The experiences, knowledge and education of nurses and midwives about the rainbow-families in nursing practice

Abstract

The purpose of the thesis was to research the experiences of the nursing professionals in maternity care about rainbow-families. Furthermore, the purpose was to discover the professional knowledge and education that the nurses and midwives have about the non-hetero families, and the need for additional knowledge and education about this issue.

Data was collected via questionnaires with closed- and open-ended questions, within May-July 2010. The target group of the research was the midwife and nursing professionals working in maternity-, children’s welfare- and family planning clinics in Kokkola, as well as delivery ward, and maternity- and gynecological policlinics of Central hospital of Central Ostrobothnia. The amount of returned questionnaires was 47.

The findings of the research showed that majority of the nurses and midwives have met rainbow-families in their work, and the interactions with these families were mostly positive or neutral. Furthermore, from the research emerged that the nursing professionals lacked sufficient professional knowledge as well as education concerning these families