Application of “Swanson’s Middle Range Caring Theory” in Sweden after miscarriage

Objective: The aim of this study was to apply Swanson’s Middle Range Caring Theory to the follow-up visit with a midwife for Swedish women who have suffered early miscarriage or received care for late missed miscarriage in pregnancy week 18 20. Methods: Twenty-five tape recorded interviews with women four weeks after their early miscarriages and thirteen tape recorded semi-structured interviews with midwives and nurses who had the experience of caring for women who have been diagnosed with a missed miscarriage during a routine ultrasound scan. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and interpreted deductively from the text using the theory. Results: Each woman described her personal experience of miscarriage in the relative terms of a human experience. The midwives and nurses described their experiences with women who received care for missed miscarriage. The interviews included information about the treatment provided by the caregivers during the period afterward of the diagnosis. The caregiver attitude was formed from Swanson’s caring categories: “Maintaining belief”, “knowing”, “being with”, “doing for”, “enabling”. Conclusions: Swanson’s Middle Range Caring Theory as applied to the caregiver includes being emotionally present, giving support with respect for the woman’s dignity, being competent, meeting each woman’s own individual needs. Given the proper care after a miscarriage every woman has the power within herself to improve their wellbeing.