Educating student midwives about compassion: A critical reflection

This article provides a critical reflection upon the author's experiences regarding the development of the ‘Compassionate and Professional Midwife’ module within the undergraduate curriculum at Nottingham University. Traditional definitions of compassion that describe alleviation of suffering do not fully resonate with the philosophy of midwifery, which is to support women through a normal physiological life experience. While the Francis report and the Department of Health and Social Care have stated that healthcare must be compassionate, there is little literature to support how this should be taught in midwifery education.