Introduction
The article “Comfort in Labor: Like Being Able to Exhale” examines a unique issue in maternal health that past researchers have given little attention. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the credibility, research processes, and findings of the selected and describing whether the insights are applicable in practice. The authors use content analysis to gather revelations from eight women who had successful vaginal births about the concept of comfort. Hall et al. (2020) observe that women understand the concept of comfort but usually lack adequate capacity to make the best choices due to the restrictions and practices of caregivers. From the completed appraisal, it emerges that the article is credible and capable of transforming midwifery practice by introducing evidence-based practices that can improve women’s comfort index in childbirth.
Analysis
Credibility
This article is a reputable source since all the four professionals have PhDs. These qualifications show conclusively that they understood the subject and were capable to offer desirable inputs. The article is also peer-reviewed and was published in the 2020 edition of The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing. The absence of grammatical errors makes the work easy to follow and understand. The headings are properly designated, thereby encouraging more readers to seek adequate insights from it. The choice of the topic is also appropriate and capable of analyzing a topic that has not attracted attention of many professionals. The absence of comfort in childbirth could have negative impacts on women health (Hall et al., 2020). The relevant board approved the research while the scholars obtained informed consent from the respondents. The consideration of ethical principles throughout the work makes the article relevant and information. These approaches promoted the level f confidentiality and participation.
Integrity
Methods
To complete the study successfully and offer timely insights, the researchers adopted the use of content analysis. This strategy worked effectively for the topic since inadequate information was available. The approach allowed only women aged 18 and above to be included in the study (Hall et al., 2020). Such respondents were competent in Spanish or English language, had given birth naturally without challenges, and no prior surgical or medical complication (Hall et al., 2020). The professionals adopted a purposeful data collection and recruitment strategy. Women with diverse backgrounds were selected from a social parenting website. Informed consent was obtained after which the Principal Investigator (PI) screened the right candidates for inclusion. Individuals were interviewed twice depending on their convenience. The researchers recorded the information using audio technologies after which transcription was done.
For the Analysis section, it is agreeable that proper journaling techniques were considered to explore assumptions and remove biases. This was achieved through the inclusion of several professionals, such as a public health researcher, midwife anthropologist, and nursing qualitative researcher, and a midwife PhD student (Hall et al., 2020). Using notes and conceptual maps, the investigators managed to create a detailed description of respondents’ experiences and meaning of comfort during childbirth. These efforts helped the researchers remove biases and obtain the required insights.
To achieve rigor, the involved professionals pursued various strategies to establish validity. Some of them included “collecting rich, thick data from appropriate participants who have knowledge of the research topic” (Hall et al., 2020, p. 40). The included women had given birth in a natural way and were from different ethnicities. Coding approaches helped the professionals with unique experiences helped remove any form of bias. The inclusion of women who had experienced pain and those who did not increased the rigor of the study.
The choice to have sample of eight women with diverse backgrounds made it possible for them to meet the intended research aims. To recruit the respondents, the professionals considered ethnic backgrounds, nature of past births to ensure no surgical operation or medical problem was recorded, and the ability to speak Spanish or English languages. Those who had undergone any form of surgery were excluded. They went further to ensure that the sample included women from different regions. The set inclusion criteria focused on these issues: past births should have been normal, no medical problem or history, and willingness or available for the study. This approach was helpful since it supported the study and made it possible for the researchers to present meaningful observations (Hall et al., 2020). The sample size comprised of eight respondents was sufficient since it allowed them to offer diverse views and understanding of the concept of comfort in labor. Consequently, the emerging insights were informative and capable of helping more professionals to meet the demands of more women during childbirth.
Results
The researchers relied on the adopt methods to gather adequate information, thereby being able to present high-quality results. They categorized their findings accordingly depending on the intended topic. For instance, they indicated that the participants defined comfort as the ability to experience relaxation, calmness, and reduced tension (Hall et al., 2020). The respondents believed that comfort would be equated to the ability to have needs met while promoting the much-needed human connection. They went further to identify comfort with the process of applying knowledge to identify and formulate desirable choices, exercising voice, and pursuing desirable feelings. When the level of comfort was compromised, the respondents indicated that body shame would be the leading cause. This problem was evident when the existing conditions or workers were socially unresponsive or impolite (Hall et al., 2020). This means that the involvement and actions of nurse practitioners and midwives throughout the delivery process could dictate the individuals’ experience of comfort.
From these observations, it is evident that the authors have linked their research method with the collected results. The findings are coherent and resonate with the roles, expectations, and practices of all stakeholders in childbirth. The results are inclusive and offer diverse aspects of comfort and how it affects women in need of labor services. These insights expose the unique strengths and contribute significantly to maternal health. The researchers combine their findings to describe how pain and comfort could coexist during labor and subsequent childbirth (Hall et al., 2020). While pain relief was a common practice, it occurred that it could not always be the path to comfort. Additionally, the investigators acknowledged that women understood the concept of comfort. However, the role and expectations of caregivers in medical facilities affected their capacity to make the right choices. They conclude by encouraging policymakers to transform the available aspects of labor by integrating aspects of choice ad mobility.
Contributions and Coherence
The results of the selected article reveal that the concept of comfort remains poorly implemented in medical facilities. While women appear to have a proper understanding of the notion, their experiences reveal that clinicians and midwives do little to promote it. Some of them fail to record improved experience since they are unable to make proper choices. The autonomous position of medical professionals impacts the experiences and goals of women during labor (Hall et al., 2020). The promotion of a new model to implement comfort and introduce evidence-based guidelines to pursue is a necessity. The consideration of these issues could support a paradigm shift and support the experiences of more women in childbirth.
The findings and discussions in this article provide strong reasons for improving comfort in labor wards. First, the reader understands that pain is always a common problem during childbirth, and it might not mean the absence of comfort. Those in maternal health need to foster comfort from a holistic perspective to maximize relief and relaxation. This strategy means meeting the client’s spiritual and body needs. The choice by caregivers could affect the experiences of most of these women (Hall et al., 2020). These issues, therefore, explain why maternal health should start to prioritize comfort while focusing on pain management approaches. The move could contribute to a holistic and contented birth experience for most of the women in need of such services.
These insights resonate with the expectations of all professionals and scholars in midwifery. Those planning to offer similar services in the future need to embrace these ideas and consider better ways to empower women. When the level of comfort is improved, a holistic experience emerges that can empower the clients to support their newborn babies across the lifespan (Hall et al., 2020). These considerations are, therefore, essential and capable of improving the nature of care delivery in midwifery.
Conclusion
The analyzed article is credible since all the authors have reputable credentials, including PhD and MDs. The research method is concise, inclusive, and evidence-based. The reader is capable to follow the work because the researchers have used the best language and academic approach. The revelations support the fact that comfort is a missing element in midwife departments. Clinicians and caregivers need to merge the studied concept with pain management to maximize the holistic health experiences of more women in need of childbirth services.
Reference
Hall, P. J., Foster, J. W., Yount, K. M., & Jennings, B. M. (2020). Comfort in labor: “Like being able to exhale”. The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing, 34(1), 38-45.
Appendix
Appraisal (Qualitative)
- Article Title: Comfort in Labor: “Like Being Able to Exhale”
- Student Name(s): [Insert name]