RE: [ozmidwifery] Bullying - doing something about it

[Heartlogic]

Judy wrote:

With regard to the workload, I have just found out that the position I left last december has not been filled and more FTE have been cut from the staffing. Antenatal education is suffering and the workload is the same.

I really don't know how the management (not midwife friendly) expects quality care. These hospital philosophies mean nothing when they keep doing this. Forcing such workloads is bullying in itself but I am sure they would not recognise this.

Judy

Yes, it is bullying Judy and no, they don't recognise it for what it is - because 'they' are so divorced from being 'with people' (aka with woman)  -  'they' haven't got a clue as to the reality of our work - and so we have to tell them that the way 'they' construct our work environment is abusive. 

 

The CEO of our place is a doctor whose background is pathology. The general manager is a financial whizz who is also a doctor and one who has never, from what I understand, practised  bedside or even office chair side medicine.  These people have absolutely no idea of what either midwifery or nursing is about.  They do not understand the practice of either discipline at all.  It is impossible for them. People can't do what they don't know.  I personally find it simply amazing that these people have the right to dictate how nursing and midwifery budgets are spent.  Where are all the tough characters that ruled the budgets for our professions and had a say in the executives of the Health Services?  The current trend towards clinical streaming is leading more and more away from the notion of self determination with financial matters. This is a huge issue for the union(s) to take up. 

 

Great opportunity here for all of us to unite and give the same message in a format 'they' understand.  Time to stand up and be counted - we have the numbers and the power.  I have been thinking - what would happen if we said by such a such a day at such and such a time, all over Australia, midwives and nurses would walk out and everyone did.   We could give them two weeks notice, get doctors and adminstrators to organise themselves into rosters to provide care and then every single one of us, walk out.    We have been 'nice' and compliant for too long. It is like being in a domestic violence situation - everyone wonders why women don't leave abusive men, but we know don't we?  We care too much.

 

Imagine if we asked for:

 

midwifery models of care

one to one care for labouring women

well babies to be counted in workloads

one midwife to four motherbaby pair ratios in prenatal/postnatal wards (that is whether the baby is internal or external to the mother)

a recognition of the vital importance of the mother/baby relationship and the need to factor this in to workload considerations, especially for women with social challenges

midwifery budgets managed by midwifery managers

senior midwife midwifery directors who had equal standing on health service executives

career pathways for midwives

no HEC's on midwifery courses

Mentoring for managers

mandatory study leave for professional development

clinical midwifery educators on each shift in every unit

indemnity insurance for privately practising midwives

24 hour child care onsite

flexible rosters

mandatory safe skill mix

anything else?

 

and that's just midwifery, nursing needs have parallels....

 

Imagine. 

 

How long do you think we would be out for???????

 

In solidarity  ; -)  

 

gives me goosebumps just thinking of the possibilities

 

When desire is greater than fear, we can achieve anything.  Martin Luther King and Gandhi showed us that passion for a just cause and commitment makes social change inevitable.

 

Carolyn Hastie

council nominee for the Realnurses and Midwives team (NSWNA election June 03)