
Sally PezaroCoventry University | CU · Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
Sally Pezaro
PhD MSc BA (Hons) PgCAPHE FRCM SFHEA RM
About
84
Publications
13,288
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Introduction
Dr Sally Pezaro is an academic midwife with clinical as well as research and teaching experience.
In 2019, Dr Pezaro was honoured with a first prize award from the Royal Society of Medicine in 'Leading and inspiring excellence in maternity care' and was also runner-up for the British Journal of Midwifery's 'Midwife of the Year' 2019.
Additional affiliations
Education
November 2014 - November 2017
September 2014 - November 2017
August 2011 - September 2014
Publications
Publications (84)
Background:
within challenging work environments, midwives and student midwives can experience both organisational and occupational sources of work-related psychological distress. As the wellbeing of healthcare staff directly correlates with the quality of maternity care, this distress must be met with adequate support provision. As such, the iden...
Childbearing trans and nonbinary people are confronted with the heteronormative and cisgender frameworks that underpin “maternity” services. We explored the educational needs of 108 perinatal staff in the United Kingdom as related to the needs of trans and nonbinary service users. Participants were most confident in formulating care plans and least...
Objective
To co-create expert guidelines for the management of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery in the context of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD).
Design
Scoping Review and Expert Co-creation.
Setting
United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, France, Sweden, Luxembourg, Germany...
Effective communication in relation to pregnancy and birth is crucial to quality care. A recent focus in reproductive healthcare on “sexed language” reflects an ideology of unchangeable sex binary and fear of erasure, from both cisgender women and the profession of midwifery. In this paper, we highlight how privileging sexed language causes harm to...
Aims
With respect to midwives and nurse‐midwife populations (1) measure and (2) explore professional identity and (3) explore how the midwifery profession may be best represented in the public realm.
Design
Convergent Parallel Mixed‐Methods Design.
Methods
A web‐based survey was used to collect data from 860 midwives and nurse‐midwives from 102 c...
Background and aim
Preconceptional care aims to improve health and is influenced by various factors including health literacy. Considering the importance and necessity of high quality preconceptional care, this study aimed to determine the predictors of receiving care and folic acid supplementation prior to pregnancy.
Methods
This cross-sectional...
Background
Compassion is a crucial aspect in the management of pediatric oncology patients as it has the potential to enhance nurse satisfaction levels, thereby further enhancing the quality and safety of the care they deliver. This study aimed to investigate nurses’ understanding and experience of compassionate care when working in pediatric oncol...
Background
Birthing parents need to use specialized skills as the first caregivers of the newborn. Several factors may affect maternal performance, the general health of the birthing parent ( e.g ., mother) being one of them. Yet, there is a paucity of research in this area, particularly in Iran, and evidence remains inconsistent. Consequently, thi...
Background
Child cancer impacts the entire family. However, those who identify as mothers may be most negatively affected due to the societal expectations placed upon them in primary caregiving. This study was conducted with the aim of exploring the lived experiences of mothers of children with cancer and their adaptation to their child’s illness....
Background and Aim
Preconceptual care aiming to improve health is influenced by various factors including health literacy. Considering the importance and necessity of high quality preconceptual care, this study aimed to determine the relationship between health literacy and receiving components of preconceptual care prior to pregnancy.
Methods
Thi...
Background and Objectives
Birthing parents need to use specialized skills as the first caregiver of the newborn. Several factors may affect performance. Yet there is a paucity of research in this area, and evidence remains inconsistent. Consequently, this study aimed to determine maternal performance after childbirth and its predictors.
Methods
Th...
Aims
To outline the theoretical, philosophical, and major assumptions associated with phenomenography and then address the application of a phenomenographical approach within the context of midwifery research.
Background
Phenemonography is a little‐known qualitative research approach amongst the main design traditions of phenomenology, grounded th...
