Introduction
Nursing is a noble profession that requires extensive research in order to improve quality of care. Besides, to establish a clear and comprehensive view in nursing, research is necessary. Hannah et al. introduces birth experiences of novice mothers in both home and hospital settings. There has been little research regarding this noble issue that the researcher feels should be addressed. According to the researchers, many issues surrounding women giving birth has not addressed the novice mothers’ experiences and the difference in hospital and home settings. Consequently, the role of midwifery in hospitals has been replaced by offering them with more medical responsibilities at the expense of their midwifery traditional role of supporting, encouraging and following up of a mother who has just given birth. Hence, the objective of this research is to explore the first time mothers’ experiences while giving birth at home and in a hospital as well as establishing the role of the maternity services.
Statement of purpose
The aim or the purpose of a research study is a clear and direct statement of an explicit goal of the study, which is drawn from the research (Parahoo, 1997). In the current article by Hannah et al. the purpose of the study is clearly stated in the abstract of the article. It states. “The purpose of this study is to explore first time mothers’ experiences of birth at home and in hospital in Australia” (Hannah et al. 2008). From the statement, the researchers are precise and direct to the point of the direction of the study.
The definition of the research problem expresses the nature of the study that should be expected by the reader. By stating the aim of a study, the author familiarizes his or her readers with the scope at which the study will be conducted (DePoy, & Gitlin, 1994 pp. 58-94). Consequently, the statement is usually a summary of the article and purges any possibilities of ambiguity to readers. The statement in the current research has been well stated and supported by the research.
Literature review
Review of literature is a written summary of the position of the existing data or facts on a research problem. It entails the use of theoretical and realistic sources to formulate a clear and concise perspective of what is known and what is not known regarding the statement of purpose, which offers a platform of the conducted study (Crookes & Davies, 2004). In the current study by Hannah et al. the scope of women first birth experiences in hospitals has not been explored. The researchers claim that there is no enough research concerning first birth women and experiences in homes and hospital. Nevertheless, the authors have utilized other related studies regarding women and birth experiences in hospital, home and midwifery’s role.
The authors have used both primary and secondary sources. The experiences of women first birth in hospital and at home have been explored from the various sources even though they have a different approach. Most of the sources used are not current i.e. they do not fall under the last five years. Some of them are as old as 1980’s which is a weakness for a research study.
Research design
The design of the research is the systematic procedure of carrying out research study and it influences and controls any source of hindrances to the outcome and validity of the study. Research design regulates and guides planning and implementation processes of the study for realization of optimal results (Crookes and Davies, 2004). The current study by Hannah Dahlen et al. employs the grounded theory approach in exploring the experiences of novice mothers in home and hospital setting in the Australian population. This method allows the research to establish contrast and contradictions at the same time looking for similarities. Hence, it was an appropriate design considering the purpose of the study. The design used by the researchers is therefore strong and reliable in generating valid conclusions regarding the research problem.
Data collection
The process involved in collecting the needed information for carrying out a research is the data collection method. The objective or objectives of the study determine the method of data collection to be utilized. In the current study, interviews were found appropriate. The interview were conducted between six and twenty six weeks after birth with women interviewed from home being interviewed later in several weeks as compared to those in hospital due to accessibility issues. The interviews were audio taped and transcribed. Open-ended questions for guiding the interviews were utilized to enable the participants to express their experiences. The use of interviews in this research was appropriate and useful as it ensures that the participants are free and are able to express their experiences and feelings towards novice birth, home birth, and hospital birth and midwifery role during childbirth. The researcher can extract useful information from the transcribed interviews in order to come up with valid results and conclusions.
Data analysis
Data analysis is the process by which the collected raw data is analyzed into meaningful data. In the current research, qualitative data analysis techniques were appropriate as they give significant meaning to behavior related data. Since grounded theory was utilized, dominant themes and development of conceptual framework helped in underpinning the theory. The relationships between the various themes were analyzed and tried using profound analysis. Comparative method was used through open coding which entails breaking down of data into various parts, axial coding which entails grouping and interpretation and finally selective coding that involves explaining. In this approach, transcripts were synthesized into phrases, paragraphs and lines and distinct concepts labeled (Parahoo, 1997). The qualitative data analysis was perfect in the research and enabled the researchers to come up with three distinct themes, which include preparing for birth, the novice birthing and processing the birth. The novice birth was the major theme. Each of the themes were structured into various subthemes which give meaning to the data collected in a qualitative manner that is prudent in the study of human behavior, feeling and experiences.
Ethical considerations
Ethical principles are important in every research study. Ethical considerations enhance respect for persons, beneficence and justice. Beneficence involves safeguarding of the participants from harm, which can be psychological or physical (Roberts & Taylor, 2002). Ethical considerations in a research offset the possibility of risks to the participants.
