So true Rachel... As registered nurse (aspiring to be a midwife) who only studied nursing with the intention of becoming a midwife I worry that I have already been too socialised into the medical model of care that is still the norm in Australia. And that goes for all health care - not just maternity services. It will be a great day indeed if and when Australia catches up to the UK in its approach to maternity care.
It is great that there are Bmid courses available now but they are still relatively new and not available in all states yet (to my knowledge). Here in NSW we only have 1 available to us at UTS and it is in its first year! Had the Bmid been available when I first decided to become a midwife I would have done that course instead of Bnursing... But change is slow - I was told that they (UTS) were working on a Bmid course in 1997 when I applied for Bnursing and I could transfer when it was up and running. We have a long way to go when the vast majority of midwives working in Oz are registered nurses also. And yes, people do refer to midwives as "nurses in maternity"... Julia. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of wump fish Sent: Wednesday, 31 August 2005 10:32 AM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] Fw: 'Higher risk' in midwife deliveries (http://theaustralian.com.au report) Even if it is the same curriculum in Australia - it is set within a different context. Correct me if I am wrong (still getting to grips with the system here). A student midwife in Australia is 'mentored' by midwives working in the public health system. Because these midwives are limited in their autonomy and skills, the student will also be limited. Students are also subject to the cultural and social perceptions of midwifery where they train. If most people perceive midwives as nurses working in maternity - it is difficult to develop an identity as a midwife (I am struggling to maintain my own professional identity). In the UK the midwives I trained with were 'midwives', they did not also work as nurses, nor refer to themselves as nurses. Women in the UK called us midwives and had an understanding and respect for our role. During my practice as a team midwife - women would ring us to tell us they were pregnant. We would send a letter to their GP to let them know (out of courtesy), then provide all the woman's care until 6wks postnatal. Women refer to midwives as 'my midwife' and ask each other 'who is your midwife'. Are Australian students exposed to this kind of reciprocal relationship with women? Midwifery is not just about clinical skills - it is about philosophy, culture, experience, politics etc etc. Rachel -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
