"I'm angry today. No-one do anything irritating. This is your first and final warning."
Mr Richards* was a consultant obstetrician, and this was his way of saying good morning to the 15 doctors, midwives and other staff at handover. There was a stunned silence. Midwives exchanged glances.
From the back, a midwife called Abi piped up:
"Um...Mr Richards, are you due a holiday?"
The tension broke, everyone laughed, and even Mr Richards had to smile.
Back when I was a student, I thought that Abi was so cool. There was no way anyone would ever push her around. She just wasn't the type.
Shortly after, I started to get bullied.
The snide remarks went on for a few weeks until I took the staff member to one side and asked her what was up. It ended with her screaming close to my face ''You don't know when to stop!''
I was shaken, and though I kept my cool in the moment, it began to affect my confidence. How could a midwife be so outright unpleasant?
Eventually, I asked Abi for advice.
To my utter surprise, she said:
"That's happened to me too. It was awful. This particular midwife used to shout at me in front of everyone, give me a way too heavy workload, and she'd wait until the boss was about and drop hints about how bad my practice was."
I was stunned. Abi was 6 foot, blonde, with purple diamante glasses and seemed always confident and competent in her practice of 10+ years.
I took such courage from the fact that she'd been bullied too.
I'm so sorry if you've been bullied - it's a terrible position to be in, and makes me ashamed of midwifery sometimes. But please know Abi is proof being bullied means nothing about your ability or character.
She also taught me a really good trick for coping with bullies that I'm looking forward to passing to you.
First, there are some stats and studies you might like to know:
Bullying In Midwifery: A Big Problem
- In hospitals, obstetric units, in particular, are known for bullying. 13% of training doctors said they experienced bullying (General Medical Council)
- An RCM report found 43% of midwives and student midwives had been bullied (NB: there are study limitations)
Most of us have experienced it or seen it, and horrible statements or actions can linger in our minds longer than we like to admit.
Words sting - especially as a student or newly qualified midwife.
Over time, bullying wears people down, and midwives leave positions over it - which is not OK at any time - but with current staffing, it's dangerous.
Plus, poor communication is identified as a cause of preventable harm in mortality reports. When we don't work together respectfully, care suffers.
The only way to totally stop bullying is to change the permissive culture that allows it.
But often if you're working on the shop floor you don't have that kind of power.
Abi's Tip: 'Calling Them Out'
Abi taught me to:
"Directly and specifically identify the bullying and state it back to them. It breaks their power and shows you're assertive."
This is simple but often works. You do have to get really specific.
Some examples of it in use are:
- 'You're pointing your finger around my face, it's aggressive. '
- 'That is the eighth piece of criticism I've received from you this hour. This is not constructive.'
- 'I over heard you telling a group of staff members I was 'incompetent and unsafe' because I forgot to document something. This is unprofessional and not constructive criticism.'
- 'You're raising your voice in the corridor, and clients can hear.'
- 'By giving me 5 conflicting jobs to do at once, you're not being an effective team member.'
Look them in the eye, stand tall.
Bullies will often by so surprised to have their power taken away that they will stop. They may even apologise. This has happened to me more than once.
It's a powerful tool, but someone who's a long term, engrained bully may become more abusive as they realise what's happening. Every bullying situation is complex and incredibly difficult, but 'Calling Them Out' is worth a go if you think it's appropriate. Be prepared to think on your feet, stay calm, and choose a day when you're feeling strong.
Remember, you're not doing anything wrong by simply stating what's happening.
If you keep calm and secure, they won't be able to accuse you of being unprofessional.
If they continue, or become more aggressive, you can say something like:
'I am happy to discuss this further, but only in a professional way, and in private.'
When you talk in private, take along a midwife friend, tutor or manager that you can trust -- you'll know in your gut who's the right choice for this.
In fact, my number one tip for dealing with bullies is:
Find midwives you trust who you can confide in.
(Like Abi for me!)
One more thing - write everything down. Specifics, names, dates, times.
There's nothing more powerful than a ring binder of documented behaviour.
Especially if you ask managers/tutors to get involved.
As someone who has had problems with bullying myself, as a student and qualified midwife, I've lingered over this post for days. I know how hard it is to fear going to work, and I don't want to give you advice that will make your life harder.
The truth is, on some occasions you may be best off leaving a particular workplace.
If the abuse is persistent and ingrained, no method of dealing with bullies is a guarantee.
Your career and mental health must come first, and you're too good to be bullied. (I know this won't be an option for everyone, but there may be things like working on another ward, on community, or at a small birth centre/other organisation you could consider?)
If you try to address the bullying before leaving, even if it doesn't work, you'll be respected for it.
You'll lay the groundwork for someone else to stand up to a bully. If you tell a manager you're considering leaving, because you don't want to spend time and effort on a bully when you already have a difficult job, it'll have a massive impact.
And can you imagine how quickly the culture in midwifery would change if every bullied member of staff started 'Calling Them Out'?
Now I'd love to hear from you.
1) Have you ever been bullied?
2) Do you have any good strategies for dealing with bullies, or wisdom to share?
3) Has 'Calling Them Out' worked for you? If you could leave a comment (protecting identities) telling us what happened, it might be just what someone else needs to hear.
If you need some help/are feeling alone, you can always email me confidentially at ellie@midwifediaries.com, or come and join the 'Secret Community For Midwives In The Making' - I'm constantly astounded by how good the support is there.
Hope all is good with you and yours, and midwifery, thanks so much for reading. If you think a midwifery mate would find this post helpful, please share it with them.
Ellie x
P.S....I've changed all names and details so no-one can be identified. I hope Abi can spot herself though!
What an excellent post! I think this will really help a lot of midwives and students – thank you
Thanks so much Rachel!
Hi i worked as a Maternity Care Assistant in the hope of becoming a midwife. I started working ten years ago when my youngest child was at the end of his first year of secondary school . It was a job i had been dreaming of since i was a small girl.
The day i left the woman that interviewed me asked me to stay said i was the most enthusiastic candidate ever. She could never of not given me the job.
I witnessed bullying every day … i mean every day.. The store cupboard became a hideaway for midwives trainee’s and mca’s crying.
l was never on the receiving end of any bully but the Labour ward manager did not like me…. it was very obvious !!!!!
I left !!! my marriage had failed i was alone bringing up three teenage boys and unable to go to work where woman were speaking badly to one another knocking the stuffing out of talented staff under extreme pressure.
Had my marriage not failed i may of had the strength to stand up and ignore or challenge the behaviour .
It is the one regret i have in life … everyone I know says i missed my calling ,,, That makes me sad…
Ten years later i think changes are being made to squash this and so they should.
Why woman would feel the need to make others sad is beyond me …
I wonder if as the years go by they have regrets also !!!
So sad, Maria to think that you had been so keen to take on the role of midwife. Others having experience of your skills believing in you, you having started in position of MCA ( Maternity Care Assistant) which would have allowed you some insight into the midwife role in practice, as well as having had the experience of having had midwifery care yourself when you had your child / children.
Historically the Caring Profession, or one of the Caring Professions. Orem’s Model of Care allowing and encouring the woman ( family, etc where and when appropriate) to self – care. Emotional support, such as empathy being invaluable. Just what has happened?
Why is there / was there such a degree of bullying. I think in regards to bullying it has been said that those bullied may well go on to bully ( obviously not always the case / situation). But if under increasing levels of pressure, stress, negativity and unable to get away from that atmosphere / culture :- Just how do people cope / manage. Has research been done? What about animals when they are in a stressful Enviroment :- What impact does it have on them?
Maybe the focus has gone from being on the woman, and the childbearing time period, etc. What are the priorities? I have heard by some :- 1. To keep the BOSS off their back.
I hope that it is positive outcomes, etc that become the priority once again. It is just not possible for life to be perfect, no matter how much anyone wants it to be. Just as one bad apple and spoil the whole darn bunch :- By thinking :- focusing on the negative, it will be the negative which gets us down. Just how do we cheer up :- Provide a smile, and a happy place for women and their families to be cared / catered for. Whilst there being a degree of satisfaction for Employees.
What about Employees Rights? What about Employees Mental, Emotional, Psychological health? They need to be able to deal with Emergency situations, etc which occur on occasions ( number, etc taken account of, as they should be at a low level), cannot always be predicted, etc. We need strength of character, etc. We all have limits, as only human after all.
I left midwifery 10 years ago because of bullying. I went to another unit to find rivalry as an outsider!!!! It was atrocious and ingrained.
As you have suggested I tried the community and have had it really bad there on plenty of occasions. However, the advice of being Professional and Polite whilst standing up to them and telling them what they are doing In minute detail in a calm controlled way really does work. Remember always you are paid to be professional in your behaviour and attitude. If it gets out of hand never allow yourself to retaliate in such a childish manner. Tell them to stop right there whilst you gather the manager and union rep to discuss the matter further. You don’t get paid to be a bouncer!!