Background
High quality end-of-life care is essential. Yet for those experiencing heart failure, the provision of high-quality end- of -life care can be challenging. The aim of this study was to explore Iranian nurses’ perceptions of the challenges involved in providing of end-of-life care to people with heart failure.
Methods
Conventional content...
Human milk feeding can support premature infants to thrive. Yet those with premature infants can be challenged in human milk production. Considering this, and the use of potentially harmful human milk enhancers, the present study was conducted with the aim of determining the effect of orally consumed Lactuca sativa (L. sativa) syrup (lettuce extrac...
Individuals living with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD) have reported feeling discredited and unsupported by healthcare professionals. However, the level of knowledge about hEDS/HSD among maternity staff remains unknown. Informed by patient and public involvement, this research aimed to investiga...
One in 20 births could be affected by hypermobile Ehlers–Danlos syndrome or Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (hEDS/HSD); however, these are under-diagnosed and lacking research. This study aimed to examine outcomes and complications in people childbearing with hEDS/HSD. A large online international survey was completed by women with experience in c...
Background and Aim: Preconceptual care aiming to improve health is influenced by various factors including health literacy. Considering the importance and necessity of high quality preconceptual care, this study aimed to determine the relationship between health literacy and receiving components of preconceptual care prior to pregnancy.
Methods: Th...
Background: Despite the notorious effects of inadequate physical activity (PA), adopting appropriate interventions to increase PA is still problematic. This study identifies and prioritizes evidence-based strategies to increase PA in Iranian women.
Methods: This is a mixed-method study. A systematic review of clinical interventions was used to stim...
Background and Aim
By creating an international emergency, the COVID-19 pandemic may have led to compromised reproductive health care, including family planning services, and thus increased unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions. This study was conducted to compare methods of contraception, abortion, and unintended pregnancies in those served...
Abstract Background and Aim Reproductive behaviors and intentions are affected by several factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. This study was conducted with the aim of comparing the intention to reproduce and its causes in Iran during the period prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This descriptive-comparative study includ...
Abstract Background Primary dysmenorrhea is considered as one of the women’s main problems during reproductive age. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of vitamin D on the severity of dysmenorrhea and menstrual blood loss. Methods This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, was performed on 84 single female college studen...
Background:
Women with breast cancer in Iran face challenges requiring support. Yet the provision of support may have changed during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic
Objective:
The aim of the present study was to explore the perceptions of women with breast cancer about the support they received during the COVID-19 pandemic
Method...
Background and aim:
Appropriate positioning is crucial to successful breastfeeding and its continuation. Positioning can create, prevent, or correct breastfeeding problems. This study aimed to determine and compare the effects of both the laid-back and cradle positions upon the breastfeeding experiences of primiparous (cisgender) women.
Methods:...
Background and aim
Effective support given by a midwife during labor and childbirth is associated with numerous positive outcomes. Yet the delivery of such support can be hindered by negative workplace cultures. The purpose of the current study was to examine the relationship between attitude and self-efficacy of labor support and labor supportive...
Background and aims
Human milk supports pre-term infants to thrive. Yet human milk production can be inhibited when infants are born prematurely. Pimpinella Anisum has been evidenced to increase milk production and infant weight gain in previous animal studies. The present study aimed to determine the effect of Pimpinella Anisum herbal tea on human...
Background and aim:
Vaccination is the most cost-effective action in preventing infectious diseases. Despite Iran's success in high vaccination coverage, in some areas there is a delay in vaccination. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the effect of education on immunization via lecture and film upon parental delay in vaccination u...
Methods:
An integrative review of the literature was conducted, including peer-reviewed articles published between 2001 and 2022. The following databases were used to search for relevant studies: PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Ovid, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, Magiran, Irandoc, and SID. A process of thematic synthes...
Background and aims
Despite the benefits of physical activity (PA) on maternal and fetal health, the level of PA is low among pregnant women globally. The aim of this study was to determine the barriers to PA and its predictors in Iranian pregnant women specifically.
