Dear Lactnet Friends:

Midwifery. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23466012#> 2013 Mar 1. pii:
S0266-6138(13)00002-8. doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2012.12.014. [Epub ahead of
print]
Professionalisation of a breast-feeding peer support service: Issues and
experiences of peer supporters.
Aiken A<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Aiken%20A%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=23466012>
, Thomson G<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Thomson%20G%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=23466012>
.
 Source

School of Health, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE, UK.
 Abstract
OBJECTIVES:

to describe the issues faced by breast-feeding peer supporters as their
roles altered from a voluntary to a professionalised role with targets,
accountability and more formalised interface with health professionals.
DESIGN:

a descriptive qualitative study utilising group and individual
semi-structured interviews, with thematic network analysis.
SETTING:

19 breast-feeding peer supporters were consulted from one peer support
service located in the UK.
FINDINGS:

thematic network analysis of the peer supporter data generated a global
theme of 'Professionalising Breast-feeding Peer Support'. The three
underpinning organising themes (and their associated basic themes):
'visibility and communication', 'guardianship of knowledge' and 'roles and
boundaries' revealed the early and transitional tensions and anxieties that
peer supporters faced when their role altered from a voluntary position to
a formal model of service delivery, particularly within the clinical
environment.
CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE:

professionalisation of peer support can lead to benefits in terms of
providing a standardised and comprehensive service with increased capacity
for service provision. However, the transitional difficulties faced by the
peer supporters as they moved from a voluntary into a professionalised role
included a lack of identity; restricted time to care for new mothers;
pressures and anxieties of meeting targets and accountability of case
recording and the hostility and gatekeeping practices experienced amongst
some of the health professionals. Flexible systems incorporating
service-user involvement and needs-led strategies may help to overcome
these issues.

warmly,
Nikki Lee RN, BSN, Mother of 2, MS, IBCLC, CCE, CIMI, ANLC, CKC
Author:* Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Breastfeeding Therapy*
www.breastfeedingalwaysbest.com
https://www.facebook.com/nikkileehealth

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome