Dear Andrea Thanks for your comments regarding DE and the issues with ANF. I have tried previously to get members of the list to lobby their state ANF on this issue and was told we should be concentrating on ACMI and not expending energy on ANF (sorry Denise). However I do see them as a problem as the organisations will not employ the DE midwives without industrial backing. We also need to change or deregulate the hours (ie. anualised salaries) so midwives can undertake their role in the mainstream system. ANF is being quite difficult on these two issues. Anyway, regarding my background. I undertook my Midwifery at the Royal Hosptial for Women. Carol Thorogood and I shared a flat for the year. What at team!! For the past 12 years I have been in academia mostly at Flinders Uni but also Uni SA teaching nursing students regarding life span and the maternity modules though on occasions I have had to teach in the acute care area( ghastly - but until 3 years ago midwifery was not in the tertiary sector in SA). I also, during this time took 2 years out and was appointed the Midwifery Fellow at the QVH in Adelaide where I undertook a Randomised Controlled Trial on the Birthing Centre. I have also conducted my own practice as a childbirth educator and lactation consultant since 1986. I am a director of Australasian Lactation courses. I teach in the Master of Midwifery and also the Bachelor of Midwifery and coordinate the midwifery programs. Hope this is enough. I would be happy to be in your study if you are still looking for participants. At 07:46 PM 9/11/99 +1000, you wrote: >Dear Jen, > >You have to remember that all new ideas are threatening to a large >majority. As a midwife has this broad based training I wish I didn't. Far >from seeing it as an advantage it is simply an excuse for employers to >abuse my chosen area of work at the expense of the group of clients that >I have chosen to work with. The only way I could train as a midwife was >to do my general training first. Then I chose to do mid and to continue >to work as a midwife. BUT as I have chosen to live outside an area that >has enough births for a full time mid ward they fill the ward up with >ANYTHING because I am trained to look after them. If I wasn't they would >have to look at other ways of utilising my skills to 'their' best >financial gain by expanding the role of the midwife. In a general ward it >is always the mid women who miss out because they are not sick (dependent >physically). Now before all the idealists jump in I agree OK that the >women would be better off with a completely differnt system but maybe >this will force 'them' to look at it not today because they can still get >general trained midwives but as midwives train as direct entry the >shortages will force the establishments to employ them. > >The first ones though had better be prepared to be in it for the long >haul as employment opportunities may be limited for a while. Although >there are already rural areas that say they can't get enough midwives so >if they are prepared to live in the country ( and its a great life ) they >may be OK. > >Graduate programmes are another area that you will need to look at. As a >midwife in a rural setting (I can't tell you where in case big brother is >watching) we currently have mid students and they get great experience >with us because they are supernumary(?) but we are unable to take them as >grads because we only have two on each shift. If they are allocated to a >labouring woman there will not always be someone to assist them as much >as they may need in the begining as the other sucker is caring for the >ward full of medical/surgical/paediatric patients. For grads who have >already been in unpaid education for three years to have to take an >unpaid grad year is asking alot but that is what they may have to >consider. Especially the first few years unless you can find some >sympathetic employers. > >As for the ANF it belongs to the members and all those midwives who are >members may like to have a say about this issue. The union was not happy >about PCAs when they were first introduced but they can now become >members of the ANF. So don't be discouraged by the fact that they, as >representatives of all those nurses who don't see midwifery as a >seperate entity from nursing, aren't celebrating the introduction of >direct entity. (You know those bloody midwives have always been up >themselves sort of thing that nurses have been saying about midwives as >long as I've been a midwife) > >I think this is an important move for midwifery and would like to see you >go ahead with it, > >Isn't it amazing that prior to this week I've never heard your name >before and now we have e.mailed each other twice in two days about two >seperate issues. > >Are you directly involved in the masters course and if so could you give >my an insight into your background. I'm interviewing potential lecturers >and if your introducing direct entry you just got a vote in my ledger. >You already had another as your course is considerably cheeper that >either of the others that I have found. > >Andrea Quanchi > > -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
