Re: [ozmidwifery] who is really there for women ? long

[TinaPettigrew]

In a message dated 13/10/03 11:02:18 PM AUS Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: 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 HI Louise...all the more reasons to unite to change I would suggest.....However, the trick as to all political action is in the collective numbers of the members....Midwifery here has made many advances over the last few years....particularly in its efforts to firmly establish its own sense of self identity and self determinisim, standards and scope of practice....The ACMI has enjoyed strong leadership that has driven many of these changes, but the College is only as good and as strong as its membership base, which for a National organisation, has the potential to be representative of some 10000 registered and/or endorsed midwives (Tracey et al 2000).....However, given the apathy that Barb speaks about within the profession and the oppressed nature of midwifery, I think the College can only boast about 3000 members Nationally (about 30% of practising midwives in this country).......now this is a disgrace and even more so given we will be the hosts of the ICM Conference in Brisbaine in 2005!!!!!!!!! Midwives have a professional responsibility to ensure that their practice is evidenced based and to ensure that their level of practice "mirrors the professional standard"...Perhaps one way we could "muster the collective wisdom of those midwives into action in their individual workplaces and motivate them to unite to change" would be to link their right to practice midwifery (reregistration) to competency as in accordance with the ACMI Competency Standards for Midwives, which clearly endorses the ICM definition of a midwife!!!!!  My understanding is that Tasmania is currently the only State/Territory in which this applies. As a profession why should we accept any less for all midwives, why should women?? 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------