Ethos and pathos in the delivery room.

Objective: To understand the ethos and pathos in the discourses of pregnant women and healthcare professionals in the context of the delivery room.

Method: This is a qualitative and interpretative study. The research approach was discourse analysis. The study participants were 36 women and 24 health workers from seven maternity hospitals in midwestern Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Results: The discourses indicate the notion the women have of childbirth, centered in the eyes of others and in their representations. The nurses have difficulty operationalising care and building a professional image. The medical discourse stresses the skills, the ability to intervene in high-risk situations, and changes in the status of the profession.

Conclusions: The construction of the ethos of physicians and nurses to essential to design more flexible fields of knowledge and ensure a professional performance that is consistent with their role, committed to the ethical and legal issues of obstetric care.