Hi all,
I returned from the
ANF Biannual Conference last week. There was
a good representation of midwives there but unfortunately we did not have a
chance to really network as midwives. Perhaps next time we should get together
in a break.
It was an interesting
conference.
Basically there is an
enhanced acknowledgement and understanding of midwifery and midwives that I did
not see last time in Hobart. The first and only midwives problem was encountered
with the second motion-
A2. Inclusion of midwife
and midwifery in the policies of the ANF | ANF New South Wales Branch
That the 2005 ANF Biennial National Delegates Conference requests
the inclusion of the word 'midwife' or 'midwifery' in the body of all
appropriate
ANF policies, guidelines, and position
statements, instead of it being just a footnote.
Moved: Seconded:
Background Information
Currently, all ANF policies carry the following stem statement
which appears directly below the title of the policy: Where the term 'nurse' is
used it includes
all licensed classifications including, but not limited to: registered nurse,
midwife, enrolled nurse, nurse practitioner.
It is evident
that the needs to conciliation work to be done between the ANF branches in
Victoria and ACT with the ACMI branches.
Their
reasoning for voting against this resolution was unreasonable and obviously
there is great discomfort with midwives in general in those two states. NSW
Branch state secretary Brett Holmes gave a powerful address about the need for
midwives and nurses to be working together and supporting each other as there is
a lot to be learnt from the midwives and they (midwives) do not have the
industrial strength to do it alone. He quoted what had happened in NZ with the
NZNO having to get an agreement from the NZ Midwives organisation before the
government would sign off the new agreement. He said in NZ they found it
unwieldy and difficult to be negotiating from two fronts. He did not want the
midwives to go out and form their own union. ANF is to be considered inclusive
and if we do not include midwives it would be to our (ANF) detriment - or words
to that effect.
Midwives are included and valued within QNU
branch of the ANF. Sandra Eeles, midwife from Mareeba joined the QNU Council
this year and I am also on the executive of QNU Council. Aside it is
opportune timing as Sandra is involved in the Mareeba midwife led birthing
unit and next year I will be involved with the Redcliffe-Caboolture trials
of differing models of care- small team, caseload and centreing models of
care.
Cheers
Barb
