- Email: [email protected]
Queensland
AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE OF MIDWIVES INCORPORATED
Midwives Tasmanian Branch forwarded a submission to this c o m m i t t e e in support of increasing the midwifery c o m p o n e n t , but to no avail. The Family and Child Health department, northern region, does not consider midwifery an important area of knowledge for those people wishing to work in the area of Child Health. A nursing degree w h i c h includes a brief look at Family and Child Health and 80 hours spent in the field is sufficient. The Australian College of Midwives (Tasmanian Branch) has been reassured that the personnel e m p l o y e d by Family and Child Health with n o midwifery experience would not be expected to w o r k in isolation, however, in reality this is not the case. With the current trend, given a few years, w o m e n will attend the clinic to have the baby weighed and turn to other avenues such as the chemist or the lady next d o o r w h e n wishing to discuss the birth of her baby. A seminar will be c o n d u c t e d on March 20 at the Sheraton in Hobart and will include a summation of the m o c k court case being conducted by RACOG on the previous day and in which the ACMI has a part to play. Presently, Tasmanian Branch is working toward a conference to be held in conjunction with International Midwives Day in 1994. This is also the Year of the Family and to that end we are offering $ 50 to the p e r s o n w h o can c o m b i n e b o t h International Midwives Day with the Year of the Family and p r o d u c e the best t h e m e for the conference. All entries to be sent to the Tasmanian Branch by May 29, 1993. The Tasmanian G o v e r n m e n t has decided to close the midwifery unit that is within the public hospital at Burnie. As from July 1993 all midwifery will be c o n d u c t e d at the private hospital, with the g o v e r n m e n t contracting out the public patients to the private hospital. These changes have created a great deal o f debate on the North West Coast regarding the continuation o f available services. The g o v e r n m e n t has reassured the public that there will be no reduction in services and that in fact, s o m e services will be improved.
Elaine Smallbane President, Tasmanian Branch MARCH 1993
Queensland Working Party o n M i d w i f e r y E d u c a t i o n A Midwifery Education Working Party was convened in November 1992 to establish ACMI Queensland guidelines o n midwifery education. Members throughout the State participated. The philosophies of midwifery and midwifery education and the standards for the practice of midwifery have b e e n reviewed. A position statement for midwifery education has b e e n formulated. At the second meeting in February 1993 further recommendations regarding the philosophy and standards were m a d e and will be presented to the National Executive for consideration.
Transfer to the Tertiary Sector Professor Lesley Barclay chaired a meeting in D e c e m b e r 1992 and provided an overview of issues relating to the transfer of midwifery education to the tertiary sector. The w o r k s h o p served the purpose of o p e n i n g discussions a m o n g parties with varying perspectives and interests. ACMI Executive m e m b e r s are active in the developmental processes for midwifery curricula. Queensland University o f Technology, Griffith University, Australian Catholic University and the University of Central Queensland are all planning midwifery programs.
Ongoing Education The Queensland State Conference will be held from June 18-20, 1993. The t h e m e is 'Borning - Birthing The Future'. The program will be c o m i n g out soon. A Workshop o n the Sunshine Coast will be held o n February 27, 1993. The topic will be 'Primary Health Care in Midwifery - K n o w your rights, k n o w your midwife'. T o o w o o m b a is also holding a seminar o n February 27, called Mothers, Babies and Midwives'. Cairns ran a successful w o r k s h o p in N o v e m b e r last year titled 'Midwives Empowering Women"
Medicare Early D i s c h a r g e S c h e m e The Medicare Incentive Program Early Discharge (Obstetrics) has b e e n used in Queensland to fund generalist c o m m u n i t y nursing organisations to provide domiciliary midwifery care. All agencies only send Registered Midwives on visits, but they
ACMIJOURNAL
PAGE 15
AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE OF MIDWIVES INCORPORATED
are also required to see people with a range of conditions needing nursing care. Issues such as recency of practice, ongoing education, duration and n u m b e r of visits and the specialist nature of midwifery care were of c o n c e r n to ACMI Queensland. A submission stating our concerns and recommendations for the provision of an early discharge service was forwarded to the Health Department, service providers and hospitals.
Queensland Registration Board Policy on 'The M i d w i f e in I n d e p e n d e n t Practice' The Queensland Nurses Registration Board has published a policy on 'The Midwife in Independent Practice' which endorses the ACMI Accreditation process. The policy states the Board ' e x p e c t s . . . current a c c r e d i t a t i o n . . , with the ACMI'. There are plans to set up a working party to look at prescribing drugs, ordering pathology and referral. ACMI will be represented o n this working party.