Methods
This cross-sectional study included 300 pregnant women referred to the Il...
Background & objective:
Continuity of midwifery-led care during labour and birth is considered optimal. To ensure its sustainability in practice where limited evidence is available, the aim of the present study was to explore midwives' lived experiences of delivering continuous midwife-led intrapartum care.
Methods:
This study took a qualitative...
Background & aim: The rate of unnecessary caesarean section are exceptionally high in some countries, including Iran. Though women may choose their mode of delivery, negative feelings of regret and hopelessness can occur in relation to decision-making following birth. Thus, this study aimed to compare regret and hopelessness in primiparous women fo...
The continuity of carer model of care for midwifery is set to roll out exponentially. However, setting up and sustaining midwifery teams primed to deliver this model is a new process for many healthcare professionals. In this article, a case study is presented of a continuity of carer team set up in London to enhance the quality of midwifery care....
Background and aim
Rates of cesarean section in Iran are unnecessarily high largely due to fear of childbirth (FOC), yet this may be reduced through education. Iranian women are keen to obtain information about pregnancy and birth online though sources may not be reliable. Consequently, the present study aimed to compare the effect of childbirth pr...
Prenatal education based on a psychological approach can play a significant role in maternal and neonatal health. The current study aimed to determine the effect of cognitive-behavioral education on childbirth self-efficacy, childbirth fear, and adaption of maternal role among primiparous women. This quasi-experimental study included 74 primiparous...
Objective:
Use a pragmatic mixed methods approach to provide a rich understanding of the perceptions of Problematic Substance Use (PSU) and the influences of PSU on the mental and physical health of midwives registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
Design:
A confidential and anonymous self-administered online survey was employed...
Background Women with breast cancer in Iran face challenges for which they require support. Yet the provision of support may have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the aim of the present study was to explore the perceptions of Iranian women with breast cancer in relation to the support they received during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods T...
There is a global call to optimise antenatal care experiences. Hospitalisation during pregnancy may have a significant impact on the experience of care. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore the needs and lived experiences of those hospitalised during pregnancy. A thematic analysis rooted in interpretive phenomenology was undertaken on the con...
Background
There is insufficient physical activity among women. Yet the implementation of effective, multilevel, and evidence-based interventions may address this. Since the lifestyle of individuals is formed in many different social, physical and cultural contexts, it will be necessary in designing such interventions to involve many stakeholders....
Objectives
To determine the intensity, barriers and correlates of physical activity (PA) in Iranian pregnant women.
Methods
This cross-sectional study was carried out with 300 eligible pregnant women referred to the Ilam health centres and bases using stratified random sampling with proportional allocation. Data collection tools included a demogra...
Background
There are calls to ensure that evidence-based practice is enabled for every midwife and nurse by means of education, research, leadership and access to evidence. Concurrently, there is a global call for universities to foster ‘Research Inspired Teaching’. Yet such teaching must first be defined and may usefully be developed, delivered, a...
Background:
Problematic substance use (PSU) poses occupational, personal and professional risks. As an occupational group, midwives have been under-represented in research on PSU.
Aims:
The aim of this study was to assess self-reported occurrences of PSU, help-seeking behaviours and barriers, and perceptions of impairment in UK-based midwives....
New estimates suggest that cases of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) along with the related hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD) affect approximately 1 in 20 pregnancies globally per year. As such, cases in maternity services should no longer be considered rare, only rarely diagnosed. These conditions can impact upon childbearing in diff...
Background
Pregnancy can affect the amount of physical activity that women engage in, so ensuring adequate physical activity in pregnant women can be a challenge. Therefore, there is a need to explore and identify barriers to physical activity in this population. Consequently, this study was conducted in order to develop and validate a scale to ass...
Problem
Childbearing women from ethnic minority groups in the United Kingdom (UK) have significantly poorer perinatal outcomes overall.
Background
Childbearing women from ethnic minority groups report having poorer experiences and outcomes in perinatal care, and health professionals report having difficulty in providing effective care to them. Yet...
