Module 04:
Promoting Respectful Maternity and Newborn Care
Welcome to the fourth module in the ERMC course. This module has been developed to further your knowledge of the consequences of disrespectful care for women during labor and birth and ways to promote ERMC. A list of resource requirements to promote ERMC is also provided, as well as an example of a case scenario of providing ERMC. Finally, this module will end with a post-course completion survey that includes reflection on equity and respect in maternity care.
Module 04:
Promoting Respectful Maternity and Newborn Care
Welcome to the fourth module in the ERMC course. This module has been developed to further your knowledge of the consequences of disrespectful care for women during labor and birth and ways to promote ERMC. A list of resource requirements to promote ERMC is also provided, as well as an example of a case scenario of providing ERMC. Finally, this module will end with a post-course completion survey that includes reflection on equity and respect in maternity care.
Strategies For Effective Patient-Centered Communication
Let us explore some inspiring strategies for effective patient-centered communication
Use clear explanations, acknowledge anxieties or past experiences, and respond to questions with open, realistic, and honest answers (Hilder et al., 2020).
Ask open-ended questions, accept patient’s answers without judgment, and restate the patient’s expressed goals to clarify understanding (Scaffidi & Padden-Denmead, 2020).
Take time to acknowledge and support specific cultural beliefs and practices (Boyle et al., 2020).
Echo language is used by the patient, such as referring to the fetus or newborn by name, using correct gender pronouns, and incorporating relational terms such as mother, father, son, and daughter (Griggs et al., 2020: VII). Some women perceive the use of certain words, such as “fetus,” as trivializing or dehumanizing their experience (White et al., 2019).
Establish mutual trust with women (Bringedal & Aune, 2019).