Jenny Gamble Queensland Delegate
Western Australia Meetings The format of meetings has been altered. The m o n t h l y General meeting is no longer a full, formal meeting. A report from the preceding committee meeting is given allowing for more discussion during the meeting. An educational activity still follows. A one day workshop was held to address some of the items arising from the last ACMI Executive meeting. Various small working parties have looked at individual issues. Speakers at the general meeting have included a multidisciplinary panel discussing lactation and n e w b o r n infant feeding.
A c c r e d i t a t i o n o f Visiting M i d w i v e s to H o s p i t a l s in Western Australia The long-awaited Health Department protocol was released in November. In theory, it has the potential to increase the options available for b o t h the consumer and the midwife. The medical lobby however, is alive and well, and working hard to ensure that the status quo is not altered. Applications for visiting privileges from midwives are being turned d o w n by the very hospitals which are expected to implement government policy. The Branch is watching closely as midwives appeal against such unfavourable decisions.
M i d w i f e r y E d u c a t i o n - Transfer The final intake of midwifery students from the St J o h n of God Hospital graduates this week. No further news on the life of the remaining hospitalbased program at KEMH. The tertiary program at Curtin has seen a pleasing increase in applicants for the coming year. Labor force data is being collected as nurses/midwives r e n e w annual practising certificates.
State E l e c t i o n - F e b r u a r y 6 A certain amount of lobbying was undertaken in relation to the recent State election. Although the Opposition parties are sympathetic to midwives and were most helpful in relation to the Nurses Bill, they are very attentive to the powerful medical lobby.
Publicity Since Mothering Week in November no specific activities have been held, although plans for International Midwives Day have been discussed.
J. T h o m p s o n WA D e l e g a t e
Education The popular two week course 'Options, Choices and Challenges for Parent Educators' is currently in progress. Organised by the Branch using Curtin University facilities, it is expected to bring in a healthy profit.
M i d w i f e r y S c h o l a r s h i p Fund Professional advice has been sought in relation to PAGE 16
the establishment of a scholarship fund for West Australian midwives. About $26,000 from fundraising efforts is n o w available to form the corpus.
New South Wales Research The Research sub-committee is conducting a series of seven lectures o n h o w to carry out research. These will be held at headquarters. There will be a small fee to cover the cost of amenities and supper.
ACMIJOURNAL
MARCH 1993
Midwives Tasmanian Branch forwarded a submission to this c o m m i t t e e in support of increasing the midwifery c o m p o n e n t , but to no avail. The Family and Child Health department, northern region, does not consider midwifery an important area of knowledge for those people wishing to work in the area of Child Health. A nursing degree w h i c h includes a brief look at Family and Child Health and 80 hours spent in the field is sufficient. The Australian College of Midwives (Tasmanian Branch) has been reassured that the personnel e m p l o y e d by Family and Child Health with n o midwifery experience would not be expected to w o r k in isolation, however, in reality this is not the case. With the current trend, given a few years, w o m e n will attend the clinic to have the baby weighed and turn to other avenues such as the chemist or the lady next d o o r w h e n wishing to discuss the birth of her baby. A seminar will be c o n d u c t e d on March 20 at the Sheraton in Hobart and will include a summation of the m o c k court case being conducted by RACOG on the previous day and in which the ACMI has a part to play. Presently, Tasmanian Branch is working toward a conference to be held in conjunction with International Midwives Day in 1994. This is also the Year of the Family and to that end we are offering $ 50 to the p e r s o n w h o can c o m b i n e b o t h International Midwives Day with the Year of the Family and p r o d u c e the best t h e m e for the conference. All entries to be sent to the Tasmanian Branch by May 29, 1993. The Tasmanian G o v e r n m e n t has decided to close the midwifery unit that is within the public hospital at Burnie. As from July 1993 all midwifery will be c o n d u c t e d at the private hospital, with the g o v e r n m e n t contracting out the public patients to the private hospital. These changes have created a great deal o f debate on the North West Coast regarding the continuation o f available services. The g o v e r n m e n t has reassured the public that there will be no reduction in services and that in fact, s o m e services will be improved.
Elaine Smallbane President, Tasmanian Branch MARCH 1993
Queensland Working Party o n M i d w i f e r y E d u c a t i o n A Midwifery Education Working Party was convened in November 1992 to establish ACMI Queensland guidelines o n midwifery education. Members throughout the State participated. The philosophies of midwifery and midwifery education and the standards for the practice of midwifery have b e e n reviewed. A position statement for midwifery education has b e e n formulated. At the second meeting in February 1993 further recommendations regarding the philosophy and standards were m a d e and will be presented to the National Executive for consideration.
