Validation of Perceptions of Empowerment in Midwifery Scale (PEMS) in the Portuguese population

• Main Authors: João José de Sousa Franco, Helena da Conceição Borges Pereira Catarino, Carolina Miguel Graça Henriques
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Medwave Estudios Limitada 2012-10-01
• Series: Medwave
• Subjects: health; empowerment; professional power; nurse midwives
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.5867/medwave.2012.09.5532

Introduction: Since when midwives are prominent in different socio-cultural contexts of individuals and populations associated with the control of women during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum? In Portugal, the level of training of nurses in breastfeeding and obstetric has evolved, is considered the most advanced in the European context, and this would have posed new challenges for these professionals. Methodology: focusing on what the perception of empowerment that have specialized nurses in midwifery and maternal health in Portugal, it was decided to conduct this study, entitled "Validation of the Portuguese population scale - Perceptions of Empowerment in Midwifery Scale (PEMS)" . We responded to the research question, what are the levels of empowerment of nurses in nursing and midwifery maternal health in Portugal? Objective: To determine the level of empowerment of nurses in nursing and midwifery maternal health in Portugal. In this study we used the quantitative method and descriptive. To accomplish this we proceeded to the implementation of a data collection instrument organized into two distinct parts. The first part allowed us to collect sociodemographic data and professional reviewers. In the second use "Perceptions of Empowerment in Midwifery Scale" (Matthews, Scott, and Gallagher, 2009), measuring tool we had to validate cross-culturally. The study presented here took samples of 309 Portuguese health nurses maternal obstetrical nurse specialists. Results: 'Perceptions of Empowerment in Midwifery Scale (PEMS)' (Matthews, Scott, and Gallagher, 2009), presents a framework pentafatorial (effective management and interdisciplinary relationships, sustained and autonomous practice, professional communication and consent, recognition health team, training and education), which together account for 72.9% of the variance of the results. On average, nurses in maternal health nursing and midwifery have a low level of empowerment, the lowest level found in "sustained and autonomous practice" and the highest level in "recognition of the health team." Conclusion: will Further studies are crucial in the area of empowerment of nursing. Only by analyzing the practices that empower nurses can contribute to the future of midwifery in Portugal.