School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
Centre for Midwifery, Maternal and Perinatal Health, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, United Kingdom.
Public Health. 2023 May;218:75-83. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2023.02.020. Epub 2023 Feb 28.
During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Region of Lombardy in Italy and its Regional Emergency Service (Azienda Regionale Emergenza Urgenza [AREU]) created a dedicated 24/7 free phone service to help the Lombard population. After an invitation from their professional order, local midwives collaborated on the AREU project as volunteers to address the needs of women from antenatal to postnatal periods. The aim of this article was to explore the experiences of midwives who volunteered in the AREU project.
This was a qualitative study using an interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA).
The experiences of midwives volunteering in AREU (N = 59) were explored using audio diaries. Written diaries were also offered as an alternative. Data collection took place between March and April 2020. Midwives were provided with semistructured guidance that indicated the main areas of interest of the study. The diaries were thematically analysed following a temporal criterion; a final conceptual framework was created from emerging themes and subthemes.
The following five themes were identified: (1) choosing to join the volunteer project, (2) the day-to-day difficulties, (3) strategies to cope with the unexpected, (4) professional relationships and (5) reflecting on the personal experience.
This is the first study to investigate the experiences of Italian midwives who volunteered in a public health project during a pandemic/epidemic. According to participants, taking part in the volunteer activities was informed by and impacted on both their professional and personal lives. Overall, the experiences of midwives who volunteered in AREU were positive and of humanitarian value. Providing midwifery services within a multidisciplinary team for the benefit of public health represented both a challenge and personal/professional enrichment.
在 COVID-19 大流行的第一波期间，意大利伦巴第大区及其区域急救服务局（Azienda Regionale Emergenza Urgenza [AREU]）创建了一个专门的 24/7 免费电话服务，以帮助伦巴第地区的民众。在其专业协会的邀请下，当地的助产士作为志愿者参与了 AREU 项目，以满足从产前到产后期间女性的需求。本文旨在探讨参与 AREU 项目的助产士的经验。
这是一项使用解释现象学方法（IPA）的定性研究。
使用音频日记探讨了在 AREU 志愿服务的助产士的经验（N=59）。也提供了书面日记作为替代方案。数据收集于 2020 年 3 月至 4 月之间进行。为助产士提供了半结构化指南，指出了研究的主要关注领域。日记按照时间标准进行主题分析；从出现的主题和子主题中创建最终的概念框架。
确定了以下五个主题：（1）选择加入志愿者项目，（2）日常困难，（3）应对意外的策略，（4）专业关系，（5）反思个人经历。
这是第一项研究，探讨了在大流行/流行病期间参与公共卫生项目的意大利助产士的经验。根据参与者的说法，参与志愿者活动既影响了他们的专业生活，也影响了他们的个人生活。总体而言，参与 AREU 志愿服务的助产士的经验是积极的，具有人道主义价值。在多学科团队中提供助产服务以造福公共卫生，既是一项挑战，也是个人/专业发展的机会。
