MIDIRS Essence > September 2010 > MIDIRS

Looking for the right information – where to start

Originally posted on Sept 2010

by Fran Galloway, Midwifery Lecturer, Anglia Ruskin University

As a midwifery lecturer I am always trying to keep abreast of the latest research and it is always a challenge when there is a plethora of information out there in various guises. Where do you go to find the best, up to date information to inform your practice or, in my case, facilitate learning for students?

A hot topic at the moment, with the launch of the CMACE/RCOG (Modder & Fitzsimmons 2010) guideline and NICE (2010) guidance is obesity, weight management in pregnancy and related health problems such as diabetes. There seems to be almost daily reporting in papers and news programmes in relation to this topic and it evokes some strong emotions! Where do we start to review the literature in order to inform the care that we give to women? As midwives we need to know the relevant guidance; however, we also need to understand where that guidance has gleaned its information and be able to critique and evaluate the care advised. It is important to read the research articles referenced, as well as any new information and research that may have been recently published, in order to provide evidence-based, informed midwifery practice. The CMACE/RCOG guideline (Modder & Fitzsimmons 2010) has 77 references alone and it would be impossible to read all the articles cited.

It can often be a daunting task finding original articles and then reading and understanding the sometimes very complex information within them. Using library search engines can help in finding the original articles; however this is not available to all.

The MIDIRS Midwifery Digest and MIDIRS information service have now been around for some 20 years and have been an invaluable resource for us all to use. Now MIDIRS have gone one step further in their new publication Essentially MIDIRS.

Whereas MIDIRS Midwifery Digest reproduces complete articles, Essentially MIDIRS offers a unique service through its ‘Update’ section, which delivers abstracts of articles and documents that have been sourced by the MIDIRS information team from over 550 journals and other sources. The abstracts are well laid out and clear, making them easy to read and understand. It also enables an overview of the research methods and conclusions from the studies.

I feel that this feature will assist midwives and midwifery students in understanding research papers and allow them to understand how to identify the key areas when reading full texts. Another aspect of the 'Update' section within the magazine is news from the Cochrane library and abstracts of the latest reviews that relate to midwifery practice.

In the first publication (June 2010) I particularly liked the article on page 27 on another hot topic Antibiotics for Group B Strep: are they effective? (Wickham 2010). The summary and discussion of this Cochrane review is useful to use as a trigger for students to discuss and evaluate not only the research, but women’s feelings and the ethics around researching into such an emotive topic.

Another key tool that the journal has is a personal reflective log, which can be torn out and placed in portfolios. Students and midwives will value this for its ease of use in providing evidence of continuing professional development.

As an admissions tutor I come across potential candidates asking what they can do to gain insights into the midwifery profession. I guide them toward the RCM website and key texts and journals that they should look at. I am also certainly going to suggest Essentially MIDIRS as it is reasonably priced and its range of articles will appeal to all levels of knowledge and understanding in the midwifery profession.

I am sure we will all find Essentially MIDIRS a very useful addition to our armoury in the constant battle to remain up to date in the ever changing world of midwifery.

About Fran Galloway

I have a passion for normal midwifery and home birth having been a community midwife. I have also been an RCM steward for many years and have a keen interest in supporting colleagues and promoting good working relationships.

As senior lecturer in midwifery at Anglia Ruskin I am undertaking a research project in student’s perceptions of being fine graded in the practice environment. I am the admissions tutor for pre-registration pathway at ARU.

Fran Galloway BA (Hons), RM, PGDip, Senior Lecturer Midwifery Anglia Ruskin University

References

• Modder J, Fitzsimmons KJ (2010). Management of women with obesity in pregnancy. London: CMACE/RCOG.
  
  
• National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (2010). Dietary interventions and physical activity interventions for weight management before, during and after pregnancy. London: NICE.
  
  
• Wickham S (2010). Antibiotics for Group B Strep: are they effective? Essentially MIDIRS 1(1):27-30.

Fran Galloway | Senior Lecturer Midwifery | Anglia Ruskin University | Photo credit: Fran Galloway

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