Transfer to the Tertiary Sector Professor Lesley Barclay chaired a meeting in D e c e m b e r 1992 and provided an overview of issues relating to the transfer of midwifery education to the tertiary sector. The w o r k s h o p served the purpose of o p e n i n g discussions a m o n g parties with varying perspectives and interests. ACMI Executive m e m b e r s are active in the developmental processes for midwifery curricula. Queensland University o f Technology, Griffith University, Australian Catholic University and the University of Central Queensland are all planning midwifery programs.
Ongoing Education The Queensland State Conference will be held from June 18-20, 1993. The t h e m e is 'Borning - Birthing The Future'. The program will be c o m i n g out soon. A Workshop o n the Sunshine Coast will be held o n February 27, 1993. The topic will be 'Primary Health Care in Midwifery - K n o w your rights, k n o w your midwife'. T o o w o o m b a is also holding a seminar o n February 27, called Mothers, Babies and Midwives'. Cairns ran a successful w o r k s h o p in N o v e m b e r last year titled 'Midwives Empowering Women"
Medicare Early D i s c h a r g e S c h e m e The Medicare Incentive Program Early Discharge (Obstetrics) has b e e n used in Queensland to fund generalist c o m m u n i t y nursing organisations to provide domiciliary midwifery care. All agencies only send Registered Midwives on visits, but they
ACMIJOURNAL
PAGE 15
AUSTRALIAN COLLEGE OF MIDWIVES INCORPORATED
are also required to see people with a range of conditions needing nursing care. Issues such as recency of practice, ongoing education, duration and n u m b e r of visits and the specialist nature of midwifery care were of c o n c e r n to ACMI Queensland. A submission stating our concerns and recommendations for the provision of an early discharge service was forwarded to the Health Department, service providers and hospitals.
Queensland Registration Board Policy on 'The M i d w i f e in I n d e p e n d e n t Practice' The Queensland Nurses Registration Board has published a policy on 'The Midwife in Independent Practice' which endorses the ACMI Accreditation process. The policy states the Board ' e x p e c t s . . . current a c c r e d i t a t i o n . . , with the ACMI'. There are plans to set up a working party to look at prescribing drugs, ordering pathology and referral. ACMI will be represented o n this working party.
Jenny Gamble Queensland Delegate
Western Australia Meetings The format of meetings has been altered. The m o n t h l y General meeting is no longer a full, formal meeting. A report from the preceding committee meeting is given allowing for more discussion during the meeting. An educational activity still follows. A one day workshop was held to address some of the items arising from the last ACMI Executive meeting. Various small working parties have looked at individual issues. Speakers at the general meeting have included a multidisciplinary panel discussing lactation and n e w b o r n infant feeding.
A c c r e d i t a t i o n o f Visiting M i d w i v e s to H o s p i t a l s in Western Australia The long-awaited Health Department protocol was released in November. In theory, it has the potential to increase the options available for b o t h the consumer and the midwife. The medical lobby however, is alive and well, and working hard to ensure that the status quo is not altered. Applications for visiting privileges from midwives are being turned d o w n by the very hospitals which are expected to implement government policy. The Branch is watching closely as midwives appeal against such unfavourable decisions.
M i d w i f e r y E d u c a t i o n - Transfer The final intake of midwifery students from the St J o h n of God Hospital graduates this week. No further news on the life of the remaining hospitalbased program at KEMH. The tertiary program at Curtin has seen a pleasing increase in applicants for the coming year. Labor force data is being collected as nurses/midwives r e n e w annual practising certificates.
State E l e c t i o n - F e b r u a r y 6 A certain amount of lobbying was undertaken in relation to the recent State election. Although the Opposition parties are sympathetic to midwives and were most helpful in relation to the Nurses Bill, they are very attentive to the powerful medical lobby.
Publicity Since Mothering Week in November no specific activities have been held, although plans for International Midwives Day have been discussed.
J. T h o m p s o n WA D e l e g a t e
Education The popular two week course 'Options, Choices and Challenges for Parent Educators' is currently in progress. Organised by the Branch using Curtin University facilities, it is expected to bring in a healthy profit.
M i d w i f e r y S c h o l a r s h i p Fund Professional advice has been sought in relation to PAGE 16
the establishment of a scholarship fund for West Australian midwives. About $26,000 from fundraising efforts is n o w available to form the corpus.
New South Wales Research The Research sub-committee is conducting a series of seven lectures o n h o w to carry out research. These will be held at headquarters. There will be a small fee to cover the cost of amenities and supper.
ACMIJOURNAL
MARCH 1993