This is excellent – thanks for sharing your experiences and tips. This s
kind of assertiveness will be useful in all sorts of undermkning situations. The person doing the ‘calling out’ let’s the underminer know s/he is not in the manipulative position they thought they were – brilliantly simple!
Great post. I am astounded by the extent of bullying myself and my class mates have experienced. Positive steps will help, if not to stop it, to be able to cope with it. X
Thank you for posting this! It is very helpful!
Great article and helpful to me as a student, but i feel that bulling is not acceptable, and some students are too intimidated to say things. As a mature age student i am confident to tackle these issues, while some will feel powerless. At the end of the day no bullying is acceptable !!!
at the age of 33 I was bullied for most of my training as a student midwife, by fellow members of my cohort placed in the same hospital and those in the year above too – it was an awful time! It knocked my confidence totally, I wound up on anti-depressants and my children regularly saw me in floods of tears. My Uni liaison midwife was useless, it was the mentor’s and the unit Matron who knew me and believed in me that kept me going – I can elaborate just testing the water here before I totally share
Glad that at least you had some support. Yet, so so sad. Why the Bullying when you are in a learning situation, and from your “classmates”? As in the past I found that classmates could be sociable, supportive, chatty, helpful, etc. We all have our limits. We work best with positive feedback etc.
I wonder if there is pressure :- Limited jobs / available posts in Midwifery. Competition in regards to essay, exam results as well as assessments from placements. Theoretical work is part of the training, as is placements, etc. Do students feel like they are constantly being tested? In fear of being found “wanting”, lacking, etc. When they are in a learning situation in which they need to gain information, knowledge and gradually build up skills. Is there a need to have a Clinical Tutor? University Lecturers should they be doing Placements within the Practical Settings of wards, clinics, etc? As it seems that there is a massive need for change in order to provide environments, atmosphere and cultures in which learning and learners can flourish.
Best Wishes!
Sometimes just being able to say , while looking them in the eye and standing tall…….”Do you have a problem with this ?” This can work in some instances as it turns the “problem” back to them…….and may even take them by surprise. I guess if they then say…..”yes, I do “……. at least you have been able to respond and maybe make them think !!!!!
I was bullied not in midwifery, but as a medical receptionist for a GP. Your advice is great for any workplace bullying, no matter what field. The bullying I experienced was so subtle that it was difficult to pin point. My boss just had this way of making you feel incompetent, and I ended up feeling whitewashed from extreme praise to extreme criticism within a short period of time. I knew she made me feel terrible, but I didn’t realise it was bullying until I was working under a lot of pressure to fix a problem caused by a power surge, and she completely lost it. She screamed at me in front of a colleague, and told me my job was on the line if I didn’t have it fixed in 2 minutes. My colleague was horrified, and couldn’t believe my boss had spoken to me like that. So at last, with some encouragement, I confronted her. She tried to pin it on me, something like this:
Boss: “I don’t know why you like to push my buttons so much, but I’ve struggled with a spirit of anger for 40 years and I can sense it in you!”
Me: “Uhh…I’m not angry.”
Boss: “Yes you are!”
Needless to say, I did not feel like it went well. However, over the coming months, she softened towards me so much so that when I eventually moved cities, we parted as friends. Unfortunately her bullying towards other staff members did not stop, as I heard continued reports of it after I had moved on. I think if everyone stood up to her as I did, perhaps that culture would stop, as you said. It is difficult for someone so set in their ways, though. But no matter what the situation is, it is never ok to be treated that way.
You are so right, it is great advice for any workplace. Bullying can be subtle. It needs to be called for what it is.
Yes, Bullying is wrong. It does not matter who or where it comes from. Bosses should surely be managers / managing. If they are not suitable for the post of managing the work, workplace, people, employees :- Then they should not be in the job / post / role. They have a huge impact on outcomes :- Therefore it is important that they are Compertent, Effective, Positive, Etc, etc.
Workers / Employees are accountable, and should be held accountable for their actions / behaviour irrespective of their position / grade / role. Maybe even more so when they are Managers / Senior, etc. As they should be a Role Model for the Company / Organisation, etc. As well as being Accountable for their Organisation, Staffing, Management, People’s Skills, etc, etc, etc.
Teams? Them and Us? Just what model/s are used within the Organisation and Why? Are they Effective? Are they Nurturing? Etc, etc, etc.
Hi, if you see someone else being bullied, go and stand beside them for support – it intimidates the bully
Fantastic idea Joy! x
What great advice! However always easier said than done. We do need to continue to support and validate our worthiness to each other. It is a terrible shame that such a wonderful and philosophical profession can eat their young alive!
So spot on with this advice and thank you for publishing this. I have certainly felt the effect of bullying and have found my own way of confronting the bully with their behaviour, so I couldn’t agree more.
I got bullied by a midwife when I was at the end of my second year as a student midwife. It just happened once but it was enough for my confidence to be completely shattered. She totally demoralised me in front of a patient and her partner at a delivery and told me my practice was bad while shouting and being aggressive.
She then went and told my mentor I had an attitude problem.
Even though all my lecturers and all my mentors had reported that I was one of the excellent students they’d had, I believed her. And as a result I suffered with panic attacks for 6 months which I had to take medication for. And I got them everywhere even without a serious trigger. Eventually I forced myself to snap out of it and told myself I couldn’t let psychos like her ruin it for me.
And once I did everything changed for me. I was more assertive and now I take no nonsense as I know how important my health is. I’m now qualified and I’ve had a a similar situation where a more senior midwife was very rude towards me. I went straight to the coordinator and told her that. But that isn’t the problem… shall I tell you what is though, when they turn round and say “oh, she’s just like that”?!
Emm… Excuse me?! Why is that even allowed as an excuse. A midwife is supposed to show compassion?!
Only when attitudes change will we see changes. But standing up to them is definitely a start.
If Bullying in the workplace is to be tackled:- Surely those in a Senior position need to take it seriously, and deal with it appropriately. Surely Bullying policies should include a form for formal reporting. Also who should be involved in formally dealing with such incidents :- Union ? Human Resources? Management? There is probably a need to ensure there is no conflict of interest ( family, friends, seen as competitor, etc) Employee Rights Advisor? Police??
A culture of Inclusiveness. Positive Environment. Positive Culture, etc are surely likely to encourage a sense of cohesiveness, teamwork with a common goal.
Is Management adequately skilled to deal with such difficult issues? Is Management skilled in Team Building? Is Management skilled in Managing People, Business Management? Maybe Management Role needs Reviewing :- Fit for Purpose? Fit for Practice? What is expected from the Role? Are Managers equipped for Role? Who Evaluates:- Self, Peer, Team, Junior, senior, client, Public.
Hi Rachel, Everyone,
Please don’t rely on HR; management; senior staff; the union or your colleagues to support anyone who has been or is being bullied to put their head above the parapet and challenge this behaviour, because they WILL NOT.
They all stick their heads in the sand and wait for the problem to go away. I was a senior member of staff who was the victim of nasty covert bullying and intimidation.
After calling out a bully who made “SERIOUS” allegations against me; (the investigation took over 12 months) and I wasn’t even shown the allegations for 11 months; she was allowed to continue to target others after me.
I was so distressed, I considered suicide during the investigation, all for the lies of one person, who actually never said a word to my face, but managed to get herself a little gang of friends to report back to her and spread nasty gossip; when I think of these individuals now, I shudder because some of them now have senior positions and I cannot comprehend how they sleep at night. But maybe I can, because they have no conscience.
The bully even had the audacity to say that I had been disciplined over the problem, you couldn’t make it up.
The bully went on to intimidate other people, making several staff go off sick with nervous breakdowns; she eventually handed in her notice to leave for another Trust; but I note that her career has seen her change employers several times.
Please ask experts in bullying and harassment for help rather than relying on anyone you work with as you will not be given appropriate advice or support.
I have also been in this situation. I think the key is to stand together against bullies whether it is you on the receiving end or not.
I watched many young midwives be bullied and even leave due to one senior midwife’s bullying.
Other midwives witnessed this but accepted the behaviour.
It would soon be my turn to be on the receiving end. In the end I took out an official grievance against her. As other midwives had not gone down an official route my grievance was the first record of her bullying which I could not believe.
Other staff had to write statements, some did and some refused.
I felt I had to do this to protect other staff from having to put up with this.
I think standing together against bullies is the key. If you witness bullying even if it is not towards you, do something about it, as next time it might just be you on the receiving end.
Make an official complaint, then if the person continues the hospital will have to address the problem.
This has definitely made me stronger and I would not put up with this again and would always step up to support colleagues as I know what it’s like to be the one nobody stands up for.
I left clinical midwifery 2 years ago mainly due to the behaviour of my colleagues. I couldn’t bare to work in an environment where ripping each other down was part of every day. What is it that makes midwives turn in to these power hungry, mean, uncaring people? There was a big drive in the unit I worked in to tackle bullying and poor communication. it astounded me just how many of the main culprits got involved with apparently NO idea it was them that was the problem. At one point the person coordinating the support was the biggest bully in the unit!! That was who you had to go to to disclose bullying!! Maybe these midwives genuinely don’t realise they are doing it; maybe ‘calling them out’ might just be the thing that makes the difference. If you find yourself rolling your eyes at a junior member of staff or sniggering when someone says something derogatory about a colleague then you are part of it! I get that midwives do this as a self protective factor (joining in deflects the bullying from you) I’ve seen it happen over and over again. Just be aware that those actions are as damaging as the bully’s and contributes to the problem! Something has got to give and soon for the sake of midwifery. Remember all you beautiful midwives out there, it’s not normal to be frightened to go to work or to come home crying! Don’t accept it as part of the job xx
After serial bullying over a period of 5 years, I called a Bully out in front of our Boss. I told her that “I did not appreciate how she had spoken to me without any professional regard in such a dismissive way”. My God the backpedaling that then took place. I believe that day she actually shrank a little too. I got a pat on the back from a relieved Boss who did not have to face another conversation with this person in her office “after the fact” on behalf of someone else.
I get treated with respect now. I am in a position to work with students and I am vigilant on their behalf now.
Thanks for the article. I endorse the message
Well said…….and so says all of us. I’ve been a nurse and midwife for 40 years, and I believe the tide began to turn with the advent of Direct Midwifery training. Training as a nurse first just trains you to be a first class bullier , and translated into midwifery becomes endemic. This is stopping , has to be stopped, so thank you Ellie.
I hope you’re not suggesting that training as a nurse first makes you become the midwife bully!! I have been a midwife for 35 years and a nurse for 6 years before that.. I have been bullied on many occasions over the years by different nurses and midwives…I don’t put up with it now and I stand up for the bullied and stand up to the bullies…there’s no place for it anywhere in life…Chris
Like most things in life there are pros and cons etc. As we do learn from Experience.
Direct Midwifery Training I believe was aimed at focussing on the “Norm” / Health etc.
Yet hospitals are dealing with a possibly increasing number of “Risks”. As Low Risk tend to be dealt with within the Community, may choose to deliver at Home or in a Birthing Unit. High Risk need to be dealt with by staff who are on the alert to accept the Risks :- Be prepared for them and possibly others. As Risks can be present from before pregnancy, yet some evolve later. So staff need to be ever vigilant. I believe that is when and where those who have trained as Nurse before entering Midwifery can be of benefit, due to training and experience from that time.
Luckily Midwifery Training has taken on board High Risk Scenarios. Though Educators stay within Universities and do not (unfortunately) attend Hospital for Practical updates etc. So there is still an element of ” Theory / Practice Gap.
Till there is more Integration I do not believe there will be a reduction in Bullying. As there is a “Them and Us” , rather than a fully Integrated Cohesive, Compassionate, Empathic Team.
Some of the Direct Entry Midwives seem to like to pick and choose who they provide care for. Some want the easiest task/s possible. They maybe are aiming to look after the least “risky”, as keen to keep on good terms with Management “in crowd” / Clique. Do not want any aggro. Looking out for “self” seems more important than Caring for client / family etc.
I’m a ‘direct entry midwife’ and I specialise in high risk. I think that attitude in itself creates divisions. I work alongside midwives…not direct entry midwives & nurse trained midwives, just midwives.
Yes, no hierarchy would be the best approach.
It was said many years ago that there was a move to a ” flatter structure”. Has that been defined or evaluated?
I worked with a variety of individuals. Midwives wore Midwifery uniform. So not obvious what type of training they had undertaken :- They were employed as a midwife. In my comment I stated ” some” not all :- Therefore I was not stereotyping. I just believe that some younger midwives are more thoughtful, considerate of the roles / tasks / risks that they are willing to work with. Maybe due to training being much more theoretically based. In the past very much Practical based, and we learn from what we experience.
We need to be ever vigilant. As it is the woman who should be at the centre of Care. Irrespective of how we were trained, think or plan our workload / caseload, etc. Outcomes are important, and the “soft ones matter”. As women will remember their childbearing experiences for their lifetime. Please make them as positively memorable as is Possible.
Such an important topic – well done for raising awareness.
Thanks Sally, I just spent some instructive time on your blog and subscribed – you do such interesting and vital work!
It would seem that there is no mention of Midwives providing feedback in regards to Midwifery Manager’s role, behaviour, degree of / or lack of support for her colleagues / workforce etc. As it would seem that a positive Effective Midwifery Manager can positively effect / affect workforce and their outcomes.
Seems that there is need for Reseach / Investigation in regards to Midwifery Management. As there is a need to improve the service, service outcomes, etc and Management is one aspect which may have been left to Manage itself, be pressured by targets, number of complaints, etc :- When these aspects may then have an impact on outcomes, degree of satisfaction / dissatisfaction. All areas need to be Researched / Investigated / Evaluated, etc. It is Essential that Management work Effectively as part of the Team.
I have been in the institute of Heirachy for over thirty years, and the problem starts from the top. Management. It is a shocking culture, but until the poor ants running on the floor are acknowledged as equals to the people pushing the papers of policy makers, and accountability, making the ants jump through more and more hoops of accountability this will not be change. Sorry. I am a very disillusioned person of sister hood in the medical system. But am glad that i
I have found sister hood with beautiful woman who are spiritual humanitarians, away from the system!!! I could go on, this is my soap box. Thanks Di for sharing this link with me. Best of luck you Midwives and healers.
Lorraine
Lorraine you mention important Aspects. Hierarchy, Management, Accountability, Targets etc are very relevant.
The higher up the Hierarchy a person / employee is :- The further they tend to be away from the Area of Practice ( shop floor, coal face, ward, theatre, etc, etc).
Management and Educators tend to be a distance away, yet they are the ones who make an impact on Practice :- They hold Power, and are Decision Makers, Policy Makers etc, etc.
So it would seem that the full Team need to be more cohesive. Midwives were encouraged to do Diplomas,Degrees. Yet Management and Educators remain within their offices. Management and Educators retain title of Midwife, yet may not have provided Care for a Woman / Family for numerous years. So it would seem that paperwork is more valued than recent Practical Experience. Seems to me Midwifery Manager should maybe retitled to “Manager of Midwives”, Midwifery Tutors to ” Tutors of Midwives”. As seems more “Open, Honest and Transparent”.
Unless Management and Educators rotate into Midwifery Practice in order to update their Practical / Experiential Skills. Which I believe could be Extremely valuable for Women / Families. Midwives etc . As well as Outcomes and Reputations of Hospitals, Trusts, Midwives etc. As Theory / Practice Gap narrowed. All Team Members Integrated within the Practice of Midwifery. All keen for Good Outcomes, Good Experiences etc. Load Shared, and Successes Valued and Celebrated.
I have not worked as a midwife in hospitals since the 1990s.I am horrified to see the number of comments on a culture of bullying by professionals who should know better.I can only assume under staffing and stress brings out the worst in some people.However I think management should make time even if at handover to pick up on these problems and address areas where staff feel unsupported .I looked back to my student days and remembered situations I felt difficult to deal with.1:My first day on a post natal ward.Sister was red in the face and walked out the office and said”Why are you standing there nurse?”I said I was waiting to be told the ward routine and my tasks.She said i had to get on with it and started screaming at me and went back into the office.I felt awful.This carried on for 2 months.I found out she was a spinster who had been nursing her father and he had died and she would not take any time off.She was not fit for duty and yet the senior staff allowed her to be in charge of a ward and students.2;The bullied patient.”In an angry voice the midwife shouted.”less of your nonsense girl.You had no problem opening your legs to get the baby in now open them to get it out.”.The manager noted my upset and said X was reliable for night duties!.3;African midwife shouting at a Bengali woman”you dirty between the legs you people .You take jug of water and wash after pee”The manager said she would speak to the midwife but a terrible atmosphere descended as a white manager did not want to deal with the delicate issue of black to asian racism.If I can remember this all these years later how did the patients feel?.There has to be tools in place to assess how fit staff are to practise.All these bullying women were either mad, bad or both and the managers were too afraid to have reliable(as in turned up fit or not)staff challenged about what is going on in their lives or heads .I like the advise in the article to keep a record and to face up to the bully by calmly turning the accusations around.
As a family physician in the US who attended home births I experienced direct outright bullying and also behind-the-scenes undermining, primarily for supporting home birth, midwives, advanced practice nurses, birth centers, and patients who wanted something different than what the medical system offered. I was bullied a bit as a child by my siblings and I never learned how to handle it masterfully. I stood up a few times (carefully chosen) and the bully backed down. I wish I had stood up more often and as the organized bullying piled up. I doubt it would have changed anything besides how I feel about myself now. But that is actually the most important thing. After 20 years of practice, I stopped attending births when my license was threatened and I was exhausted. It breaks my heart to hear of midwives leaving during or soon after training. Mothers and babies need this care so badly.
