Balancing life and death during the golden minute – midwives’ experiences of performing newborn resuscitation

Abstract

Purpose: To explore midwives’ experiences in performing newborn resuscitation on maternity wards.

Patients and Methods: It was a qualitative study, using a phenomenological hermeneutic approach. Individual interviews with 16 clinical midwives working in Norwegian maternity wards were conducted from August 2018 to January 2019.

Results: The complexity underlying how midwives balance responsibility and vulnerability when performing newborn resuscitation during the Golden Minute was revealed. Midwives described the stress they experienced during resuscitation events and their need for support and confirmation after performing newborn resuscitation.

Conclusion: The vulnerability and responsibility that midwives bear for mothers and newborns simultaneously affected midwives in several ways. We saw that midwives need support and confirmation to be prepared for newborn resuscitation. We also found that a lack of knowledge, skills and experience were barriers to midwives feeling prepared. Simulation training, including tailored programs, are suggested to improve midwives’ skills and help them feel prepared for real-life resuscitations. The importance of midwives’ assessment during the Golden Minute and further investigation from other perspectives are needed to understand fully this clinical complexity.