In the current research by Hannah et al., ethical considerations were fully observed. The participants consent was obtained prior the study and only one woman refrained from the study. In addition approval was sought from the relevant human ethics authorities prior the research. Ethical issues are important and are recommended in research especially in the nursing field. In addition, anonymity was maintained throughout data analysis and presentation of findings.
Findings
The research findings are the main aims of a research. The findings are important in making the research useful in the field of nursing and particularly in this issue of first birth mothers and experiences in home and in hospital. The researchers were able to come up with three distinct themes from the data that was collected. The core theme was the novice birthing while the other themes are preparing for birth and processing the birth. These themes were encoded and embedded with the main theme of novice birthing. All the women during pregnancy are prepared in one way or another in welcoming their child. First time women are usually anxious as they are not aware of the exact feeling or experience they are going to encounter. However, most of them are informed of the birth process, which is painful although sometimes it turns out worse than their expectations.
Consequently, many women expect to be honored during first birth. Unfortunately this turns out negative in case of hospital delivery where the midwife in this case a nurse is assigned more medical job at the expense of midwifery. Women usually need the midwife for support, encouragement and even advice throughout the birth process. When in a hospital setting, it was established that this is not the case as the supposed mid wives are usually busy with other patients and barely have time to exercise the traditional midwifery role. In a home setting, novice birth is usually a good experience and many women’s expectations are met. The midwife usually experience mothers are ready and available to take care of the novice mother hence feels honored. Nevertheless, the novice birth experience is important as the women have very high expectations, high level of fear and anxiety, which lead to long time memory, and psychological harm may occur. In fact, all the woman who had their first birth at home recommended the same midwife for their forthcoming births except for one woman. For the other women who had their novice birth in hospital, the experience was not worth celebrating as they presumed negligence and lack of attention from the midwives in hospital.
Discussion
The discussion session in a research article is an important part as it seeks in establishing a link between the research findings and the existing literature. In the current article by Hannah et al. the discussion has been well stipulated giving meaning to the findings. Conclusions are drawn from the discussion. In the current article, the authors established that regardless of the birth setting (either home or hospital) first time mothers experience birth novice as reacting to the unknown phenomena. However, this reaction was influenced by preparations, choice, information, control and communication, which mediated the reaction and experiences.
Implications and recommendations
A research study cannot be useful if no implications or recommendations are made. The implications of a research are meant to bring change and improve quality of care in the nursing field (Roberts & Taylor, 2002). In the current research, the findings are important in shaping the perspective of the nurses in the hospital setting towards their midwifery role. As nurses in the maternity ward, the role of the nurse should go beyond mare healthcare nursing or delivery process. It is clear that the traditional role of midwives in hospital setting has been overshadowed by the medical responsibilities. This have had a negative effect on birthing mothers especially novice birth who has high expectation, fear of the unknown and anxiety. The nurses should play their role fully by ensuring that besides delivery services, they show support, encouragement and communicate to the first mothers in order to have them satisfied. In addition, hospital experiences are more safe as people feel more secure knowing that in case of any complications, there is available help from the professionals.
The researchers established various limitations in their study. The fact that all the women in the study spoke fluent English showed that the cultural aspect related with birth and novice birth may be ignored. The researchers recommend more multiparous women to be included in future studies with their experience with their first time mothers especially those with less positive previous birth experiences (Hannah et al. 2008). Hence, the researcher recommends a diversified population to be studied in the future to establish the true perception of first mothers. Besides, the sample cannot be used to represent all women during their first birth because it was focused on Australian women.
Conclusion
The current research by Hannah et al. has observed all the necessary criteria for a sound and reliable research article. The researchers have utilized good qualitative research procedure in carrying out the research. They have been able to establish three main themes from the research and they include preparing for birth, novice birthing and processing birth which are critical in the nursing field. The recommendations made are useful in guiding other researchers interested in similar studies to avoid mistakes and make their research more reliable. Conclusively the research by Hannah et al. is satisfactory and was able to achieve its objective which was to “explore first time mothers’ experiences of birth at home and in hospital in Australia”
References
Hannah D. et al. (2008). The novice birthing: Theorising first-time mothers’ experiences of birth at home and in hospital in Australia Midwifery 2010 26; 53-63.
Parahoo, K. (1997). Nursing research: Principles, processes and issues. Basingstoke: Macmillan.
Polit, D. & Hungler, P. (1997). Essentials of nursing research: Methods, appraisal and utilisation (4th ed.). JB Lippincott.
Roberts, K. & Taylor, B. (2002). Nursing research processes: An Australian perspective. Victoria: Nelson.
Streubert, H., & Carpenter, D. (1999). Qualitative research in nursing: Advancing the humanistic imperative (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott.
Crookes, P. & Davies, S. (2004). Research into practice: Essential skills for reading and applying research in nursing and health care. Sydney: Balliere Tindall.
DePoy, E. & Gitlin, L. (1994). Introduction to research: Multiple strategies for health and human services. Sydney: Mosby.