Oh God, these stories are all really scary and making me wonder whether I would want to go into this profession at all! 🙁
Hi Sanna – please be reassured that midwifery is the best thing I’ve ever done – for me! This post sounds very doom and gloom, and bullying is a big problem. But I have also met life long friends and had the most personally meaningful and enjoyable times of my life because I’m a midwife. Also, I’m a much tougher person, and I value that. I’d really hate for you to think it’s this bad constantly, most of the midwives I’ve worked with I’ve loved to bits 🙂 Plus – we desperately need compassionate and emotionally intelligent people in the profession, and what all the comments tell me is there are so many midwives wanting to make a change, so hopefully things will improve soon x
Am not a midwife, but work in a small school as a cook and am constantly being bullied by the head teacher. Thank you for writing this post, it makes very interesting reading. My bully seems to do it when there are no other adults around and quite often in front of the children, which makes it worse as they think it’s funny.
confront your head and ask if she would like to be made a fool of in front of kids..and go see your union rep if you have one if she doesnt back off.good luck
Head Teacher :- Surely Head of Teachers. So why is Head Teacher any where near cook? Cook would be expected to be in kitchen, canteen, etc. Head Cook should be overseeing, and managing the department.
Thankyou so much for all the interesting comments, it’s so helpful. When I was nursing we had an awful sister who was a bully and made us all quake in our shoes! I stood up to her one day and she deflated like a balloon! From that moment on I knew that the only way to tackle a bully was to calmly confront them on their own in a,neutral place and say something like “have I done something to upset you because I am feeling very uncomfortable when you talk to me” Make sure you remain calm and don’t lose your temper, keep strong and focused!!
I think this is a great problem for CPMs as well. We really seem to just have to take it when we are being bullied during a transport, otherwise our clients may be mistreated or we may lose our backup. I have had to hold back tears many times.
I worked as a Labor and Delivery nurse for 18 years before deciding to take the leap and get my midwifery degree. I was a very confisent nurse. I had my certification in Inpatient obstetrics as well. I worked as staff nurse, department manager too. I wrote policies, scheduling, education for the dept. I confidently went through the first couple of years in midwifery education earning all As. I went to work with my preceptor for clinical. She was awesome! I confidently performed my duties well. There was a problem with the practice my preceptor was employed by. She lost her employment which meant I had to find a preceptor fast. I was so excited to have found another prectoe and work out necessary arrangements. The first few days were great. I noticed that there was a new midwife with that practice who was talked about and made fun of by my preceptor. Then after a while she started on me. I couldn’t do anything right according to her. I hurt patients when I check them and I need to figure out what I am doing to hurt patients. This incident was a morbidly obese woman who started acting out when my fingers were just between her thighs, not even in her vagina. My preceptor started yelling at me about it. I was talking with the patient trying to get her to relax. My preceptor kept arguing at me. I asked her did she want to places the internals since I was hurting the patient so bad. She looked at me like I was being a smart butt and said “no,you can do it”. She criticized everything I did. I cried every day. I LOST my confidence. I traded preceptors because I just couldn’t work like that. She had people believing that I was a dumb no good midwife student. I have suffered so much since graduating. I have worked about 17 months as a CNM in the 3 years since graduating. I have been working L&D when I am not providing care as a CNM. The bullying I was subjected to has hurt me emotionally. I want to gain my confidence back. I am a darn good nurse and midwife.
This is fantastic. Thanks for sharing ????
Yep. Yep. Yep. Mine is another story of the same. What is a student being bullied by her preceptor to do when she has no other option for training?
This is such an interesting read, I am crying reading this and wish I had read this sooner. I was a student midwife (a newly single parent also having had a year out due to having a baby at the end of my first year) but I made it – almost – to the end of my training. I had passed my 1st and 2nd year, all my osce’s, essays and my dissertation with a predicted higher 2:1.
I was bullied in practice towards the end of my 2nd year and throughout my 3rd year. My mentor used to make snide comments behind my back, I was shouted at in front of clients and had a bag of saline thrown at me at the delivery suite reception desk in front of people and I was given un-necessary workloads i.e making me retake exams I had passed. With just 5 weeks of placement left I was ‘ failed’. One of the reasons was because I had time out to have a baby – this, apparently, was my biggest downfall, along with no respect for my peers, which when I challenged this was told it was due to me complaining about the particular midwife who had shouted at me!! My confidence was – and still is – rock bottom, I became a shadow of my former self, I started having panic attacks going into placement and still suffer now 18 months on, I am on anti- depressants and am currently going through an appeal. I was dismissed the day I failed with immediate effect, had to hand in all my paperwork and portfolios and badges, and told not to turn up for work the following day!
I have not had any support from any mentor or university tutor since.
It’s unbievable that this happens so much and completely unacceptable. I know I’m not the first from my trust but people feel too intimidated to speak up. I also know that many of the girls I trained with won’t back me up with statements if required because they fear for their jobs!
I studied and trained hard as a single parent and was a damn good midwife, but I guess my face just didn’t fit, or that’s how it feels!
I have been bullied out of my job after working my way up over 16 years all for doing what was right for the mums and babies in my care. I am sad to be leaving midwifery after many happy years but have no choice. As you say your health has to come first. I will find another way of fighting the bullying which exists across the NHS. Thank you for sharing your experience!
You state bullying exists across the NHS. Is it known why? Silos? Doctors conflict between NHS and Private Practice :- Conflicting interests. Hierarchical priorities? Are there some Doctors who only work for the NHS? Maybe many aspects need to be considered, and researched.
Competition for jobs, promotion, trials, etc :- Does that perhaps cause stress / distress. Conflict. As these negative aspects may lead to bullying. Again has there been any research / investigation?
In order to tackle / address bullying :- Source /s need to be identified, surely.
It is based on hierarchy, an intensely stressful job with an emphasis on defensive practice, a lack of resources and historically, it was just part of practising. Sources absolutely need to be identified, copying cultures that have it right would be a good move as well x
Fantastic reading other midwives stories and such courage
I was also a victim of serious bullying, by senior managers. I was a labour ward sister for 16 years and witnessed other staff being shouted at and humiliated in public. I acted as their advocate and then it was my turn !
Bullying within the unit was endemic, staff were too scared to speak up for fear of reprisal. In my own case I was the victim if a witch hunt, and professional jealousy. Management team was corrupt. I suffered this for eight years which had a detrimental effect on my health. Midwifery was my Vocation.
Sadly I resigned from my post, my resignation letter was full of tears. I cried whilst writing my final last words
I left a job which I loved, and I miss carrying for mothers and their babies – God Bless them all xx
Sad. As childbearing is often viewed so positively in our culture. People tend to enjoy seeing babies and children, often showering them and their parents with praise. Maybe it is because we love to see happy, healthy children. Which has been made possible through reduction of child mortality rates.
Public tend to expect that there is happiness at the birth of a baby. Babies being born in hospital has become the norm. For there to be unhappiness through bullying is totally unhealthy.
Your length of career, many would have expected you were able to deal with the job. The fact that the culture was one of bullying, and that bullying came from Management. Surprising that you managed to work within that culture for so long.
Why is there such an element of bullying? Is Management under pressure from their seniors, etc ? As there are mentions of “Complaints Culture”. Posters and leaflets inform and advise clients to complain if they are unhappy with any aspect of the care or treatment given whils at hospital. Is that maybe impacting on Management ? Are they forgetting about the many who have been grateful for the care they received?
You left a place which was making you unhappy due to the bullying culture. I hope you are now happy and healthy, contented with your life etc.
I’m not in the midwifery profession, but have always believed bullies are bullies because they are lacking in something in their own lives and feel the need to belittle others to make themselves feel more important. I’m no expert, but I do think that confronting them in front of others is a good way to handle a very sad situation. Show that you are not afraid of them because they rely on this to try to get the upper hand. Good luck to all midwives you do an amazing job. Don’t be put off following your dreams by these cruel individuals.
Dianne
It can be helpful to have individual strategies, however, it is the structural inequalities that must be recognised, confronted, challenged and changed. Individuals within the system remain powerless to change the system until united and collective action forces real change.
It is heartbreaking to read these comments and further confirm my suspicions that bullying in midwifery is a prevalent and toxic problem. I have met so many people who never finished their apprenticeships because they were so distroyed by their preceptors.
I had two children with the preceptor I eventually choose as my midwife. I had a great love for her and even more respect. I wanted to learn from her. After years of planning and preparing I was finally able to take an open apprenticeship spot in her practice. I was so excited.
