ABSTRACT
There are many ways to describe the multiple facets of the midwife’s role. This book uses a patchwork model approach to depict the role in seven distinct elements that are closely and seamlessly aligned: professional; clinician; companion; advocate; educator; researcher; and leader. This is to demonstrate the many aspects of the midwife’s daily transitions; however, in reality they merge and overlap in a much more complex way. This chapter begins with the international definition of a midwife to summarise what a midwife does, before providing a summary of how the seven elements of the patchwork model capture the main facets of the midwife’s role. It goes on to use the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s Code as a framework to illustrate how these key components interface and overlap. Vignettes from women are used to illustrate their perceptions of care during childbirth.
