Thank you for your interest in the GBDSI, the Gilliland Birth Doula Skills Inventory!
We’re so grateful for your help in spreading the word about this important study and encouraging doulas to participate.
Why This Matters
For decades, others have tried to define what doulas do—physicians, nurses, administrators, and now even politicians and policymakers. They’re creating laws that shape how we’re paid and how we practice.
But these definitions haven’t come from us—and they aren’t based on data that reflect who we really are.
The GBDSI is different.
It’s created by doulas, for doulas—rooted in our lived experience and professional expertise.
What Is the GBDSI?
The GBDSI recognizes the depth and sophistication of doula work. It identifies 30 specific skills across five key domains:
- Client-Centered Presence & Relationship Skills
- Communication & Advocacy
- Practical Support Skills
- Clinical Knowledge & Situational Awareness
- Identity & Professionalism
The GBDSI was developed to:
- Clearly define birth doula skills
- Accurately describe our unique scope of practice and skill set
- Measure how doulas grow from Novice to Expert
- Empower doulas to advocate for fair wages, better working conditions, and supportive health policies
With the GBDSI, We Can:
- Align pay and working hours with actual skill level
- Define our Scope of Practice for policymakers
- Validate our role within the healthcare system
- Strengthen grant proposals with real evidence
- Recognize the true value of our own skills
- Distinguish between essential labor support skills and those that come with professionalization of the role
Want to Participate?
We warmly invite you to join this study.
Who is eligible to participate?
- A trained or apprenticed* birth doula who
- Has attended at least 4 labors and births
- Read English fluently (for English version)
- Does not use clinical skills in another capacity (nursing assistant, midwifery assistant, nurse, provider, etc.)
*Trained means you have taken a formal doula training. Apprenticed means that you have learned at bedside from a doula (not a midwife or nurse) in ethics and professional standards of practice.
FAQ – Background on the GBDSI
Where did the skills in the GBDSI come from?
Since 2002, Dr. Amy L. Gilliland has been interviewing birth doulas from the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands. She has conducted 65 in-depth interviews, each lasting 90 to 120 minutes. In addition to her academic work, Dr. Gilliland has also attended births as a doula and trained others in the profession.
The skills listed in the GBDSI emerged from two primary sources:
- Storytelling and Reflection
During interviews, doulas were encouraged to share real-life stories and reflections. These stories were analyzed line by line, asking: “What skill or quality is this story illustrating?” - Wisdom for New Doulas
Near the end of each interview, participants were asked: “If a new doula were sitting with us today, what skills or qualities would you tell them to focus on?”
This grounded, real-world approach ensures that the GBDSI truly reflects what doulas themselves view as essential to their work.
How were the levels—Novice, Advanced Beginner, Seasoned, Proficient, and Expert—developed?
The five skill levels in the GBDSI are inspired by the Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition, originally developed by two brothers and later applied to nursing by Patricia Benner. Her book, From Novice to Expert, has become a foundational text in nursing education and helped elevate the profession’s status.
In the doula interviews, however, something unique emerged: doulas often described themselves as “seasoned” after attending 60–80 births. One doula remarked, “By that time, you’re seasoned.” This term felt more authentic and resonant than “proficient,” which appears in the original model.
In qualitative research, it’s important to honor the language used by participants. That’s why the GBDSI uses “Seasoned” as a distinct stage in the progression of doula expertise.
How were the skills organized and validated?
As analysis progressed, it became clear that doulas with different levels of experience viewed situations—and responded to them—very differently. These patterns were carefully examined to find common ground:
- What do doulas with similar experience levels have in common?
- When faced with similar situations, why did some doulas think, feel, or act differently?
From these patterns, the 30 skills in the GBDSI were developed—each one grounded in the real stories, decisions, and reflections of doulas in practice.
Here is a LINK to the published paper in Frontiers in Global Women’s Health https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/global-womens-health/articles/10.3389/fgwh.2025.1604410/full
Why Is It Called the Gilliland Birth Doula Skills Inventory?
• This tool comes from 24 years of listening, research, and hands-on work with doulas. In the academic world, it’s customary to name an instrument after the person who developed it, so others can easily reference and build on the work.
• Future versions may emerge—and that’s a good thing. Knowledge grows through collaboration. This inventory is one contribution, rooted in the voices and lived experiences of doulas themselves.
• Communities often shape the language they use over time. Just as other well-known tools evolved in how people referred to them, this inventory may take on its own community-held name as it becomes part of our shared landscape.
• Many of us—especially women and gender-marginalized people—have been taught not to put our names on our work. Choosing to name this tool is a way of honoring the labor, rigor, and care that went into creating it. It also makes it easier for others to find, study, and use.
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