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I agree with you Tina wholeheartedly! However I ask
How do we muster the collective wisdom of those midwives into action in their
individual workplaces and motivate them to unite to change? I see time and time
again the excuse of increased workloads and lack of support from management as
fixed obstacles preventing such organized action.
Late night reflections. Cheers Louise
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, October 13, 2003 10:28
PM
Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] who is really
there for women ? long
In a message dated
13/10/03 1:55:01 PM AUS Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
writes:
I totally agree. Collaboration is the way forward but
medical control of midwifery is not collaboration, collaboration is a 2 way
street not something dictated by Obstetrics. Midwives must have
an scope of practice in their own right (and this is what the Dutch
do). We need to acknowledge that midwives are experts in the normal
and that when conditions change they collaborate and refer to other
providers. This is what the ACMI national guidelines for referral and
transfer are going to be used for.
Howdy
folks....
Justine....I couldn't agree more with your sentiments re:
'sleeping with the enemy'....sometimes I get so sick of all the talk of
collaboration in midwifery care....collaboration currently is still about
midwives towing the line with the medical model of childbirth....rarely do I
see in practice true 'collaborative practice' as defined in some midwifery
professional documents eg: as an "organisational model where authority and
accountibilty for quality care is vested in the woman, the midwife and
healthcare professionals, where each professional is autonomous when dealing
with issues related to their respective professional practice. Those aspects
of a woman's care, which require interdependence, are identified and addressed
using a joint [collaborative] approach" (NBV 1999).
Maternity care is
able to be shared with other medical practitioners and allied health
professionals...but only MIDWIFERY can be shared with an other midwife, in
partnership with women....I have trotted out for years now the need for
midwifery in Australia to attain greater autonomy and freedom from medical
control, to enable the profession to function more independently and
effectively. Only when midwives can practice as bone fide providers of primary
midwifery care will women have greater freedom over and range of choice of
birthing experience.
Day after day now I witness midwives with EXPERT
midwifery knowledge having to chase up far less experienced or knowledable
'Resident Medical Officers' (RMOs) for path forms to be signed....drug orders
signed...tests ordered.....or even to make some decisons regarding a woman's
care...having to explain to these RMO's....exactly what it is they are
signing...."no no that test is for bla bla bla...what I need is a Bla bla
bla....look i'll write it ...you sign it".....When is enough, enough of this
ludicous system that supports second rate, fragmented, provider focused
care....that is totally ignorant of the skills and knowledge that many many
midwives are able to provide......
I have been saying for what seems
ages now....that the political climate is SOOOOOO ripe for midwives to assert
their presence....
Yours in reforming midwifery
Tina Pettigrew.
B
Mid Student ACU
Melb
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BMidStudentCollective/
" As
we trust the flowers to open to new
life
- So we can trust birth"
Harriette Hartigan.
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