Ronell Leech

Experiences of Emotional Abuse Among Women Living With HIV and AIDS in Malawi

Our aim for this study was to describe emotional abuse as it is experienced by women living with HIV and AIDS in Malawi. The study was conducted in the Lilongwe district in Malawi and used a descriptive phenomenological approach. Twelve women from two public health care clinics under the Lilongwe District Health Office were interviewed. Violating experiences that scarred the personhood and inherent value of being human were found to be the essence of their emotional abuse. Their husbands, family, and community members were responsible for the humiliation, abandonment, and blaming that caused them to feel hopeless.

Becoming the mother of a child with disabilities: a systematic literature review

ABSTRACT The transition to motherhood starts early in pregnancy and is completed when the mother feels competent in caring for the infant. Becoming the mother of a child with disabilities is demanding as their needs are complex. The aim of the review was to appraise completed qualitative and quantitative reports on the challenges of mothers of children with disabilities regarding their own transition to motherhood. A review of the literature was carried out through, first, a computerized search strategy to identify relevant studies from selected databases and, second, quality appraisal and thematic analysis of selected studies. The transition to motherhood of children with disabilities takes place in the inside world at home, the outside world external to home and the ‘going-between’ world of travelling between the two worlds. The mothers are challenged at home to integrate basic infant care with technical care of their children. In the outside world they often struggled to ensure that their children got the necessary professional care. Travelling between their homes and healthcare services posed many problems.

Process of development of a contemporary curriculum in advanced midwifery

Background We identified the need for a contemporary curriculum to enhance education in advanced midwifery. Midwifery education needs to address the changing health needs, meet the requirements of the educational framework in South Africa and align with international trends. Aim The aim was to describe the development of a contemporary curriculum for advanced midwifery. Setting The curriculum development took place at a South African university. Method We used a situational analysis to create a contemporary curriculum based on the Research Development and Diffusion Model. Results We described the process followed for the situation analysis towards the development of a contemporary curriculum in advanced midwifery which is aligned with global trends. Conclusion A situation analysis of the existing curriculum, the community and country’s maternal and neonatal needs, educational framework and global trends should be used to develop the intended contemporary curriculum.