The first thing my midwife and her business partner did was sit me down and tell me how hard and almost impossible this program was and how much turnover they had in their program because people couldn’t hack it. Basically setting me up to be the one who failed if it didn’t work out. Then they had the other apprentices train me for several weeks. About half of the training involved how things had to be handled in order to not piss off the boss. Meanwhile she(the midwife) began inserting herself into my personal life. Trying to dictate who watched my kids while I was doing apprecticeship work. Even going so far as to threaten my position if I didn’t go along with her suggestions.
Then I got pregnant and have had two previous pregnancies end in micarriage I told her out of respect and asked her not to say anything to the other midwives or staff because I didn’t want to work around a bunch of people that knew in case I miscarried again. She told me she understood but by the next day the receptionist told me that four people from the office had already told her that I was pregnant. My midwife had turned around and told everyone.
A few weeks later I broke two toes in an accident and it took me a couple days to get a protection boot. She called me during that time one morning as I dropped my kids off on my way to clinic and told me that she needed me to go and do her volunteer work in her kindergarten ers classroom instead of clinic that day. My kids go to the same school so she felt it was perfectly acceptable to require me to go. I told her no. My foot was unprotected and I wasn’t about to go help with 35 five year olds. She called me the next day and told me it wasn’t working out. That I just didn’t understand the relationship type community she was trying to build with her birthcenter. (Read: I need to be able to control whatever aspect of your life that I choose in this unpaid position of my apprentices.) I told her that it sounded like she didn’t like being told no. She ended the conversation shortly after that.
The day before at my last day of clinic there, some of the staff found out I had refused to do what she asked. They all acted like the world was ending. Suddenly I looked around and realized that I was working with a ton of people that were living in an actively codependent abusive situation. We who are in a position to be mandatory reporters and to understand the signs of abuse in our patients in order to help them be safe; we were living in an actively abusive situation and no one could do anything about it. I could have reported her for violating HIPPA in outing my pregnancy. I could have done some very vindictive things. I know a great deal many of her clients personally. But what was the point. I would only be hurting the people that work for her since she obviously is so set in her abusive ways that no one can even fathom saying no to her.
As I searched for a new preceptor I learned along the way that this is a hugely common problem. But why? Why is it that every midwife who bullies mostly likely knows exactly how it felt to be bullied? Why would they want to inflict that on someone else?
I’m a NQM at a new trust and have found it very difficult at times. Like mentioned in the blog some more experienced and senior midwives are quick to criticise what I have/haven’t done (even when I’m going to them for help/support).
Recently I had a very tough shift, typical long and intense day. I’d examined a woman and was unsure of my findings, was discussing the situation with a registrar in the office and the co-ordinator piped up “Don’t you know what you’re feeling? Can’t you do VEs? I thought you were a midwife, that’s one of the most basic skills and you shouldn’t be here if you can’t do them!” Very belittling but thankfully the registrar even defended me by saying he sometimes finds them tricky and this midwife shouldn’t be over confident in her skills.
That didn’t go down well and for the rest of the shift she was nit-picking every little thing I was doing and made me feel very tense and on edge. And a couple of hours before the shift ended I broke. She’d brought me to tears, I was incredibly upset but this had made something click in my head, through my tears I told her that while some of her points might be valid she’s been overly critical and not constructive or supportive. And that while I’m new to the profession I am a 32 year old woman and not a 12 year old girl so she doesn’t need to speak to me like a child. I then told her that I appreciate she’s under pressure co-ordinating the unit but that in my previous career I used to be a manager of a team of 50 and regardless of the pressure I was feeling I’d never speak to anyone how she’s spoken to me and if I ever did then I’d be disciplined for bullying!
Her tone instantly changed, she even thanked me for acknowledging the pressure she’s under and while she hasn’t been the most supportive of people, she hasn’t been half as critical to me. (I did also tell her that I don’t need this s**t and if she thinks I’m that inept she can do without me then I’ll go home – think the fear of being a midwife down and the potential discussion in my return to work meeting had an impact too).
It breaks my heart that in a profession that is all about empowering women, some of our colleagues find it so easy to abuse fellow women.
I was a confident midwife who changed cities after 5 years of practice. I worked in the hospital system for a short while as I built up a private practice for mostly home birthing. The bullying I experienced came from the medical staff who did not seem to understand my “do not interfere with the natural flow of birthing” practice. They made allegations about me behind my back in ‘incident reports’ to the HOD. These allegations were never discussed with me prior to them writing the report, nor was I approached by them for a ‘debrief’ after a birth. The first I knew that there was a problem was when the HOD emailed me to arrange a meeting to discuss the incident report. After discussing my side of the birth story, which with the backup of my notes, generally disproved the allegation, I was asked to take further ‘education’ in ‘medicalized midwifery practice’. After a while it became apparent to me that the HOD was asking both medical & midwifery staff to ‘spy on my practice’ if I had invited them into the room for a birth or for consultation, when I needed any assistance. After a while, I totally lost confidence in my ability to look after birthing women & did not know who I could trust. The last straw came when on entering the birthing unit, (the only place to birth if the woman did not want to birth at home) the charge midwife baled me up to ask me when I was going to do some medical procedures on my client. All we came in for was to have a natural birth in a pool because she did not have a bath at home, & then they keep knocking on the door interrupting the flow of the birth to try & give me ‘assistance’. After I stopped practicing I was talking to a student midwife who was on placement at the unit & she informed me that whenever I came into the unit to birth a client, the medical staff said that they were just hanging around waiting for me to ‘stuff up’ so they could step in & do a caesarean section! I only had 5 women have caesarean sections in the 3 years that I birthed there, for medical reasons beyond my or the woman’s control. I was also forced to go through a farce of a competence test to prove myself but I was so overwhelmed & lacked confidence by that time with the whole situation, that I could not pass the test, even though many of my colleagues from previously & my present practising partners were very supportive of my practice. I also had 100% excellent feedback from my clients & a large number of very disappointed families, when they returned pregnant with their next babies & I told them I was no longer in practice. I did lodge a complaint of bullying with the hospital, it was investigated, but no report or action has been resolved.
I am a student midwife who has had this bullying behaviour happen to me. I get the impression from other students and Midwives that this particular Midwife has a history of bullying students and some staff members.
When I discussed it with her she behaved in a manner which further shocked me, and I know it has affected my confidence and I have lost all trust in those who are supposed to support me, as thier responses have been to back away from me.
I feel pity for the bully who behaves like a child most of the time and saddened that staff members have gossiped about me but not one has had the courage to asked for my side of the story.
Really interesting – also ties in with a radio documentary by Claudia Hammond that I just listened to, about how a steep authority gradient / excessive respect for authority figures in medicine can lead to disasters because people lower down the hierarchy don’t feel able to call them out on unsafe practice. Excessive deference leads to less safety – a “no blame” culture allows people to learn from mistakes rather than fear for their careers. The programme looked at how airlines have radically changed the culture they work in to improve safety, and how pilots are now training healthcare staff to work the same way! I was thinking about how this would apply to maternity units while listening. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05y16mv
That’s fascinating Angela,’excessive deference leads to less safety’, what a wonderful phrase. I so hope this gets to NHS care – I have every hope that it will.
It’s not just managers who bully, I have been bullied by more junior staff who wanted things on their terms and didn’t want to be managed, I know several senior managers this has happened to, good managers, wanting the best for patients. All it takes is a little conspiracy and the poor manager trying to achieve what is right for patients and the organisation doesn’t stand a chance.
That sounds like an extremely difficult situation Gill, I think managers need far more support than they are currently given. Good resources for managers can change care for the better quickly. I think it’s also important to think about how the bullies themselves feel, they are often unhappy people in my experience. Managing to stp that behavious can work out best for clients, midwives, bullies…everyone.
There would be talk of “brown nosers” ( individuals who kept close to management, they would do this to be in the know and to try and keep management on their side i.e. avoid management from becoming disgruntled or unhappy with anything about them. Spending time with management, probably led to management seeing them as one of them, next in line, maybe prodigy )
It seemed that it was their strategy to stay safe, avoid a telling off, keeping the boss happy etc. Seemed like if the boss was happy, then boss stayed away :- which allowed staff to get on with tasks / work i.e dealing with clients etc.
Seems some were manipulative in order to try to get their own way :- working particular hours, or in a particular department etc. Some younger / more junior staff would assist senior with technology and / or research to get into their good books. Which could lead to them getting positive acknowledgement, good off – duty, opportunity to work in their preferred area of work and / or department.
I know to keep things positive, but…
I have experienced bullying by my midwife and eventually had to separate myself from her due to circumstance that I will not elaborate on.
She is an excellent midwife, but some behaviors are not acceptable and if you allow them to continue knowing about them, you become just as guilty as they.
The problem is that there is no where to go for student midwives with problems and you become ostracized by other midwives because they only know one side of the story and you remain silent.
As a nurse, this behavior is not acceptable in my place of employment.
Student midwives are people too.
Sorry, thank you for letting me be able to speak.
