ABSTRACT
Objective
to reflect on the role of certified nurse-midwives in caring for women during parturition from the theoretical perspective of Epistemologies of the South.
Method
this is a reflective study based on literature narrative review.
Results
after reading and critically analyzing the selected documents, and based on Epistemologies of the South theoretical framework, two thematic axes for reflection emerged, namely: Decolonization of knowledge: performance of nurse-midwives in rearranging a model of care for women during parturition; and Post-abyssal thinking and knowledge ecology vs humanized practices in childbirth and birth care.
Conclusion and Implications for practice
nurse-midwives contribute to the valorization of the knowledge of few expressive social groups (minorities), oppressed before the hegemony of a care model. Their professional attitude seeks integration of different knowledge. Reflection on nursing-midwifery care from the perspective of Epistemologies of the South may prompt discussion about current nursing-midwife practices in order to encourage adoption of qualified and humanized care for women during childbirth.
Keywords:
Obstetric Nursing; Humanizing Childbirth; Knowledge; Professional Practica; Womens’s Rights