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:
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)
