Challenges and Considerations of Professional Ethics in Midwifery During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Content Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic is a public health emergency that has challenged many ethical issues. This study aimed to investigate the challenges and considerations of midwifery professional ethics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing qualitative content analysis, raw data were collected through an extensive literature review, utilizing purposive sampling until data saturation was achieved. Data trustworthiness was ensured based on Lincoln and Guba's criteria and data were analyzed using an inductive method. A total of 4 themes and 17 main categories were extracted. The themes and categories included: 1. Ethical challenges in deciding on midwifery care and place of delivery (ethical challenges of home birth, ethical challenges of hospital delivery, facing ethical challenges), 2. Clinical ethical principles (beneficence, equitable distribution and justice, solidarity, trust, duty to care), 3. Ethical principles in management (equal concern and respect, minimizing harm caused by the pandemic, inter-sectoral cooperation, evidence-based decision-making), 4. Support for midwives' rights (psychological support for midwives, gender considerations among midwives, midwifery training, workplace health, support policies). Midwives encounter various ethical challenges in pandemics. Thus, developing an ethical framework for decision-making in pandemics can help address these challenges.