Dataset Information

Volunteering in an emergency project in response to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis: the experience of Italian midwives.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

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.

Study design

This was a qualitative study using an interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA).

Methods

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.

Results

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.

Conclusions

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.

SUBMITTER: Fumagalli S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9970932 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Volunteering in an emergency project in response to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis: the experience of Italian midwives.

Fumagalli Simona S Iannuzzi Laura L Toffolo Giulia G Anghileri Ilaria I Losurdo Anna A Rovelli Nadia N Riva Michele Augusto MA Nespoli Antonella A

Public health 20230228

<h4>Objectives</h4>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 midwive ...[more]

PMID: 36977367

Similar Datasets

Project description:PurposeDue to COVID-19 pandemic, the Italian population lived in quarantine from March to May 2020 (lockdown phase I). Restrictions impacted individuals' psychological health, especially in those with eating disorders (ED). Healthcare providers (HCPs) treating ED provided assistance by telemedicine and/or in walk-in clinics. We hypothesize that social restrictions represented a great stressor for ED patients and HCPs, negatively impacted their therapeutic alliance, and affected the frequency of dysfunctional behaviors.MethodsThis cross-sectional study consisted of an online survey investigating the experience of HCPs involved in ED treatment, with a specific focus on difficulties concerning the therapeutic efficacy. Questionnaire (n. 18 questions) was formulated ad hoc by our research team and sent by e-mail to Italian HCPs registered on online platforms. HCPs included ED experts specialized in psychology, nutrition or medicine. Data were collected during lockdown phase I and referred to patients with Anorexia Nervosa-(AN), Bulimia Nervosa (BN)-and Binge-Eating Disorder-(BED).ResultsOne-hundred questionnaires were collected; 84 and 76 were included in our qualitative and quantitative analyses, respectively. Thirty-six% of HCPs felt their therapeutic intervention was unsuccessful, 37% complained compromised therapeutic alliance. Changes in frequency of compensatory behaviors (increased in 41% AN and 49,5% BN; reduced in 14,6% AN and 21,8% BN) and binge-eating episodes (increased in 53,3% BN and 30,5% BED; reduced in 30,7% BN and 24,7% BED) were experienced and ascribed to augmented patient's anxiety. Disorders switches and variation in dysfunctional conducts frequency were both significantly related to ED category (p < 0.05 for all). Concentration techniques were recognized as useful to offset such negative outcomes.ConclusionAccording to HCPs, social restrictions affected the frequency of dysfunctional behaviors in ED patients and the efficacy of their therapeutic intervention. Further long-term studies are needed to confirm our data in a larger sample size.Level ivNovel results from a cross-sectional study.

Dataset Information

Volunteering in an emergency project in response to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis: the experience of Italian midwives.

Objectives

Study design

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Volunteering in an emergency project in response to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis: the experience of Italian midwives.

Similar Datasets

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