The Australian College of Midwives Incorporated, Victorian Branch is
appalled at the agreed upon ratios for midwives negotiated by the
Australian Nurses Federation - Victorian Branch.
The ANF believes that satisfactory care can be provided for women during
pregnancy and childbirth with the following ratios.
Morning shift: 1 midwife to 5 antenatal or postnatal women
Afternoon shift: 1 midwife to 6 antenatal or postnatal women
Night shift: 1 midwife to 10 antenatal or postnatal women.
Midwives will be expected to care for 1.5 labouring women.
To agree that midwives can adequately care for 1.5 women in labour
undermines not only the profession but the very essence of women and
families. What is important to the ANF - obviously not midwives or women
and their families.
It is well established that women have better outcomes, less intervention
rates and greater satisfaction when they receive one on one care during
labour. When caring for postnatal women midwives also provide care for
their babies - in effect the ANF supports midwives caring for 20 clients
(mothers and babies) overnight!
Midwifery is facing a workforce crisis. Currently within this country it
takes at least 5 years to become a midwife - the longest education
timeframe for midwives in the world. The workforce is aging, we are not
recruiting nor are we retaining midwives to ensure a safe level of care for
women in this country. Ratios such as these will do little to relieve the
midwifery workforce crisis.
The introduction of the above ratios by the ANF, without consultation of
the professional organisation (ACMI Vic Branch), makes a mockery of what
many midwives believed would be better working conditions and a subsequent
improvement in care for women.
The ACMI Vic Branch demands the ANF Vic Branch continue negotiations on
behalf of midwives. ANF accepts membership fees from midwives but is
obviously not representing them on industrial issues - what members pay
their fees for.
The ACMI Vic Branch urges midwives and mothers to contact the ANF voicing
their concern about the negotiated ratios.
Contact ACMI Vic Branch on 9349 1110 or me on 5444 7546 to voice your
concerns.
Fran Sheean
President
ACMI Vic Branch.
Fran Sheean
Lecturer in Midwifery and Nursing
School of Health and Environment
La Trobe University, Bendigo
PO Box 199
Bendigo 3552
Phone +61 (0) 3 5444 7546
Fax +61 (0) 3 5444 7977
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