Fantastic Carolyn. A union is only as strong as the membership involvement. Nurses and midwives have the power of numbers but we can't realise that power if we are not involved and being active. I have been a Qld Nurses Union activist for many years and am often frustrated at the apathy and avoidance of being involved or even aware of the power each individual nurse has to effect change. Too content to run ragged in poor working conditions, complaining about workloads in the tea room to colleagues but not to take responsiblity for allowing that situation develop and continue. "Good nurses don't argue" and find it very hard to say no to more work being piled on them. The branch structure of the QNU is very democratic and allows enormous input by individual branch members into the overall policies (both industrial and professional). The union officials take their direction from the Annual Conference which is attended by representatives from all branches. Any branch member whether in the Torres Stait or Brisbane can put up a resolution. Most don't take up that option or challenge to make a difference. They think that the Union is separate from them and avoid any responsibility. We are a powerful force if only we can realise it. Good luck for your elections. I am sure you will bring positive change. Sandra ----- Original Message ----- From: "Heartlogic" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, April 05, 2003 8:58 AM Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] Bullying - doing something about it
> Dear Colleagues, > > This is a fantastic workshop Andrea has put together and will be so useful > to managers and leaders everywhere. Good on you Andrea for doing this, > wonderful to see. > > One of the many strands in this complex issue is that of learned > helplessness. The pattern of learned helplessness has to be overcome in our > profession and in that of nursing. > > I have been horrified by the working conditions in hospitals since I have > been back as midwifery educator. People are overworked and overstretched. > People are working too hard for little satisfaction. From what I see, the > complexity of the clientele, the simply dreadful midwife/motherbaby ratio, > the skill mix, the paperwork mountain, plus the responsibilities of new > domestic violence and child reporting legislation, not to the mention > burgeoning use of technology and the ever present fear of litigation in the > approach to maternity care, are creating a fertile ground for all sorts of > unconscious reactions/responses and inappropriate behaviour. And as for the > students, the staff do their best and work hard to help them learn, but > there is no time to teach on the job. This is just from my midwifery > perspective, nursing is a whole other kettle of frogs. > > You know that saying, if you put a frog in hot water it will immediately > jump out, but put a frog in cold water and heat it up and it doesnt realise > what is happening and before it does, it expires from the heat. The health > system is heating up to expiry point. > > At our place, we have been told there will be a 20% increase in women to > care for, as GP's stop bulk billing and obstetricians stop doing private > obstetrics, already there were 2000 more occasions of service at the > prenatal clinic in the last 6 months - but there will be no more staff and > no more resources. WHAT? That's right. However, there is another layer of > senior management happening and the line of management is through a doctor - > no senior midwife manager directly reporting to the executive. Grrr. > > So I figured what we need is serious action. I've joined the union (NSWNA) > and become a branch delegate. I've been reading and searching for ways to > address these and other issues and have joined a team called "The real > nurses team" as they are have a real grasp of the issues facing both nursing > and midwifery. They are dedicated to remaining independant from any > political party to pursue safe and effective staff/patient and > midwife/womanbaby ratios and other urgent requirements. I have been > nominated for council for this team, along with two other midwives, Michael > Whaites and Liz McCall. The election for General Secretary, Assistant > General Secretary and councillors from the committee of Delegates will be > held by postal vote and closes 17th June 03. The details of all the > nominees will be in the next Lamp. For those of you in NSW, please ensure > your membership is current and investigate the nominees and choose who you > will vote for and please vote. We need your voice. Please have a look at > the Real Nurses Team site, it's www.realnurses.net > > For midwives working in other states, please join the union or if already > members become actively involved. We are working for name change, to include > midwifery in the title of the union. > > It is time to get real, to address the real issues facing our twin > professions. There is power in numbers and many issues are the same for > nurses and midwives, it is great to work together. > > in solidarity (thanks Justine) > > Carolyn Hastie > Council nominee for the Real Nurses and Midwives Team > > www.realnurses.net > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Andrea > Robertson > Sent: Thursday, 3 April 2003 1:07 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Bullying - doing something about it > > > Dear Denise and Marilyn, > > This