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Bonding is a complex phenomenon that occurs during a significant phase for the mother and her infant. However, the definition and use of the term bonding, frequently misleads because of the inclination to refine and oversimplify the attachment phenomenon. The objective of this concept analysis is, therefore, to clarify the meaning of this concept with specific reference to maternal-infant bonding. Adopting Walker and Avant's (2005) adaptation of Wilson's (1963) concept analysis procedure, bonding, as a concept, is analysed to arrive at a clearer and more accurate meaning. This analysis presents definitions and defining characteristics of bonding. Antecedents and consequences of maternal-infant bonding are also explored, while model, contrary and borderline cases are presented to further enhance clarity and thereby inform operational definitions. Implications for nursing and midwifery practice are discussed.

Effective use of resources in healthcare research is essential in meeting the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 to achieve universal health coverage, increase retention of healthcare workers, and strengthen the capacity of all countries to reduce risk and manage global health risks; the World Health Organization (WHO) also identifies nursing research as an important piece of the framework for improving global healthcare. Determining research priorities to reduce redundancy and ensure a solid evidence base for practice is especially critical in resource-limited countries or those facing healthcare crises such as those in the Middle East. To identify regional research priorities for nursing, focus group discussions composed of hospitalbased nurses were conducted in Egypt, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. Forty-eight percent of research priorities were nearly the same as those identified as critical by regional nursing leadership in a previous study, demonstrating consistency between clinicianand administrator-identified research priorities, and suggesting healthcare administrators are well attuned to the research needs of clinicians. Both groups identified critical gaps in population and community health research. Across countries, research priorities identified were related to nursing workforce, health systems research, and quality of care, representing critical issues needing investigation to build a solid evidence base for nursing practice.

In this article, field note data on the birth of one Saudi Arabian woman is used as an illustration of how the medicalisation of childbirth has been appropriated and reinterpreted in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Clinical decisions relating to the use of interventions during childbirth are both complex and socially negotiated. The findings reflect the complexity of the use of interventions during the second stage of labor and the multiple influences on professionals' practices. We have shown how three key influences interact to shape clinical decision-making during the second stage of labor in this cultural setting and how the use of medical interventions can be analyzed as an illustration of the power dynamic in the maternity health care system. We suggest that written policies are insufficient to bring about evidence-based practice and approaches to change need to take into account these different levels of influence.