I know I'm a couple of days late but didn't see a reply to ?Jan's
?Barbara's questions of Lisa as to what nurses are referred to in our
(Australian) hospitals. All nurses, other than midwives, are called nurses
- regardless of which speciality they work in. Midwives like to think
themselves very special - I ought to know, I am one ;-) - and prefer being
referred to as midwives. It's another 12 to 18 months to qualify as a
midwife on top of 'general' nurse training. Very few, if any, maternity
units employ anyone except midwives - there may be the occasional enrolled
nurse, but not many - and definitely no one but midwives assisting in
birthing or breastfeeding.
A midwife's role in a hospital setting in most places is entirely
autonomous so long as all is normal - ie. they care for a woman
antenatally, during labour, deliver the baby, postnatally, certainly
breastfeeding, fairly independently of the doctors (occasional
consultations) whilever everything is normal. Consequently, often times,
everything is normal.
At the moment midwives are also registered general nurses, but there is a
strong groundswell to change that to 'direct entry' midwifery - in which
case they wouldn't be a nurse and a midwife, just a midwife.
I doubt that one of our theatre nurses would be able to assist a mother to
breastfeed, but the case never arises, because the midwife ALWAYS stays
with the baby, who more often than not stays with the mother.
Yes, I know I like to paint pictures of perfection, when I know it isn't
always like that - but we have the potential for perfection.
Denise
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Denise Fisher, BN, RM, IBCLC
BreastEd Online Lactation Studies Course
http://www.breasted.com.au
mailto:[log in to unmask]
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