issue is one I am very concerned about as well. I realise that it is a > complex issue that is hard to tackle as many strands are involved in its > source as well as its resolution. > > In a workplace, however, the managers have responsibility to make sure that > bullying is not tolerated and individuals are supported and nurtured. The > new midwifery we hope to see in place in Australia will be reliant on > managers with foresight, ability and good team building skills. There will > always be those who knock change and feel threatened by new (unfamiliar) > ways of doing things - a good manager will need strategies to deal with > these threats to progress. > > These are the kind of issues we will be tackling at the Managing Midwifery > workshop at the end of April. It will include a whole day of skills > development in coaching psychology that will enable midwifery managers to > feel more confident around team building and motivating staff. This is > definitely one program that all midwifery managers should try to attend. > > http://www.birthinternational.com/event/managing2003/index.html > > Please, everyone, make sure you manager has this info..... > > Cheers > > Andrea > > > > > At 02:54 AM 4/04/2003, Marilyn Kleidon wrote: > >Dear Denise: > > > >Sadly I recognise the truth you have written. I wish I didn't. After > >reading Carolyn Hastie's work earlier I wrote my senior paper at Seattle > >Midwifery School on Horizontal Violence amongst midwives. As I found in my > >research this bullying exists throughout the health professions. Because > >it can be subtle (as well as fierce) most often we grin and bear it. Also, > >I don't believe it just exists within the enclaves of beauracracy but is > >alive and well through the ranks of independent practitioners as well. I > >have observed a closing off from those who don't practice as "we" do. The > >bullying goes in both directions from those of us who are more > >conservative in practice than alternative and vice versa. It also > >embraces the political aspects of midwifery practice. And I am not > >considering the healthy discussions of alternative ways to practice that > >emerge from within healthy professions. This is definetly an area that > >needs ongoing feminist action research to document it and find ways to > >strengthen midwives and the midwifery profession. First off I think we > >need to acknowledge we belong to an increasingly bullying culture and have > >developed our own means of pushing and shoving just to keep our heads > >above water. > > > >Treading water > > > >marilyn > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Denise Hynd > >To: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >; > ><mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Maternitycoalitonmidwi > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > >Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2003 7:12 AM > >Subject: [ozmidwifery] Bullying > > > >Dear All > >I feel sure one of the reasons many of us are on this list is to gather > >strength and heal from the effect of bullying as well as to learn and be > >encouraged in ideas toward humanisation of birth. > > > >I also think one of the main reasons Australia is not a land of midwifery > >is due to bullying of midwives, women and their supporters. Stories of > >incidents abound (especially on this list) and it is evidenced in the > >predominant negative outcomes of our national pregnancy and early > >parenting experiences. > >For me bullying behaviours usually stop the transference of knowledge to > >effect change including humanised birth and real midwifery services! > > > >It is not just that women are given inaccurate information about how to > >birth, more importantly they are too intimidated to listen, hear about and > >believe or act in their own abilities and to trust (real) midwives to > >assist them to birth in their own powers. > > > >Historically midwives have been subjugated into subordination to medicine > >and nursing. Now several generations of Australian midwives have lived > >and learnt only this role as well as how in turn to keep themselves and > >the women in powerless places and belief systems. Thus most of our > >profession does not recognize that there is a problem in this > >subordination, is not demanding positive changes (including NMAP), Sadly > >now most Australian midwives actually believe we (the women and midwives) > >are safest where we are, that birth is inherently dangerous and we best > >leave it to the rescue brigade to make the decisions whilst we support > >them not the women or ourselves!. > > > >If you recognise what I say is true or has some truth and want to > >understand this common,unacknoledged behaviour pattern in our places of > >birth, as well as act to change at least your contribution to this toxic > >culture I recommend you read Carolyn Hastie's article > > > ><http://www.acegraphics.com.au/articles/hastie02.html>http://www.acegraphic > s.com.au/articles/hastie02.html > > > > > > > > > >Denise Hynd > > > >Peace at birth > >Peace on earth. > > > ----- > Andrea Robertson > Birth International * ACE Graphics * Associates in Childbirth Education > > e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > web: www.birthinternational.com > > > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > > > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. 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