What do you know about Compassion Fatigue in midwifery?

Central to the role of the midwife is the concept of 'woman-centred' care. There is much evidence to suggest that the partnership which is developed between the midwife and the child-bearing woman results in positive outcomes for the mother and child, as well as a source of job motivation and satisfaction for the midwife (Leinweber and Rowe, 2010). Compassion satisfaction is the positive experience and a sense of achievement in providing effective care and this serves as a major source of motivation to midwives. It is this unique and empathetic relationship between midwife and woman, and the nature of childbearing as a source of trauma, which places the midwife at particular risk of developing compassion fatigue (Leinweber and Rowe, 2010).