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Thesis ID: CBB168809967

Blazing Trails for Midwifery Care: Oral Histories of Georgia's Pioneer Nurse-Midwives (2016)

Thrower, Eileen J. B. (Author)
Gunby, Susan S. (Advisor)

Mercer University
Gunby, Susan S.
Publication date: 2016
Language: English

URI: https://search.proquest.com/docview/1857513507?accountid=12964

Publication Date: 2016
Physical Details: 215 pp.

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PubMed

Prenatal care and diagnosis Obstetrics and pregnancy Nurses and nursing Midwifery 20th century, late United States Georgia (U.S.)

The first nurse-midwifery practice in Georgia was founded by Dr. Elizabeth Sharp in 1971 at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. The profession of nurse-midwifery expanded in the 1970s and 1980s due to the work of pioneering nurse-midwives who are now mostly retired. The oral histories of Georgia's pioneer nurse-midwives hold valuable lessons for today's nurse-midwives as they continue providing high-quality care to women and newborns. The purpose of this study was to collect and preserve nurse-midwives' oral testimonies surrounding the establishment of the midwifery profession in Georgia in order to increase understanding of economic, political, and social influences impacting nurse-midwifery and maternity care. For the purposes of this study, oral history served as both framework and methodology. Oral history interviews of 14 pioneer nurse-midwives were conducted. Additional historical data were incorporated in order to reconstruct the historical picture portrayed in the narrators' testimonies. Four themes were identified including "This Odyssey"; Blazing Trails, Building Fences, Raising Towers; Stand Your Ground, But Know When to Compromise; and It Wasn't Easy, `But I had a Helluva Time." This research provided an account of the establishment and development of nurse-midwifery in Georgia, which was previously undocumented. The oral history interviews provided a narrative rich with descriptions of hard-work, commitment, compassion, and scholarship that explain the successes and challenges of these nurse-midwives in Georgia. The pioneer nurse-midwives dedicated themselves to providing a unique type of maternity care based on inter-disciplinary cooperation and continuity of care. Further examination of nurse-midwifery practices established during the 1970s and 1980s in areas not included in this study would provide a more complete history of midwifery in Georgia. Expanding racial, ethnic, and gender representation could reveal different historical experiences and insights. Examination of the decades following the 1980s would increase understanding of the ongoing development and changes within the nurse-midwifery profession. Feminist philosophy impacted the establishment and development of nurse-midwifery. Further exploration of the connections between feminist philosophy and nurse-midwifery is needed.

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