Thanks so much for your comment. I agree, there is work to do in this respect. There is a conference this year on phsyiological birth I’m looking forward to, and I know one of the speakers is talking about her expertise around bullying. I hope there are some answers on how to improve things for students. https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/tab1.aspx?EventID=1710149
You may want to have a look at this video, where myself and a researcher called Sally Pezaro discuss some stratagies further: http://midwifediaries.com/whats-the-future-of-psychological-support-for-midwives-interview-w-sally-pezaro/ Thanks again.
It’s been horrifying yet cathartic reading these experiences. I was bullied for a long time at my job as an sdn and cn job in a tertiary hospital. I loved my job but my manager and clinical nurse specialist were witches. They bullied me from the outset. I was there for years and blamed myself. I constantly went home in tears trying to work out how to do more, do better. In hindsight i was a dedicated and hard worker who did a great job. They both took great delight in setting me up to fail. For example, They’d wait until it was too late to book a room for a training session then ask me to organised one. Then when we had to squeeze into a room that was unsuitable because it was all that was available, they’d make sure that all presenters and participants knew it wad my fault. They even approved leave for me, only to berate me in public saying i should have been back the day before despite being the ones who’d approved my leave up to that date.. then i fell pregnant. They upped the ante. Our ward was falling apart and because of changes being made and poor leadership, we were losing all our experienced nurses. I should have left with them all, but stupidly i stayed so I’d have a job to come back to. Then one day i got called to the director of nursings office. The 2 bullies were there. They were 30+ years my age and they turned on me. Blaming me for all the problems. I stayed crying and couldn’t stop. I literally walked out and never came back. The stress in my pregnancy led to early hospitalisation and pre term birth. I never went back. I was humiliated and so upset that no one saw the truth. Later on i learned that this pair had fine this many times before sms the culture went high up. I didn’t have a chance. Nurses and midwives do eat their young
I am leaving my trust due to bullying, it is ridiculous that such a beautiful job is ruined by this and that managers are too weak to stop it!
I will be starting a midwifery degree this September. Bullying is the number one thing that scares me the most! I was bullied a lot all through school and it took me a long time to get over it. Even though I’ve gained confidence over the last six years since I left, I’m worried I’m just going to walk in and be an instant target. Thanks for the post Ellie, I feel a little more equipped now with how to deal with bullies if they come into play! X
Reading these posts makes me really want to reconsider my chosen path :/ I’m just at the start of an access course and hope to progress to mudwifery but this sounds terrible! I was bullied all throughout school, and don’t think I can face this again . I’ve managed teams if people for 10+ years and dealt with all kinds of people, lovely to downright awful, I’m not sure if I can move into a profession where it seems to be an engrailed and accepted issue, I’m so sorry to hear how many midwives have left their jobs due to this, it truly is awful
Hi Terri – it is awful, but it’s amazing that we’re able to have a big conversation about it. I’m very optimistic about how midwifery will progress, and I know there’s lots of work being put in by midwifery tutors and others to try and change the culture. The truth is, midwifery may well benefit from people such as yourself who are so aware of what bullying is and how to be kind and supportive – but equally, we do need change to attract this kind of applicant.
As an aside, I have met some of the most incredible individuals through midwifery. I’m so glad and felt very supported in many ways as a midwife.
Good luck with whatever you decide, Ellie x
I have been subtly bullied for about 15 years by my community team leader, It started with constant nit picking, that stopped when I said something a few years ago which took a lot of courage, when the team structures changed she started bullying others and a lot of them either left or got pushed into other roles. It came back to me with either being blanked or spoken to in a derogatory manner or being sent sharp texts. After afew complaints recently went in from some of us she was bullying she was called to answer as per protocol but nothing has changed for me. I recently needed support and got none whatsoever, her response to a horrible personal event was disgusting especially for the role she is in. I don’t know if I have the strength to take it further but I have to. Where I work people are given excuses, oh it’s just her, that’s the way she is, ignore it!!!!! Its not right.
Bullying should never be tolerated. Midwives are caring for women in their most amazing and yet vulnerable time of life. Midwives should thank themselves lucky to be a part of this woman’s journey. BULLYING in the work place should not feature in this journey. It destroys team work , it destroys another persons confidence and places a woman, her partner and unborn child at risk. Stamp BULLYING out , there is no place for those selfish individuals in a birth suite or postnatal ward.
Well said Sue! Adding to that…..any midwife proven to be bullying should be demoted instantly!
I’m not a midwife so I’m sorry for hijacking the thread.
But I am a mother who’s given birth to two beautiful girls.
Reading these posts is horrifying. From a patient’s point of view, having a baby is the most important, exciting and precious time in your life. We’re totally reliant on you wonderful midwives to help us through this time and bring our most important possessions into the world. The fact that not only are you working under a lot of pressure, plus facing such a nasty culture of (what seems to be accepted) bullying is shameful and extremely alarming.
Thank you for speaking up. I hope this post helps others in this situation to be able to deal with it and continue to do one of the most important and fundamental jobs in society.
Nice to see this being publicly renounced. I’m an older student and in my 2nd year of midwifery. Recently I have encountered student midwives bullying their peers.
Something really should be done at university level to stop bullies and stopping them becoming qualified midwives where they can use their manipulative powers to further bully more students and fellow midwives. It’s currently being ignored and really should be made an example of as this does not show “good character”. I would like to see it as part of the NMC guidelines and rules for pre registration student midwives.
Sad that there is Bullying at a time when you are aiming to learn information, gain knowledge and skills. Would be nice if you could all be supportive of each other.
Makes me Wonder if there is an element of Competition. Limited Midwifery posts etc. As why are students behaving in ways that are detrimental to others. Rather than being supportive, Especially when they are preparing to work within a Caring Enviroment and Role ( Midwife :- With Woman).
I am a nurse and I am applying for the shortened midwifery course to start next September. When I tell fellow nurses that I want to do midwifery they are sometimes horrified stating that midwives are mean, know it all bullies. This is from their experiences personally and professionally. I am not saying I agree or disagree with the statement I just think sometimes we need to look at ourselves and think about what our actions say to other people x
I am a midwife of nearly 25 years experience.
I am currently doing a return to practice so I can return to nursing. Why ? Because, even as a very experienced midwife I am being bullied.
It got to the point were my health was suffering and I had to decide …..job or health. I have choose my health.
One of the instigators has a reputation for bullying and despite numerous complaints about her she is allowed to continue.
I am told I ‘am lucky to have a job’ these days by a manager. Well actually, no !! You are lucky to have such an experienced midwife in this struggling profession.
I have been told my my manager to ‘keep quiet’ or I will be facing disciplinary. But I am the victim here.
Well, not anymore. It’s time to walk. Goodbye midwifery. I would like to say it’s been a nice experience, but sadly it hasn’t.
It’s been 25 years of slog and tears. But not anymore.
I’m desperately sad to hear this. I hope nursing is the right place for you. Thanks for your comment – good luck x
I’ve had a very similar experience to yours Marie. After 23 years midwifery it’s time to say goodbye.
I am leaving midwifery following being bullied as a student and undermined as a midwife. I am not prepared to do this any more. Working 13 hour shifts with no break, not seeing my family for days on end, night shifts with no break and labour ward managers who seem to take pride in the fact that not one member of staff has even had a sip of tea.
Good luck midwifery, I will miss you, but I am starting a job where I get paid for the hours I work and I will see my family every day. ?
Your comments are really frightening :- working 13 hours with no break. That surely is unhealthy, illegal and unsafe practice. Management and Union should be ensuring that there is sufficient staffing levels, staff are getting the breaks that they are entitled to and require in order to be able to work safely and healthily.
The unsocial hours do mean that midwives have challenges in regards to Work / Life Balance. Yet are there not policies within Human Resources to address such ISSUES.
Seems many are eager for clinic, community placements etc :- to have mainly weekday and daytime work. Some stating it is a necessity for Family Life as they have children. Yet how can the profession keep midwives skilled with the varied aspects of the role? Rotation would seem the answer, being able to work a rotation within the various departments in order to attend to women and their families throughout the childbearing process etc.
Professional Development should be an important part of the role of a midwife. Also by rotating through the various departments can build up relationships, improve communication and build up the strength of the overall team. Rather than a “Them and Us” / Cliques etc.
It seems much is needed within Midwifery to address the Bullying. Whilst also return the the aspect of providing Care needed by the expectant family, as surely the ” woman” should be at the centre of care. Her journey maybe being reviewed afterwards :- Is there anything she would have done differently if possible? Is there anything she would have wanted done differently if possible? What one thing was beneficial, so much so that she is keen for it to continue to be available for “women”?
BBC News online :- Report regarding death of six year old boy Jack Adcock. Dr Hadiza Bowa-Garba, Junior Paediatrician stated she had worked a 12 hour shift with no break.
