Ladies if it is any consolation from the point of view of a consumer and a fellow acaedemic.
1. You are right if we trust each other and you respect my wishes whilst making sure I fully understand the implications of what I am asking (demanding in some cases) then I am less likely to sue. A relationship built on trust and understanding will help me to relax which means my outcomes are more likely to be better anyway as I won't be 'fighting' you or be 'frightened' of you during labour.
2. From an acaedemic point of view. No doubt you are taught the basics of anatomy and physiology as part of the course but I would rather a professional who does a course that specifically concentrates on my area of need than a generalist who had done a few extra units post grad - best of all I would prefer it if this study was incorporated with an appreticiship type of learning as a book can never show you what the real thing can. If I can do a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Accounting (as opposed to Banking or Auditing etc etc) why can't you do a Bachelor of Science or Nursing with a major in Midwifery (rather than general nursing or some other major) - sounds logical to me and it means that initally at least until the experience factor takes over a few years down the track that you will start out as a better midwife. Just as I will be a better accountant for my major studies than I would have been if I had just done general commerce st!
!
udies with no major.
Besides which midwives never used to do nursing training first in the old days and midwifery is more than just nursing. Midwives are practitioners, nurses serve this role only in extremely rare circumstances. Or if we take the opposite view if midwives should do nursing first as an introduction then maybe doctors should too!!
Debby
>From: "Vicki Chan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] what doctors learn at med school!
>Date: Sat, 9 Nov 2002 22:54:39 +1000
>
>Hey Tina nuff nuff...nah, dont believe that you were lost for words for
>a minute!!! You still sure managed to say quite a bit!!
>
>One thing I'd really like to do is present my (our...Nic and Vic) stuff
>to the med students/medicos/obstetricians...
>
>
>Vicki
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Sent: Saturday, November 09, 2002 9:17 PM
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: [ozmidwifery] what doctors learn at med school!
>
>
>
>Hi again all,
>
>had an interesting afternoon today at a BBQ with some old work
>mates...One friend who I worked at CSIRO with eons ago (past life stuff)
>like me ....had a radical change in occupation and went to do
>nursing...she finished her nursing about 8 years ago....anyhow....she
>brought a friend to the BBQ ...a "work colleague".... I just assumed
>this woman was a nurse too...anyhow got chatting as you do...my friend
>announced to her "work colleague" that I was doing midwifery.....So your
>a nurse too she asked...No...I'm not a nurse ....doing the new Bachelor
>of Midwifery....bla bla...."Direct entry" my friend announces....one of
>THOSE midwives who think they are not part of the nursing profession.
>...Well that went down REAL well...she always did know how to get my
>hackles up...thought I had educated her better than that...but can see
>she has been educated by others than just I...:-((
>
>No not "direct entry" I replied...we don't do direct entry nursing....or
>direct entry medicine...or direct law or accounting...bla bla
>bla..Anyhow ...finally this "work colleague" couldn't resist and
>announced that she was a MO...doing her internship....and wanted to know
>more about "the likes of you" doing midwifery without nursing
>first...."do you do any physiology???" ....bla bla bla I guess you can
>imagine the conversation from there...
>
>The conversion progressed quickly back to medicine...I wanted to pick
>her brains about being a beginning practitioner and her thoughts on the
>health care system...What struck me immediately was her sheer arrogance
>and lack of understanding of people....amazing....According to her the
>general public are all "fu-k--- nuff nuffs"...."parents have no
>parenting skills"......"the public all just want to sue us". She was
>just fascinated to think that I would even consider private practice as
>a midwife..."too scary - you must be fu--ing mad!!" and "noone from uni
>is even considering obs and gynae as its just too risky".
>
>This woman is 25 years old and already educated with the 'fear factor'.
>She stated openly that as doctors they are taught at med school that a
>"trusting relationship with your patients" is non existent as the
>patient only looks to the doctor fix up their problems and will sue if
>they don't..and the doctor looks at the patient thinking all you want is
>to sue me....I was totally blown away by this...oh yeh she says..."its
>the underlying premise in all that we do"..."we have to always be
>thinking at every moment...are you the one who is going to make my life
>hell?"
>
>How scary is this folks???These are the obs of the future...This woman
>has this level of fear ingrained into her already..I couldn't believe
>what I was hearing....I was almost lost for words...beleive it or not!
>
>Ahhh I said..."that's where midwives have it all over doctors....our
>basic premise is trust....for if we can't establish our professional
>relationships on that....like you guys are discovering...when it all
>comes tumbling down....you have nothing else"
>
>Trust and communication.....two important factors in not getting sued
>I'd reckon......but hey who am I....only a "nuf nuff" in her eyes...
>
>Cheers Tina P.
>