One year on from the first COVID-19 lockdown, is substance use amongst midwives more or less problematic?
Objective: To assess perceptions about vaginal examinations (VEs) during labor among women referred to the Akbarabadi Hospital in Tehran, Iran. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted from December 2015 to May 2016. It included 200 primiparous women. Convenience sampling was used to select participants. The data collection tool was a qu...
Background
Applications for babies to be taken in to care at birth are at a national high. This results in significantly impaired life outcomes.
Aims
To identify therapeutic mechanisms and interventions to support those at risk of having their baby removed from them at birth and explore the literature in this area.
Findings
Overall, eight article...
Objective
: The objective of this systematic integrative review was to review the literature in relation to problematic substance use (PSU) in midwifery populations. Associated aims were to aggregate existing knowledge about midwives and student midwives’ personal engagement in PSU, to generate a holistic conceptualisation and synthesis of existing...
Objective
The Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD) have profound and life-threatening consequences in childbearing as they affect connective tissues throughout the body. Hypermobile EDS (hEDS) and HSD are estimated here for the first time to affect 6 million (4.6%) pregnancies globally per year. The aim of this s...
Background
The success of a reporting system of adverse drug reaction (ADR) depends on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of health care professionals. However, due to lack of knowledge and poor contribution by healthcare workers, ADR remains underreported. To improve safety, proper identification and ADR reporting is necessary.
Objective
This...
A national call for midwives to participate in research to explore their own and others' personal substance use
Sally Nuttall, a registered nurse, and Dr Sally Pezaro, a registered midwife, come together to share ideas in relation to what makes the nursing and midwifery professions so trustworthy
Following the 16-day campaign ‘Orange the world: generation equality stands against rape’, Dr Sally Pezaro discusses its relevance to midwives who experience domestic abuse
Social media is fast becoming a global phenomenon with recent research providing insight into the complex inter-weaving relationship between the media and women and families over the childbirth continuum. Additionally, a growing body of evidence demonstrates a major cultural shift in the agency and information-seeking practices of women through soc...
The World Health Organization has declared 2020 as the international year of the midwife and nurse—Dr Sally Pezaro details how midwives can maximise this opportunity
It's not just women who are giving birth in the birth room. Here, Dr Sally Pezaro reflects on how we may be missing important opportunities to support the birthing transgender community more effectively
High-quality research leads to high-quality midwifery practice. Dr Sally Pezaro outlines how you can get involved in producing the evidence that makes a real difference to women
The future of the midwifery profession holds many exciting opportunities for those looking for new challenges and aspiring to make a difference. Apart from clinical practice, midwives can now enjoy a multitude of career avenues within the profession, which offer alternative pathways to having an impact. This article explores how academic midwifery...
Background: The HOPE Programme© is a self-management course developed with people living with and beyond cancer and licensed by Macmillan Cancer Support to be delivered across the UK. Despite this, delivery is inconsistent across regions. The aim of this research was to examine barriers and successes of implementation to improve future delivery.
M...
2018 NCRI Cancer conference published abstract - number 21
Background
Some midwives experience work-related psychological distress. This can reduce the quality and safety of maternity services, yet there are few interventions to support midwives.
Aim
To explore and voice the perceptions of new mothers in relation to the barriers to receiving high-quality maternity care, the psychological wellbeing of midw...
ABSTRACT
Those diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) perceive a lack of awareness
among healthcare professionals and consequently describe delays in access to appropriate
healthcare services. This is significant for maternity services, as the prevalence of obstetric issues
affecting women with hEDS is much greater than in the...
Some midwives experience work-related psychological distress. This can reduce the quality and safety of maternity services, yet there are few interventions to support midwives. Our aim was to explore and voice the perceptions of new mothers in relation to the barriers to receiving high-quality maternity care, the psychological wellbeing of midwives...
