Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Public Health, Biostatistics and Medical Informatics Research group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium; Department of Life Sciences and Medicine, Faculty of Sciences, Technology and Medicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg; Department Health Care, Brussels Centre for Healthcare Innovation, Erasmus Brussels University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Brussels, Belgium.
Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Public Health, Biostatistics and Medical Informatics Research group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.
Midwifery. 2024 Nov;138:104138. doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2024.104138. Epub 2024 Aug 8.
To identify challenges associated with midwives' professional autonomy in Belgium and develop recommendations to promote midwives' recognition and professional autonomy.
Through a document analysis study we identified challenges, categorized them into themes and linked them with Greenwood's sociological criteria for a profession. This involved an in-depth synthesis of findings from our published studies to comprehensively examine the challenges to optimizing midwifery autonomy and to develop corresponding recommendations.
We identified challenges related to midwife-led continuity care models, regulation of the midwifery profession, collaboration with stakeholders, professional esteem and professional culture. Based on them, our recommendations include prioritizing midwife-led continuity of care, fostering collaboration, tailoring continuous professional development, increasing public awareness and advocating for policy changes. The attribute of a profession which is lacking the most in midwifery in Belgium is recognized authority, which may result in midwives being undervalued, underutilized and underpaid.
In this paper we identified challenges in Belgian midwives' recognition and professional autonomy and provided recommendations to address them, emphasizing the importance of recognized authority in midwifery. Implementing these recommendations can positively impact midwives' recognition and autonomy in Belgium and potentially in other countries.
It is essential for policy makers to address the issue of the lack of recognized authority in midwifery, as it plays a critical role in facilitating decision-making, policy development, and the professionalization of the field. Implementing the outlined recommendations can drive positive changes in midwifery recognition and autonomy in Belgium and beyond.
确定比利时助产士专业自主权面临的挑战，并提出促进助产士认可和专业自主权的建议。
通过文献分析研究，我们确定了挑战，将其分类为主题，并将其与格林伍德的职业社会学标准联系起来。这涉及对我们已发表研究结果的深入综合，以全面检查优化助产士自主权的挑战，并制定相应的建议。
我们确定了与助产士主导的连续性护理模式、助产士职业监管、与利益相关者合作、专业声誉和专业文化相关的挑战。基于这些挑战，我们的建议包括优先考虑助产士主导的连续性护理、促进合作、定制持续的专业发展、提高公众意识和倡导政策变革。在比利时，助产士最缺乏的专业属性是公认的权威，这可能导致助产士被低估、未充分利用和低薪。
在本文中，我们确定了比利时助产士认可和专业自主权面临的挑战，并提出了应对这些挑战的建议，强调了在助产士中承认权威的重要性。实施这些建议可以积极影响比利时助产士的认可和自主权，并可能影响其他国家。
政策制定者必须解决助产士缺乏公认权威的问题，因为这对促进决策、政策制定和该领域的专业化至关重要。实施概述的建议可以在比利时和其他地区推动助产士认可和自主权的积极变化。
