Rhetorical skills as a component of midwifery care.

OBJECTIVE

this article argues that rhetorical skills are an important quality factor of midwifery care. In particular, it aims to identify and discuss the relevance of three classical means of persuasion: ethos, pathos and logos.

DESIGN

secondary analysis, rhetorical analysis of semi-structured interviews.

SETTING

Slovenia. Interviews were carried out predominantly in 2006. Data refer to childbirths in 2005 and 2006.

PARTICIPANTS

four women with recent experience of childbirth.

FINDINGS

analysis identified the presence of all three means of persuasion in the interaction between midwives and women. Focusing on midwives, the quality of their awareness and command of rhetorical skills remains questionable. In particular, women experienced lack of a rational account of the situation and decisions made by health-care professionals involved in maternity care.

KEY CONCLUSIONS

acknowledging professional ethics, awareness and good command of all three means of persuasion [but above all, argumentative persuasion (logos)] is an integral component of midwifery care. It can contribute to collaborative relations between midwives and women, and thus promote women-centred midwifery care.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

knowledge of the three classical rhetorical means of persuasion should be integrated into professional midwifery curricula.