workforce
workforce
‘ Time to step up ’
Griffith University associate professor Amanda Carter is on the Midwife Advisory Group . Image : Supplied .
We talk to Professor Amanda Carter about solutions to the serious issues affecting midwives .
By Arshmah Jamal
Chronic shortages of midwives in hospitals are causing a number of serious workforce issues , such as ineffective leadership and burnout – leading to a dire future for the midwifery workforce .
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reported a record number of babies being born in 2021 , with an increase of 7 per cent .
However , last year , the National Skills Commission found that there were midwife shortages across the nation
24 | nursingreview . com . au despite there being a 100 per cent future demand .
The Council of Deans of Nursing and Midwifery ( CDNM ) recently published a position paper , The Future of the Midwifery Workforce in Australia , identifying six issues and providing recommendations . These were to create a more supportive workforce while developing leadership , addressing burnout , mainstreaming continuity of care , sustaining growth and quality of professional placements , strengthening professional recognition , and promoting workforce diversity .
Nursing Review spoke with Griffith University associate professor Amanda Carter , who is on the Midwifery Advisory Group to CDNM , about the importance of addressing the paper to ensure the future of midwifery remained strong .
NR : What does the future for midwives look like right now ? AC : I think the future of midwifery looks quite bleak if the problems are not addressed .
Midwives are becoming frustrated by their lack of autonomy in their roles , and they know they can make such a difference in outcomes for women and babies if they can provide continuity of midwifery care .
We know through insurmountable research and randomised controlled trials that midwifery continuity of care has significant improvements in outcomes for women and their babies .
We know that there are fewer premature births . We know there ' s less stillbirth . We know there are greater breastfeeding rates with midwifery continuity of care – and that ' s the model that a large majority of midwives want to work in , and they can work more autonomously .
Midwives are increasingly becoming frustrated at the over-medicalisation of birth and really want to use their skills to the full scope of practice .
NR : What are the areas of improvement that are needed as soon as possible ? AC : I think one of the areas that is desperately needed is a chief midwife nationally and also for each state .
We really need strong midwifery leadership .
At the moment , the people in the chief nursing and midwifery positions are generally nurses , and nursing and midwifery are two totally different disciplines . It ' s like comparing medicine to dentistry .
We really need someone in that position who ' s going to have a strong voice