Justine,
It is sensible what you have written but part of the problem is that in
the past the Dr's insurers were accepting scurrilous claims and settling
out of court. This has created an environment of precedence being set.
Health administrators are scared and they have only a very scant
understanding of law.
If I was a mother that did not have a CTG when ??? in early labour but
foetal heart heard and your birth suite is full you are moved to the
ward for a sleep/rest as it is 10 pm. You appear asleep when the midwife
walks in the room to check on you, you don't acknowledge the midwife
that you are awake and contracting but have your back to the door and is
very still. The midwife didn't disturb her thinking all is well,
resting being important. You are 11 days over due, induction booked for
that evening. It wasn't until daylight, another shift, mother now awake
a midwife does a CTG- no foetal heart.
How does one respond to that mothers loss? How can one say "evidence
shows ....' to a woman dealing with a loss. Part of the problem is we
have a generation of consumers who do not understand adverse outcomes
can occur no matter how diligent one is. They look for blame and
financial gain. Another we have non-clinicians and I include some
consumer groups here, making rules and decisions without understanding
how the system works nor how toxic the working environment is for
midwives. How many midwives actually work full time, instead preferring
part-time status, often 1-2 days a week, to manage workloads and the
almost continuous horizontal violence!!
Our director has said all clients on admission to BS will have an
admission CTG as a reaction to this one woman's loss, "as a risk
management measure". The midwives concerned with this case also
advocated for this. However other midwives, myself included, challenged
this directive because having a baseline CTG would not have done
anything more than reassure the woman at the time of the CTG it appeared
all was well with the baby!! Unfortunately 95% of midwifery staff are
part-time that come to WORK for 8 hours will not challenge this
directive, they are not interested. A general comment and I apologise in
advance to those who are not like this "they have a good balance in
their life/work arrangement".
>Although my hat goes off to each and every one of you
that work in these sick systems with a profession
>(Obstetrics) that epitomises misogyny midwives still have a
responsibility to try and claw back normal birth >and I
would think challenging these ridiculous protocols as an important part.
Ones mental health is also important. One cannot have conflict every
shift weather it be from medical staff, aggressive partners of women
labouring demanding an epidural NOW, 2 midwives - one being a student
midwife looking after 4 labouring women and midwives who are there for a
shift and wont be back for 4 days who just go along with the flow. Its
called survival - I for one at present look like I will be joining those
that are requesting not to work in BS for a few months just to regroup
my strength. There are quiet a few withdrawing from the battle field at
the present time.
Cheers Barb
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