FEATURE
and every parent lived with the very real fear of keeping their babies and children safe. The two youngest victims of the February earthquake had been a toddler who died at home after a television fell on him; the other, a young baby, was killed in the arms of her mother as they walked along the street. And so was the beginning of a pathway to severe midwifery burnout. It took many years for me to recognize it, because for much of that time, the “new normal” was all about living in a constant state of anxiety with high levels of stress, and so the usual warning signs of burnout were well hidden within what was then the everyday, lived experience. Eventually, I moved from Christchurch and began working as a core midwife in a small city (Nelson) with no high-rise buildings. My very first day as a core midwife coincided with the fifth anniversary of the February quake. I took it as a positive omen. Being off call, and no longer carrying the responsibility of a caseload of 40-50 women a year, I now have a much better work / life balance. It has given me much needed breathing space. AFTER Following the earthquakes, the extraordinary efforts of midwives (and others) were highlighted and shared – midwives who rose above and beyond, who collected relief and pamper packages for displaced clients and stressed midwives, who did a fantastic job in supporting those in need. But little was written about the deeper impact the earthquakes had on the personal and professional lives of midwives. Health professionals are not immune to trauma and are often front-line workers in a major natural disaster, bearing witness to significant suffering, and yet must continue working with little or no time off work. Our maternity system is unlike any other in the world; the nature of our work following the earthquakes differed because of this. That the Canterbury earthquakes were not a single one-off event, but a recurring trauma played out over a prolonged period, is also unique. From my own experience it wasn’t until I left Christchurch that I was more fully able to process all that had happened, to find some form of meaning from the unimaginable, in both a personal and professional sense. Perhaps the experience was not too unlike leaving a volatile relationship, where you need to leave or be free of the violence before you can begin to fully understand the impact it has had. Whatever the reason, the Canterbury earthquakes have changed us as women, and as midwives. square
the demands of covid-19 For some midwives the demands of the Covid-19 response may have felt overwhelming in a working environment that was already under pressure. What are the signs that the tiredness you are feeling is more than the everyday wear and tear of work and life? Here we look at the set of symptoms commonly known as burnout and suggest some strategies for dealing with it. MARIA SCOTT COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR
The World Health Organization defines burnout as “an occupational phenomenon” and states emphatically that it is not classified as a medical condition. But it is described in the WHO’s International Classification of Diseases as “a syndrome conceptualised by three dimensions”. These are: • Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion • Increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job and • Reduced professional efficacy Midwifery, by its nature, is not a profession for the faint hearted. But add on long-standing battles over pay and conditions, the associated staff shortages and gaps in provision in areas of high need and the work can take a heavy toll on individual midwives. This year has been particularly tough as midwives have had to adapt rapidly to the working arrangements required for the pandemic response. No amount of mindfulness, yoga or bracing exercise can make up for all the stress caused by structural problems in a working environment such as those caused by chronic under-funding. The New Zealand College of Midwives has fought hard to persuade the government and district health boards that the maternity service needs urgent attention. The College hopes that the $242 million recently announced by the government for the sector will alleviate some of the stress on the midwifery workforce. But what if you feel you are too tired to wait for the funding to trickle down? There are no easy answers or instant solutions but there is knowledge within the profession to draw on. CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 CHEVRON-CIRCLE-RIGHT
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