workforce politically and also have a strategic vision and ensure that all these other solutions can be implemented .
workforce politically and also have a strategic vision and ensure that all these other solutions can be implemented .
One of the main solutions is increasing midwifery continuity of care models and facilitating midwives to work that way .
It ' s what women want . It ' s a more economical model of care – and , as I said , it results in better outcomes .
The other thing that can be done immediately is to bring more midwives into the workforce .
Currently , I work at a university , so I ' m involved in educating midwives for the future , and they face what we call significant placement poverty .
In a midwifery degree , they undertake 50 per cent of their degrees in practice . By going on placement , they also undertake continuity of care requirements where they follow women through their whole journey , meaning being on call for their labour and birth .
[ This ] really restricts what outside work you can undertake with clinical and being on call . They go to placement ; they have to pay for petrol to get to placement , and they have to pay for parking at placement . Our students are currently really struggling with the increasing cost of living and affording to be able to do this degree .
Obviously , it ' s a priority area that we need more midwives , but they shouldn ' t be disadvantaged by starting midwifery . We need scholarships for students to undertake midwifery if the government ' s really serious about increasing numbers .
Also , obviously , we need to improve the cultural diversity of our workforce . Looking at ways , again , for scholarships and encouragement for our First Nations people to become midwives so that we can provide adequate care , and address some of the disparities in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and babies , and their mortality and morbidity .
There ’ s an increase in burnout among midwives , with research showing that 30 per cent were planning to leave their jobs in the next five years . What is being done to combat the shortages , as well as maintain retention ?
The next five to seven years is a real pinch point post-graduation in midwifery .
Some of the solutions to that is that we need some greater mentorship , continuity of care , and better staffing levels .
There ' s a project at the moment called Every Baby Counts , where they ' re talking about counting heartbeats .
Most maternity units , regarding staffing , count the mother and the baby as one unit rather than individuals . That means that midwives can be responsible for up to 20 mothers and babies - one midwife .
There ' s a campaign to count every heartbeat , which means you ' d be counting the mother and the baby as separate because you ' re caring for two individuals . That ' s been trialled in south-east Queensland with great success . Addressing those sorts of issues is going to help retain our current workforce .
NR : As we know , midwives have been struggling in metropolitan areas , but what about rural and regional midwives ? AC : They ' re really struggling .
You hear on the news and in the press all the time of rural midwifery services closing down , maternity services closing
“ We need scholarships for students to undertake midwifery if the government ' s really serious about increasing numbers .
down , and women having to cover long distances .
Rural areas are an ideal place for midwifery continuity of care models to be established and to provide midwives with the opportunity to work that way .
However , we need incentives for students to undertake placement in rural areas and incentives for midwives to work in those areas .
We can ' t run maternity services without midwives .
NR : Speaking of incentives , the government has put forward money for midwifery students to go to rural and regional areas . Is this enough ? AC : I don ' t think it ' s enough .
I think for a student to leave their family in a metropolitan area and go to a rural area , pay for accommodation , uproot everything , and not be able to work – they might be leaving a paid job here . No , I don ' t think it is enough .
The government should increase those incentives and give students free accommodation and facilities for that to happen . Even a larger scholarship would help .
All these issues have now been put on the table , and it ’ s time for the government to step up with the solutions outlined in the paper . ■
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