Independent online :- Mentions exceptional circumstances within the NHS at the time. As there is mention of no Consultant on duty, and Dr Bowa-Garba (in a training role) being Doctor in Charge of the Department at the time.
There is also mention that Dr Bowa-Garba had recently returned from Maternity Leave.
Seems the Doctor and maybe other staff, as well as the Department were under pressure at the time. Yet have those ISSUES been reviewed? Have they been addressed? Had Reasonable Adjustments been considered for Dr Bowa-Garda :- As there had been recent gap in practice due to Maternity Leave. Also she may have benefited from support given fact new baby ( probably being cared for at home :- By whom?), how was sleep / rest. Also studying takes time (in training role), and can have pressures such as exams, essays, practical assessments,etc.
In the news there is also mention that an agency nurse was struck off the Nursing Register following the death of Jack Adcock.
Is there Team working? As why was a junior paediatrician (in a training role) recently returned from Maternity Leave left ( or put) in charge of department. Worked 12 hour shift with no break.
Hopefully all the ISSUES are being addressed.
Condolences to Jack Adcock’s family, friends, etc.
I have just started my second year as a student midwife. I am more than aware that everybody has ‘wobbles’ during their training, however, my experience of my first year has made me not want to continue.
I was bullied for a large portion of my childhood and teenage years, to the point where I always promised myself that I would NOT let it happen during my adult life. I love midwifery, and everything about it, but the experiences on placement seem to have sucked the passion out of me. This is my story.
At my university, the whole cohort starts in community. I cannot fault my community mentor at all, or the community team. In fact – it was the only good experience I had. One of my fellow colleagues, however, was not bullied first hand, but experienced a sort of ‘rivalry’ between 2 other midwives, and overheard comments and nastiness between them on several occasions. This in my opinion is not professional. Like I said, I did not experience this – in fact, community seems to be the only place that I enjoy placement.
On labour ward, several students have come across rude midwives, snarky comments being made, and general feelings of being seen as an inconvenience. I was allocated a mentor and we got on very well. After a particularly busy shift, my mentor was in tears – and then I did not see her again for the remainder of the placement (she was signed off for stress). I was then turning up and being put with any midwife that did not have a student. I am very good at reading people, and unfortunately, I experienced feelings of inconvenience and that quite frankly they didn’t particularly want me with them.
Post natal ward was where the problems really started. For some reason, my mentor took a dislike to me. In the middle of my placement, we sat down to talk about my progress. She said ‘I had not progressed, was unprofessional’ amongst other negative things, but she ‘couldn’t put her finger on what was wrong therefore couldn’t give me feedback on how to put it right.’ I have never felt so deflated in all my life. It takes me a lot to cry – but I went home after that shift and cried myself to sleep. I dreaded going in for the next shift and every shift after that. When it came to doing practical assessments, she refused to do them because I was ‘unprofessional and not progressing.’ She had spoken to other midwives that agreed with her, but hadn’t said anything to me. I then got university involved and we had a meeting. She then told my tutor that I hadn’t even told her about the assessments in the first place!!! I was furious, but felt so deflated by this point, that I just sat quietly and let her have her piece. My tutor gave me a hug afterwards and I had a cry and a rant to her. Thank goodness it was over, and luckily I do not have her as a mentor this year.
I’m not sure if I can carry on in a profession like this, where bullying seems to be acceptable, and the midwives just don’t seem to be interested in training us. & sadly, from reading other posts, I don’t seem to be the only one.
I am saddened to read that you have had a very negative experience. It makes me wonder if there is a need for the return of Clinical Tutor. In the past the Clinical Tutor visited the students on placement. Would do teaching sessions with students e.g. Urine testing, inspection of a placenta etc.
Seems that maybe Midwifery staff do not feel comfortable with teaching role which has been placed upon them. As no Clinical Tutor nowadays. Maybe Midwifery Educators / Teachers / Tutors could visit the clinical area to work alongside students and trained staff :- In order to facilitate a nurturing, educational relationship between trained staff and students. As students deserve a positive experience, building on their knowledge base and gaining skills through observing practice, then later participating in practice whilst Mentor oversees / supervises /assists as and when is necessary. An important and Responsible role is Mentoring. Therefore it needs to be supported, encouraged, nurtured etc.
I hope your future goes well.
I was accepted into midwifery my first time trying and I couldn’t believe it. It’s all I ever wanted to do. What I didn’t bargain for was the abuse and bullying I would experience as if I was back in secondary school again. Girls from my cohort turned on me in unimaginable ways, I ended up on anti depressants and anti anxiety tablets, and if you knew me I’m someone who is full of life and was highly against these forms of medication due to personal family experiences. These girl drove me to a place where I was actually considering whether I could defer for a year just to get away from them and to get my mental health back on track. They went as far as turning the rest of the cohort against me so in my seminars I would be death stared walking in and ignored the whole time. When I was on placement I sighed a breath of relief as I didn’t have to deal with all of them for six-ten weeks at a time. I’d paid to live in halls and I was barely there for the fact that I lived with some of them I would have to speak to myself just to use my voice in the day as they would ignore me. For a time I had panic attacks, shaking uncontrollably, crying hysterically and often had to distract my family from their work etc as they were the only ones who could calm me down. I spoke to the uni who trembled when I said bullying as it was ‘a serious allegation’ and I knew they were worried about the paperwork or issue it would cause if I actually went through with my claims. These bullies actually took it to the university saying I was incompetent to be on the course and that I had confided in them that I was ‘struggling with the course and didn’t feel I could cope with the work load’ I MOST CERTAINLY DID NOT. Amoungst all of this I was dealing with huge family issues which had threatened my mental health before the degree but I’d managed to hang in there. The fact these girls, these bullies, had tipped me over the edge when I had been so strong in personal hard times made the whole thing so much worse and much more twisted than I could have hoped for.
Luckily for me when I was having a good day (few and far between) I am the type of person who likes to get out and meet new people anyway. I managed to make a bunch of new friends on different courses, which helped as I got away from this deathly midwifery bubble I’d been trapped in, and I’d become close with a few select student midwives in my cohort that had my back and would stick up for me, some I ended up living with in second year!
I have left much out in fear of someone recognising this, but in end I am out of the other side. I still have to deal with them and no, it has far from ceased. But I’m through. I’m still breathing and still a student midwife in second year and loving it, which is one of the biggest achievements I have made, for myself, this year.
If you are a student midwife reading this and are experiencing something similar please, I beg of you, don’t give up. They are not the reason you were accepted over 100’s of people so DONT let them be the reason you leave. You came into this because you were capable, confident and hopefully it’s something you would go to bed thinking about and wake up dreaming about. You are strong, you are amazing, and you have got through worse than this. Plough through, my thoughts and midwifery heart are with you all.
I just wanted you to know, you’re not alone (unfortunately). One of my close friends (a woman in her 40’s) is sadly in a very similar situation to yourself. And yes, shes spoken to the uni and they have done NOTHING. Talk about breeding a bullying culture.
You deserve better but you’re right, keep going if you can, but you always need to put yourself (and your mental health) first.
After 8 years I’m leaving midwifery (I too had many problems as a student) but for me, I’m done for now,maybe one day I’ll return to it,who knows.
Best of luck to you though and keep your head up xx
I was bullied by my midwifery manager….I quit and became a practice nurse
Thanks Ellie.. wise advice..”Keep calm and non-accusatory”…. I couldn’t agree more except, being the linguistic freak that I am, when I read a few suggested responses, they seem accusatory to me.. e.g. “It’s aggressive”, “It’s not constructive”, “This is unprofessional” and “You’re not being an effective team member”. If those words were spoken to me, I know they would bluntly hit my ‘shame bone’. How often does this ‘fire fighting with fire’ tactic work? I can see how the fire of humiliation could either smother or fuel the burning flames.
Hey, great comment as always. Thought provoking. I’d say sometimes being polite but direct is the best thing, yes it uncomfortable – courage over discomfort? Depends on the situation and I’m not sure there’s a better way of phrasing those ideas – but what would you say? Ideas are welcome 🙂 x
Not related to midwifery/obstetrics but I work in a small ward in a hospital as a ward clerk and was being horrifically bullied by my manager. I was lucky enough to have wonderful co-workers and friends on other words who allowed me to vent to them. It turns out, I wasn’t the only person on the ward or hospital to feel she was a bully and it lit a fire so huge within me that I decided the next time she treated me poorly I would call her out on it, professionally of course. Sure enough, the very next day she was at it again and I called her on it. Honestly, the effect was not immediate. First she was shocked, then defensive, then critical of my work and character. But what it did do was make other people realise that they could stand up to her too and now over 5 people have reported her behaviour to higher management and she’s under investigation. Create the ripple effect! Stand up to bullies every time – and don’t let people intimidate you – they’re people too and they’re not better than you just because they like to think so!
