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Background: The COVID-19 global pandemic was declared in March 2020. By June 2022, the total deaths worldwide attributed to COVID-19 numbered over 6.3 million. Health professionals have been significantly impacted worldwide primarily those working on the frontline but also those working in other areas including nursing, midwifery, and paramedic higher education. Studies of occupational stress have focused on the clinical health professional roles but scant attention has been drawn to the pressures on university-based academic staff supporting and preparing professionals for frontline health work., Design and Objectives: This qualitative study sought to explore the challenges experienced by health academics (nurses, midwives and paramedics), during COVID-19 and identify strategies enlisted., Setting and Participants: Six Australian and two United Kingdom universities collaborated, from which 34 health academics were individually interviewed via video or teleconference, using six broad questions. Ethical approval was obtained from the lead site and each participating University., Data Analysis: Thematic analysis of the data was employed collaboratively across institutions, using Braun and Clarke's method., Results: Data analysis generated four major themes describing academics': Experiences of change; perceptions of organisational responses; professional and personal impacts; and strategies to support wellbeing. Stress, anxiety and uncertainty of working from home and teaching in a different way were reported. Strategies included setting workday routine, establishing physical boundaries for home-working and regular online contact with colleagues., Conclusions: The ability of nursing, midwifery and, paramedic academic staff to adapt to a sudden increase in workload, change in teaching practices and technology, while being removed from their work environment, and collegial, academic and technological supports is highlighted. It was recognised that these changes will continue post-COVID and that the way academics deliver education is forever altered., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To explore and describe what student midwives, enrolled in one Western Australian (WA) university, had witnessed, learned and experienced regarding the concept of being 'with woman'., Design: A qualitative descriptive design was chosen., Setting: A university in Perth, Western Australia., Participants: Nineteen student midwives from an undergraduate and a post graduate midwifery course., Methods: Data were collected from audio-recorded interviews. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts was used to identify commonalities of perceptions and experiences of being 'with woman' for students. Data saturation guided when recruitment ceased and final sample size was achieved., Findings: Student interviews revealed that when considering the concept of being 'with woman' students were able to give descriptors of what they interpreted the meaning of being 'with woman' to be. They also described factors that impacted their learning of how to be 'with woman'. Included in their descriptors were that being 'with woman' enables informed choice, it creates a connection, it means the woman is at the centre of care and that it can occur in all contexts. The factors that impacted their learning of how to be 'with woman' were the importance of positive midwife role models, that providing continuity of care models accelerate learning, that the student role and workload can impact their perceived ability to be with woman and that they are aware it takes time to learn how to be 'with woman'., Conclusion and Implications: The art and skills of being 'with woman' are central to midwifery practice; students in this study were able to demonstrate understanding of the concept and also highlight factors that influence their learning of how to be 'with woman'. Findings can inform how the phenomenon of being 'with woman' can be intentionally introduced into midwifery programs, with particular emphasis on positive midwifery role models, realistic student workload and recognition of the value of the Continuity of Care Experience., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None declared., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore midwives' experiences of being 'with woman' in the intrapartum period within the context of an unknown midwife model., Design: A descriptive phenomenological design was used with individual in-depth interviews. Transcribed interviews were analysed using thematic analysis that incorporated the data analysis framework offered by Amadeus Giorgi., Setting: Hospitals within Western Australia providing intrapartum care to women where the midwife is not usually known to them., Participants: Ten midwives were interviewed and recruitment ceased when data saturation was reached., Findings: Findings confirm the importance of building a connection to enable partnership with the woman and provide woman-centred care that is inclusive of her partner. Factors influencing midwives' ability to be 'with woman' included the 'systems' approach to childbearing as well as common birth interventions prevalent within the public hospital system. Midwives experienced both rewards and challenges associated with being 'with woman' in the unknown midwife model, adaptability and self-awareness were features that enhanced the ability to be 'with woman' within this model., Key Conclusions: Findings present new knowledge about being 'with woman', a phenomenon so central to the profession of midwifery, yet previously unexplored in the empirical domain. Insights gained reveal the intersection between the phenomenon and the unknown midwife model and highlight characteristics of the midwives that facilitate being 'with woman' such as adaptive expertise., Implications for Practice: Understanding the concept of being 'with woman' through the lived experience of midwives provides unique insight into the applied practices of the phenomenon. Characteristics of being 'with woman' as well as attributes and strengths demonstrated by the midwives provides important data for education and development of the profession. Explicating the challenges faced by midwives seeking to be 'with woman' in the unknown midwife model is useful for health leaders of service delivery and policy development to consider innovative ways to enhance this important practice advised by professional philosophy., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aim: the aim of this Western Australian study was to describe the overall labour and birth experience of partners within the context of an intrapartum transfer occurring from a low risk midwifery-led, woman-centred unit to an obstetric unit., Design: a descriptive phenomenological design was used. 15 male partners were interviewed in the first 8 weeks post partum between July and October, 2013 to explore their experience of the intrapartum transfer., Setting: a midwifery-led birth centre set on the grounds of a tertiary maternity referral hospital., Participants: partners of women who were transferred from the birth centre to the onsite tertiary hospital due to complications during the first and second stages of labour., Findings: five main themes emerged: (1) 'emotional roller coaster'; (2) 'partner׳s role in changing circumstances' with subthemes: 'acknowledgement for his inside knowledge of her' and 'challenges of being a witness'; (3) 'adapting to a changing model of care' with subthemes: 'moving from an inclusive nurturing and continuity model' and 'transferring to a medicalised model'; (4) 'adapting to environmental changes' with subthemes: 'feeling comfortable in the familiar birth centre', 'going to the place where things go wrong' and 'Back to comfortable familiarity afterwards' and (5) 'coming to terms with altered expectations around the labour and birth experience'., Key Conclusions: partners acknowledged the benefits of midwifery continuity of care, however, noted that as partners they also provided essential continuity as they felt they knew their woman better than any care provider. Partners found it difficult to witness their woman׳s difficult labour journey. They found the change of environment from birth centre to labour ward challenging but appreciated that experienced medical assistance was at hand when necessary. Being able to return to the birth centre environment was acknowledged as beneficial for the couple. Following the transfer experience partners asked for the opportunity to debrief to clarify and better understand the process., Implications for Practice: findings may be used to inform partners in childbirth education classes about what to expect when transfer takes place and offer the opportunity for them to debrief after the birth. Finally, themes can provide insight to maternity care professionals around the emotions experienced by partners during intrapartum transfer to enhance informed choice, involvement in care and empathetic support., (Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)