Undertaking research
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Undertaking research |
Midwives have risen to the challenge to evaluate their own practice and over the last 25 years there has been an enormous increase in the number of studies conducted by midwives. These studies have addressed questions which are important to the wellbeing of mothers, their babies and their families. However, research is expensive, both in terms of time and money. In acknowledgement of the importance of research in midwifery and in recognition of these difficulties, the Trust offers a biennial Iolanthe Midwifery Research Fellowship which is the largest award currently funded by the Trust and the only one nationally available exclusively for midwives. Because dissemination of this work is so important, the Trust has recently reviewed the fellowship and the award now facilitates the completion of the research through the writing up of a PhD.
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The 2006 Midwifery Research Fellowship was awarded to Mary Stewart at the University of the West of England. Her research explored midwives' and women's experiences of vaginal examination in labour and a deconstruction of these experiences to consider how power is negotiated between the protagonists (abstract). This fellowship enabled Mary to complete her doctorate degree and submit her thesis by allowing her time out from her current practice. Mary said: "I am writing to try and express my profound gratitude to you all for granting me the Iolanthe Midwifery Fellowship last year. The Fellowship enabled me to take a sabbatical from work, from November 2006 – May 2007, and this six-month period gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in writing up my thesis. I truly believe that without this opportunity, I may never have completed the writing up. I was finding it impossible to create time for the concentration I needed for this process alongside my full-time work. Since applying for the Fellowship I have also changed jobs and am now working as a research midwife at the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit in Oxford, working on the Birthplace in England research programme. I believe that my success in achieving this post was also due in large part to the fact that I have submitted my thesis and so was an added benefit of the Fellowship." Read more about what this meant to Mary.
Billie Hunter received a Midwifery Research Fellowship in 1999. This is how she describes her experience: In 1999 I was awarded the Iolanthe Trust Research Fellowship to support me in undertaking a PhD study, exploring the emotional aspects of midwifery work. This was an area that had received little research attention, and I was eager to find out more about midwives’ emotional well being and how this might affect the care they were able to give to women and families.
Looking back, I would say that receiving the award was a turning point in my career. Firstly, it gave me the opportunity to take study leave from my day job to focus totally on my research. This allowed me to become fully absorbed in the project and I believe this enhanced the quality of the final work.
Perhaps even more importantly, however, receiving the award gave me a tremendous confidence boost, both personally and professionally. It is easy as a novice researcher to become feel isolated and become disheartened. Gaining the award was a vote of confidence from respected midwifery peers that my research was important, and that I had the potential to carry it out successfully.
During the period of the Fellowship (1999-2001), the Iolanthe Trust gave me support to develop my professional profile as a midwifery researcher. I began to present my work at national conferences and seminars, and also to have articles accepted for publication. Since being awarded my PhD in 2002, this development has continued at a rapid pace. I have been invited to speak about my study both nationally and internationally and now have a number of publications to my name. I have also had the confidence to apply for a large research grant to undertake another midwifery study – and was successfully awarded this in 2004 (A Leading Practice Through Research Award from The Health Foundation).
IT COULD BE YOU! |
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Applying for an award or bursary What's in it for me? Introduce a change in your practice
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Registered charity number: 287283 |