The conference was led by Dorota Cholewicka - supervisor of SKN Etyki at the Department of Gynecological and Obstetric Didactics. Dr. Cholewicka welcomed participants and gave the floor to special guests. The audience was addressed by Prof. Zbigniew Gaciong, Rector of the Medical University of Warsaw, who wished all midwives happiness in their professional work, and wished midwifery students to be guided by passion and interest when choosing their career path. Dr. hab. Justyna Teliga-Czajkowska, Vice-Dean for Obstetrics of WNoZ and chairwoman of the conference scientific committee, emphasized the role played by scientific activity in midwifery. – The fact that you broaden your theoretical knowledge enhances your attitude to work and improves the standard of care you provide to the patient. The increasingly higher level of scientific development that you achieve also makes your work more and more satisfying – emphasized the Vice-Dean.
The inaugural lecture, entitled "The professional role of a midwife", was delivered by Kamila Kraszewska, President of SKN Etyki. The speaker recalled the history of obstetrics and the most important dates and facts that led to changes in the legal system regulating midwifery. She emphasized that, as a result of legislative changes, the competences of midwives are becoming broader, and the scope for further education and scientific development is also increasing. She also recalled the World Health Organization (WHO) proclaiming 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and Midwife. This was an expression of recognition for the role of these professions in the health care system, which coincided with the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. - The crisis situation in the world has shown how important the role of the midwife is and has forced a new approach to the development of professional competences of midwives and their practical use in the health care system, particularly for COVID-19 patients – she said. Finally, she presented the results of CBOS reports on professions enjoying the greatest public trust: the nurse and midwife still occupy some of the leading positions in them. - The midwife has ceased to be associated only with caring for women giving birth. She also has to provide services that are important to society as a whole, in the field of counselling and health education. She summed up her speech by saying – What's more, not only does midwifery provides these services to women, but also to their families and entire communities, in the field of prenatal education and preparing young people for parental roles.
What does the work of midwives and their level of independence look like in different European countries? The situation in Poland, Norway, Germany, Denmark, Greece and the Netherlands was presented by various speakers during the first session. After each speech, the participants of the event debated the issues raised. Among the issues discussed was the Norwegian model of confining the work of midwives to maternity wards, excluding gynecological wards, where only nurses work, or the Greek model, as well as the inability to train midwives in second-cycle studies. During the second session, the experiences of patients whose pregnancy was monitored by a midwife, independent midwives working at the Birth Centre as well as the standard of care provided during the physiological puerperium were all discussed.
One feature of the event was a poster session presenting various aspects of obstetric care for a woman in sickness and in health. The presentation was made in the form of a competition. In addition, students from the Medical University of Warsaw and the Jagiellonian University Medical College were awarded for their works.
During the conference, fourteen third-year students of obstetrics at WNoZ, who took part in the second edition of the "Midwife of the Future – National Knowledge Olympiad" competition, were also distinguished. Five of them also received awards for achieving the highest score in the first stage of the competition.
Apart from the above-mentioned persons, the event was attended by Dr. hab. Łukasz Czyżewski, Vice Dean for Nursing at WNoZ, Dr. Beata Szlendak MD, deputy director of the Center for Postgraduate Education of Nurses and Midwives, Ewa Piotrkowska, director of the Dutchess Anna Mazowiecka Clinical Hospital, Dr. Wojciech Puzyna, President of the Management Board of the "Żelazna" sp. z o.o.” Medical Center, as well as long-serving academic teachers - Maria Kocent and Bożena Majkowska - and employees of the Department of Gynecological and Obstetric Didactics at the Medical University of Warsaw.
