Professional autonomy of the nurse-midwife

Abstract

Introduction: The way how the nurse-midwife (NM) experiences the professional autonomy and the collaborative work in childbirth care depends on the type of hospital, its rules and norms, on the technical division of labor and on the hierarchical relationships. Objective: To describe how the NM perceives her insertion in the obstetric team and her professional autonomy in childbirth. Method: It was adopted a qualitative approach, interviewing 15 NM that work in private hospitals in São Paulo, SP. The content analysis was conducted using the concepts of autonomy and collaborative work. Results: The NM pointed out that the lack of recognition by the obstetricians about their duties as one of the factors that most limit their autonomy and the collaborative work. They recognize their skills, but have difficulties to take their place in the obstetric team in private hospitals. Final Considerations: Despite the official policy and the scientific evidence in favor of the participation of the NM in childbirth, their performance is restrict and beneath the professional skills established.