Midwifery and Conceptual Models of Nursing: A Comparison

by Pam Embler

© 2006 Midwifery Today, Inc. All rights reserved.

[Editor's note: This graphic is a full-size illustration from an article that first appeared in Midwifery Today Issue 78, Summer 2006.]

The Divine has created perfection in human birth. The Divine entrusts and guides midwives to protect what has been created and what is normal. Women possess innate wisdom of the Divine, and the Divine guides them through the process of pregnancy, labor and birth. Women and midwives work together toward the goal of normal birth. Women may however fall victim to illness, moral or social decay. Women are then unable to realize full awareness or wholeness of the Divine's plan for them and their unborn child. Midwives assume responsibility for the needs of women. Through the knowledgeable, caring hearts and hands of midwives, women again take personal responsibility for themselves. Women work towards wholeness; they are open to receive guidance from the Divine. Women share responsibility for themselves and their babies with midwives and ultimately achieve normal birth. Midwives maintain statistical and evidence-based data, which guide educational paths, leading to a more substantial knowledge base that benefits and helps to protect the normalcy of birth.

Pam Embler, RN, currently works as a childbirth educator. She is an advocate for homebirth and birth center birth. Pam is enrolled in Florida Hospital College of Health Sciences distance learning BSN program. She plans to pursue a career in nurse-midwifery. Pam lives with her husband and five children (four of whom were born at home) in Alaska.

If you enjoyed this article, you'll enjoy Midwifery Today magazine! Subscribe now!