Critical Review of Theory-Maternal Role Attainment Essay

Mercers (1984) enate Role acquirement (MRA) theory was built upon Rubins (1967) earlier work on achievement of the matriarchalistic role. Maternal role attainment is defined as a process in which the mother achieves competency in the role and integrates the mothering behaviors into her set up role set, so that she is comfortable in her identity as a mother (Mercer, 1984, p. 198). Mercer has extensively studied the process of MRA with a focus on mothers of normal newborns. Purpose of ArticleAccording to Miles, Holditch-Davis, Burchinal, and Brunssen, (2011), one of the purposes of their bailiwick was to bring out the most important maternal and infant behaviors in measuring the components of MRA in mothers of medically fragile infants. Another purpose was to examine the impact of specialized maternal and infant qualities on the components of MRA over the first year of life story (Miles et al., 2011). Finally the authors hoped to contribute to nursing science about MRA with th is rare cosmos of infants (Miles et al., 2011, p. 21) as there has been little research regarding the process of MRA in mothers of medically fragile infants. Critical Elements of the TheoryThe authors assumed that maternal identity would be delayed because of difficulty in taking on agnate roles with infants requiring mellowed levels of mete out (Miles et al., 2011). They also surmised that maternal presence would decresase as the infants became older and health increased (Miles et al., 2011). And finally competence would increase as the mother conditioned how to meet the health-related needs of her infant and was able to participate more full in care activities (Miles et al., 2011). The assumptions regarding presence and competence were proven correct accord to study results however, maternal identity was not delayed in the study participants. The major concepts related to this study allow maternal identity, maternal competence and maternal presence. The authors identified c haracteristics of the infant system as functional adulthood and severity of the childs illness.Characteristics of the maternal system accommodated illness-related distress, enjoyment with family, marital status, educational level, and ethnicity (Miles et al., 2011). Characteristics of the infant and maternalsystems impact mother-infant interactions. According to the study, maternal identity was influenced only by worry. Maternal presence was only influenced by infant alertness. However maternal competence was related to infant alertness, parental role alteration stress during hospitalization, education and marital status (Miles et al., 2011). Referents include maternal confidence in role, the get along of participation in care activities for the infant, physical closeness to the infant, the quality of care given and interaction with the infant. supposititious Definitions and Empirical ReferentsMaternal identity is defined by the authors as the mothers perceptions and feelings o f egotism as the mother of her infant (Miles et al., 2011, p. 22). The authors defined maternal competence as the quality of her parental caregiving and interaction and maternal presence as the amount of caregiving and physical closeness displayed with or felt towards her infant (Miles et al., 2011, p. 22). Empirical referents include Maternal Identity Scale Critically ill infant (MIS), Maternal interview rating, naturalistic observations of mother-infant interactions and the home observation for measurement of the home milieu (HOME) (Miles et al., 2011).ReferencesMercer, R. T. (1984). The process of maternal role attainment over the first year. breast feeding Research, 34, 198-204. Miles, M. S., Holditch-Davis, D., Burchinal, M. R., & Brunssen, S. (2011). Maternal role attainment with medically fragile infants bit 1. criterion and correlates during the first year of life. Research in Nursing & Health, 34, 20-34. Rubin, R. (1967). Attainment of the maternal role Part 1. Processe s. Nursing Research, 16, 237-245. Rubin, R. (1967). Attainment of the maternal role Part 2. Models and refferants. Nursing Research, 16, 342-351.