomes.
		
				
						Try writing a personal midwifery philosophy or a team philosophy. 
				
		
		It is not an easy task. In the past I have encouraged post graduate midwives to ‘sculpt’ their midwifery philosophy rather than write statements. Midwives have written poetry, made a patchwork quilt, painted a picture or created a mural, even baked a cake using a ‘midwifery’ recipe, others have written a song or composed a piece of music with a narrative. Being creative with power point is also a fun way to sculpt your philosophy.Including the children has provided an excellent holiday or cold winter night activity too.Think about Who you are? What is the profession of midwifery? Why are you here? Why does a midwifery profession exist? What is truth? What is real? What is midwifery knowledge?What do you as a midwifery practitioner contribute to answering such questions?And have fun with creating your midwifery philosophy.
		
				
						Merriam, S. B. (1982). Some thoughts on the relationship between theory and practice. In S. B. Merriam (Ed.), 
				
		
		
				Linking philosophy and practice 
		
		
				(New Directions for Continuing Education, No. 15, pp. 87-91). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
				
						
								Professor Gillian White Massey University Currently in Oman