Objectives: The HOPE Programme© is a cancer survivors’ self-management course delivered by Macmillan Cancer Support across the UK. This delivery is inconsistent across regions and so the aim was to examine barriers and successes of implementation.
Design: 7 focus groups and 14 interviews were completed across 3 UK regions using an Interpretive Des...
Background
Midwife health is intrinsically linked to the quality of safe patient care. To ensure safe patient care, there is a need to deliver emotional support to midwives. One option that midwives may turn to may be a confidential online intervention, instead of localised, face-to-face support.
Research design
Following the Realist And MEta-narr...
Background:
Compassion is a core value embedded in the concept of quality in healthcare. The need for compassion toward healthcare staff in the workplace, for their own health and well-being and also to enable staff to deliver compassionate care for patients, is increasingly understood. However, we do not currently know how healthcare staff unders...
The psychological wellbeing of midwives can be linked to the safety and quality of maternity care. As such, work-related psychological distress in midwifery populations must be addressed in order to meet the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals for maternal health. Earlier research maps out a global vision, using telemedicine and e/mHealth...
The Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS) are an underdiagnosed group of conditions with implications and risks associated with childbearing. Those with EDS suggest that health professionals lack of awareness in this area, and consequently describe delays in access to appropriate healthcare services. This article draws on the existing international evidenc...
Abstract:
Work-related psychological distress in midwifery populations has been linked to the quality and safety of services. The perceptions of new mothers in relation to this have yet to be incorporated into future workforce research planning.
This Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) study explores the perceptions of new mothers in relation t...
Background:
Healthcare staff that show compassion towards patients tend to be more effective at delivering care. Latterly, the concept of compassion has been applied to the way in which healthcare is designed and delivered at the organisational level. Given healthcare employers have a responsibility to ensure the health and safety of their staff, a...
Background:
Compassionate care for patients is a central tent of healthcare. The need for compassion towards healthcare staff in the workplace is increasingly understood. However, we don’t currently know how healthcare staff understand and characterise compassion towards themselves rather than patients.
Methods:
We utilised social media for the ge...
Background:
Midwives experience episodes of work-related psychological distress owing to the emotionally difficult and traumatic work environments they endure. There is a need to develop interventions to effectively support midwives, as the wellbeing of midwives can be directly correlated with the quality and safety of maternity care.
Aims:
This p...
Background:
Some midwives are known to experience both professional and organizational sources of psychological distress, which can manifest as a result of the emotionally demanding midwifery work, and the traumatic work environments they endure. An online intervention may be one option midwives may engage with in pursuit of effective support. How...
Abstract Pezaro S (2016) Addressing
psychological distress in midwives. Nursing
Times; 112: 8, 22-23.
Evidence shows midwives may experience
psychological distress resulting from their
work and working cultures. They may
continue to work when they do not feel
well enough, which is not conducive to
providing high-quality maternity care. This
article...
What should be prioritised in the development of an online intervention designed to support midwives in work-related psychological distress? An exploratory Delphi Survey.
Sally Pezaro1*
1 Coventry University, Centre for Technology Enabled Health Research (CTEHR), United Kingdom
Background
The need to improve the health and wellbeing of National...
Abstract
Problem
Midwifery practice is emotional and, at times, traumatic work. Cumulative exposure to this, in an unsupportive environment can result in the development of psychological and behavioural symptoms of distress.
Background
As there is a clear link between the wellbeing of staff and the quality of patient care, the issue of midwife w...
The development of an online intervention designed to effectively support midwives in work-related psychological distress will be challenging due to the ethical, practical, and therapeutic issues surrounding its design. Related literature suggests that midwives may require an anonymous, confidential, and therapeutic platform that facilitates amnest...
Abstract
Background
The first responder, faced with any obstetric incident, frequently finds themselves within a dichotomy of multi-tasking activities. One challenge for the midwife, is to keep accurate and contemporaneous medical records, whilst simultaneously providing immediate clinical care.
Aim
This paper aims to propose an innovative conce...