Best Practice in Community Midwifery: The Safe Care of Non-English Speaking Background Women

Abstract

In view of the 'sunsetting' of restrictive regulations, which for years have obstructed comprehensive midwifery practice in Victoria, it is timely for the nature of midwifery care in a primary health care setting to be explicated. A best practice framework is employed to examine the pre-conditions and key process factors which facilitate and potentiate quality of midwifery care in the North Richmond Community Health Centre's shared care maternity program. The process of care is considered in detail, while outcomes and client perceptions are outlined. The nature of safe midwifery practice at the individual client/practitioner level¾the micro dimension of care¾is explored in the context of broader societal issues which directly and indirectly affect health status and outcomes for clients¾the macro dimension. This discussion seeks not only to delineate best practice but also to challenge accepted notions of what constitutes safe care.