Between the ideal and the possible: initial experiences of midwives in the Unified Health System of São Paulo

Abstract

Considering the recent public system marketplace insertion of Midwives graduates by the Direct-entry Midwifery Program of the School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities of University of São Paulo, this study aimed to analyze how the inclusion of these professionals in public health services happened. In this sense, a descriptive and qualitative research was conducted in 2014. The study participants comprised eight graduates of Direct-entry Midwifery Program who were working in public health hospitals that are part of the Unified Health System of São Paulo, Brazil. Data collection occurred through semi-structured interview with guiding questions about the experiences of the Midwives in their work in the health institutions. The analysis enabled the design of four thematic categories: The Midwives in hospitals: estrangement not to know what it is; Practices and challenges in integration of Midwives in the Unified Health System; Between the ideal and the possible: the daily work in the Unified Health System; The effect of Midwives work among women. The reports show that there are several challenges facing the midwifery setting in public hospitals, not only for Midwives as well as for other health professionals, and especially for women and babies, which indicates that small changes in the routine work is only possible because it are held collectively and contribute to the strengthening of the Unified Health System.