MIDWIFERY: A PROFESSION AT A CROSSROADS Many midwives I speak to around Aotearoa agree, it feels as though the profession is at an evolutionary crossroads. There are numerous challenges and changes afoot: workforce shortages; generational shifts within the profession; dissatisfaction with pay and conditions; a health system reform on the horizon; and increasing development in ensuring te Tiriti responsibilities are being met by individual practitioners, and the sector as a whole. Midwifery is a single profession, and at the same time, there are multiple workforces operating within it. These workforces are bound by what attracted us all to the role in the first place; a common recognition of the potential inherent in the processes of pregnancy, labour, birth and motherhood, to become transformational events for women and whānau. Our workforces are in fact not separate, demonstrated by their symbiotic relationship; they rely on each other at the interface to provide care to women, and we need sufficient numbers and the right balance of midwives working in facility and community-based settings, for our service to function. Our maternity system enables midwives to change their work setting throughout their careers to support different stages of their lives, and it is not uncommon to
hear of experienced senior DHB employed midwives moving into LMC practice, and vice versa. Although changing work setting may alter our day-to-day responsibilities, it doesn’t change our scope of practice, our accountability to the women we provide care to, nor our accountability to each other. Midwifery is a demanding but incredibly rewarding profession. Not a job for the faint-hearted, it takes courage and tenacity - attributes which require nurturing. In order to sustain and retain midwives in the workforce, some key elements must be present: • A workload which affords midwives the professional satisfaction of providing quality care within the relational model in which we are educated to practice • Sufficient financial recompense (relative to the responsibility and demands of the role)
Midwifery is a single profession, and at the same time, there are multiple workforces operating within it. These workforces are bound by what attracted us all to the role in the first place; a common recognition of the potential inherent in the processes of pregnancy, labour, birth and motherhood, to become transformational events for women and whānau.
• Satisfactory work-life balance • Supportive work environments where midwifery expertise is respected, midwifery leadership is visible, and collegial relationships with peers and members of the medical team are the norm.
ALISON EDDY CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Unfortunately, for many midwives these elements are not present, thus their professional practice and personal wellbeing
ISSUE 102 SEPTEMBER 2021 | 5
