Abstract

SALGUEIRO, Nídia. From virtuous woman to childcare nurse. Rev. Enf. Ref. [online]. 2015, vol.serIV, n.6, pp.115-129. ISSN 0874-0283.  https://doi.org/10.12707/RIV14000.

Context: Life and professional experiences have lead the author to question who the amateur «midwives» were. Were they seen as virtuous or wise women or, on the contrary, did they have a more sombre profile? Could their assistance in childbirth and with the newborn could have coexisted with the exercise of midwives certified by the Public Health Board and graduates of the School of Medicine of Coimbra University and the Medical and Surgical Schools of Lisbon and Porto? Objectives: To construct the profile of the amateur «midwives» from testimonies by privileged informants, to verify whether there was co-existence in the assistance rendered by trained and untrained midwives. Methodology: To establish three great periods, with the conviction that they overlapped and coexisted. This article focuses on the periods: from virtuous woman/amateur to childcare nurse, using semi-structured interviews and by consulting legislation. Results: The analysis of the information points to the profile of virtuous and wise women, although they were not highly educated and had not received formal training, who coexisted with certified midwives. Conclusion: The study confirms the initial assumptions and opens various research perspectives.

Keywords : virtuous woman/amateur; midwife; childcare nurse.

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