May 19, 2003

The benefits of an itinerant midwifery workforce

One of the most interesting aspects of this trip to Alice Springs for me has been the chance to spend some time with a bunch of really committed and skilled midwives. One thing that has stood out has been the contribution of the “visitors” to their unit - midwives who are working here for a short period while either travelling or taking time out from other work settings.

The chronic shortage of midwives in Australia has meant that midwives can move around with confidence knowing that there will be a job available where they want to stay for a while. For long term staff in a unit, a passing parade of midwives could be seen as unsettling, and a limiting factor in forming close working relationships. However, another more positive way of viewing a high turnover of staff is that each newcomer will bring new ideas and experience. Instead of thinking “oh, no, not another midwife we have to train up to our ways of doing things!”, the attitude can be “you’ll have done things differently - what can you offer us?”.

I have noticed this working very well in the Alice. Around half the staff are long term core midwives and the rest are there on short term contracts (which could be for just a few weeks or up to a few years). Supportive and open-minded leadership has fostered the sharing of ideas and encouraged others to learn from these visiting midwives. As a result, the unit can become more innovative. Midwives who may have only arrived with the intention of a short stay may feel reluctant to leave and either stay on longer or plan return trips. The situation becomes win-win for everyone.

Once again, the key elements in all this are far-sighted managers with clear visions and good people skills. They have these people in Alice Springs. New and exciting plans are being mooted that will enable midwifery to take on new challenges that will benefit the profession and the women of the town. I will be following their progress with great interest.

Posted by andrea at May 19, 2003 10:24 PM

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