Delving into the pre-antisepsis history of childbirth, and informed by personal experience, Penny considers childbirth in and out of America. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 of her book, 'A Midwife's Story,' compare systems of education on midwifery in Scotland and Booth. In Scotland, Penny observes militant hostility of midwives to the medical establishment. She notes how officious hospital settings, combined with crisis and intervention-oriented training of nurses and midwives, harm the health of mothers and children (Armstrong & Feldman, 2006). Illustratively, obstetricians do not make the best professional judgments when providing care; rather, they do as instructed by those in authority. Penny notes that they do things that they have never heard of, things they know are harmful (Armstrong & Feldman, 2006). In addition to turning the least complicated deliveries into unnatural acts that are harmful to both mother and child, the systems in Scotland did not take into consideration the wishes and concerns of the mothers or their families (Armstrong & Feldman, 2006). As such, Penny vows to combat such systems whenever she encounters them.
Contrary to the inhumane practices recorded from Scotland, the systems of education at Booth allow for the human side of the medical profession to show. At Booth, the midwives were taught to care for their patients and families. Various options were provided to patients, and the birthing style was a mother's choice. The midwives were also taught self-reliance, advocacy for women, and professional responsibility (Armstrong & Feldman, 2006). Overall, systems of education in Booth teach patient-centered care and can compare to my experience in nursing education. Primarily, a lot of emphases is put on culturally competent standards of care. Like at Booth, we are encouraged to respect the culture of the patient, the patient's wishes as well as that of their families. Furthermore, homelike birth centers are encouraged, and care is taken to ensure deliveries happen at nature's pace with minimal interference.
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One ought to note that rigorous training and long practice demanded by nursing schools have contributed to life-saving contributions in medicine and leading physicians as well. Midwives are required to undertake a cultural competency course, among other requirements (Backes et al., 2020). More people are informed and aware of the process of and complications surrounding childbirth; hence they make informed decisions. There has been a growing demand for culturally competent care, which has paved the way for the creation of homelike birth centers (Backes et al., 2020). Furthermore, there is a universal standard of care that exists and is expected from all nursing professionals. Nurses are therefore free to provide competent care outside hospital settings, in response to patient demands and according to the set standards of care.
References
Armstrong, P., & Feldman, S. (2006). A midwife's story . Pinter & Martin Publishers.
Backes, E. P., Scrimshaw, S. C., & National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2020). Maternal and Newborn Care in the United States. In Birth Settings in America: Outcomes, Quality, Access, and Choice. National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555484/