Side note: I was one of the youngest people she was bullying (by over 20 years) and I’m about 40 years her junior. Age doesn’t = respect… at least not when you don’t earn it
Very good article, unfortunately all so true. And the exact reason I’m leaving midwifery this month, after 8 years. The last 2 years have been a real struggle, being bullied by Band 7 Midwives and even after raising my concerns and taking documented proof to management, nothing was done about them. It was always brushed under the carpet and forgotten about. Blamed on “misunderstanding of communication” and my mental health was brought into question!!! Total lack of support and the fear of my registration being at risk by any accusations made against me by them, I’ve had to take the difficult decision to leave. Being a single parent for all of my career, I’ve worked soooo hard to be a midwife, and now I’m being made to give it up because of bullies!! I really did try to stand up to them but at the end of the day, they won!!
From your comment sounds like you may have been on your own. If no support, can be left vulnerable. Yet it is the Bullying which is wrong, and should not be tolerated in the workplace, within education, etc, etc.
Yet it is only with people such as yourself, by sharing your experience/s that there will be any knowledge of the existence of bullying. That may be just the start, as with knowledge may come some power :- The opportunity to prepare oneself. Being aware of a need to access a support network, not always easy. But to be forewarned, can be prepared with integrating self into a cohesive support network if that opportunity is available. Also highlights need for Bullying Policy, Zero Tolerance regarding Bullying. Research and investigation into Best Practice to tackle / address Bullying, etc.
I am so glad you have written this article & it gives anyone who has been bullied the strategies to use to deal with this behaviour.
There are many bullies in the Midwifery sector, not all of them in senior positions.
You can also get bullies who are lesser grades are covert spreading nasty vicious rumours about staff.
I know because this happened to me, I wouldn’t mind if some of them had the capability or intellect to do my job but they didn’t.
Many lower grade bullies are jealous of your position / personality and will do everything to put you in a bad light.
One of them tried to accuse me of something so serious that she tried to get me struck off.
I went through 2 years of hell and management / HR were absolutely useless.
They provided no support whatsoever when these accusations left me suicidal and all they wanted to do was cover their arses.
I had to provide all the evidence to prove this one particular midwife had a sociopathic personality & was a complete liar.
I eventually left the toxic trust and later discovered that the same midwife had systematically bullied many other staff one by one.
What annoyed me most was that bystanders stuck their heads in the sand and did nothing, some where supposed to be friends – well they’re not anymore.
But I realise that they were just thankful it wasn’t them.
The sociopath eventually left the trust when she couldn’t get what she wanted.
She’s now a matron for god sake so I dread to think what it must be like working for her.
This problem needs to be tackled head on and strategies need to be put in place to ensure a zero tolerance.
Thanks for sharing this very difficult and personal story, I’m very sorry to hear this. If you were in charge of making changes, what would you do?
I have a student I’m in contact with who in her dissertation (in progress) suggests students should rate their mentors and give them feedback? Would a system like this be helpful do you think for all staff?
Peer Reviews were mentioned within Midwifery many decades ago. Yet as far as I know have never been implemented into the workplace :- Why not?
Hierarchical approach when senior assesses / reviews a junior in regards to work placement / rotation etc.
So it would seem that NEVER EVER will a junior be able / entitled to assess a senior in regards to Management role / Mentoring role etc. Though indeed, why not? Team is mentioned frequently in Midwifery, yet there is an element of “you are on your own”, “Autonomous”, Responsible for your own actions” etc. Yet we interact when working as a team. So it would seem that there is a bigger picture than is taken account of. Maybe part of the reason why there is an element of “Individualism”, Self Preservation, Self Protection etc. Rather than a supportive, cohesive Team.
Equality and Diversity. Acceptance of others. Agreed Philosophy, Goals, Objectives, Outcomes and Shared Workload and Credit where and when it is due could all make a difference. As it seems the power, credit etc stops at the top. Senior Management staying away from clinical areas and clinical practice. Yet Governing, thus creating a them and us. Some staff being keen to get promotion in order to get away from the clinical area where they are held accountable. To an office safely far away from clinical area. Meetings which give them reason / excuse to be unavailable, no time to visit clinical area. Yet if receive a complaint, can suddenly appear in clinical area, as if on the warpath. Not such a cohesive, supportive team then.
Let’s hope there will be Positive changes for the Benefit of Women, Families, Staff etc.
I have been bullied periodically all of my lifetime and it began in early childhood. Over the years, it became something I expected and I developed huge trust issues as there have been times where so called friends were instrumental in causing it. I was bullied at home, by my father, bullied by friends and faced work-based bullying too! I assumed it was me as I was so disliked because it kept on happening and I never fitted in!
I worked in the NHS for many years first as a nurse and retraining as a midwife in my early 40’s. Bullying is indemic within the culture of the NHS whether it’s institutional or individual. In one post while working in theatres, It began by a husband and wife team because I spoke up about something and faced it at various/ many times during my time there. The worst was after informing the senior manager about my feeling regarding terminations; only to find myself in that theatre the very next day. I did eventually get the union involved and reported it, but was too afraid to take it any further. I therefore made the decision that as soon as I obtained my conversion course (to RGN from SEN) I would leave, which I did.
As a midwife, it happened often by core midwives, shouting you down in the middle of the corridor in front of senior colleagues, Dr’s and peers as well as from individuals. It’s soul destroying and I spent many a time sitting on the loo, crying. I could give many examples; sometimes I found the strength to deal with the culprits directly, but it never really stopped.
A few years, I began a new role in a large teaching hospital and worked in an existing team of 4, it was horrendous and somehow I managed to stick it out for a year, telling myself it’ll get better, it never did and once I handed in my notice, I walked out. I don’t know how I drove home some days. I did however return to my previous post as a rotational MW, but developed MH illness due to the impact and work based stress and took early retirement at the age of 56 as a result of everything as well as the changes and pressures that are even more apparent now.
I would never ever work for the NHS again as they haven’t got any idea or clue how to care for their biggest resources, their staff.
Seems the media have been reporting staff shortages in England. Maybe they should be investigating :- Why? There has been mention of salary freeze over many years, whilst prices have been increasing. So it would seem that in real terms nurses and midwives have become poorer in regards to finances due to politics and economics within Britain.
They say that there are also fears in regards to “Brexit” and that some staff from overseas may be leaving Britain as well as nursing and midwifery professions.
Also mention of high percentage of staff aged 50 years plus, and therefore there is expected to be a high number leaving the profession (maybe within a decade) as retiring.
Who will provide the nursing and midwifery care in the future? Who will have any interest / motivation in doing so?
Young generation seem motivated by finance, so they may be looking for / aiming towards employment which has a higher salary, bonuses, perks, etc. As well as better working conditions.
Just what will the future be? As these professions / type of employment require humans to interact respectfully with patients / clients / families / the public. So not a job for a robot.
Such an interesting read with great advice and excellent comments. I retired last year as a midwife after 30:yrs. I was a manager and to some extent felt I was bullied by the team if I asked them to take on new responsibilities. Felt isolated. Was accused of bullying a HCA once when I asked her to consider changimg her shifts. Bullying is wrong but sometimes your manager will have to discuss difficult issues. It is easy to call this bullying. Interesting again was that midwives who used to complain about being bullied when they were studemts were often accused of bullying when they were senior. I think we have to agree what bullying is and I agree stand up for yourself call them out if you think it is happening. But then watch your own behaviour in future. We are all part of the culture.
We are indeed. I’m convinced people who bully are not bad people.
It seems that there is much that still needs to be done. As you mention agreements is required in regards to :- What is Bullying. It would seem that a Bullying Policy should aim to a a clear definition which is acceptable to the workforce. As we all need to be considerate, respectful, etc towards each other.
HCA ( I expect abbreviation means Health Care Assistant) :- Shiftwork is one of the negative, unpopular aspects of such employment. As it can impact so much on family life, social life, quality of life. Yet I can recall being told by some colleagues that some staff ( HCA’s, as well as trained staff at various levels) had informed management that they were unable to do particular shift patterns due to child care commitments. Yet other staff would then be doing those shifts whilst having to manage their commitments be it child care and / or other commitments. It seems that some took the employment which included Shiftwork, and then asked for support / family friendly policy to accommodate their lifestyle ( maybe chosen lifestyle). Whilst some colleagues were possibly genuinely struggling in regards to childCare and received no support on requesting support via manager (some their usual childCare support person recently became unwell, another maybe recent breakdown of marriage). Made us wonder, were some favoured. Or was it good / bad luck in regards to timing of request (organisational commitments stretched to limit). Certainly did not seem to be that Loyalty, Good Work, Etc was valued, and Reciprocation from management. As excellent staff could endure trying times if hit by unfortunate circumstances. Can recall excellent colleague who left and sought alternative employment when her Mum’s health was failing. Mum had been one to provide childCare. Colleague had asked for support in regards to shifts due to lack of available childCare (was many years ago, before family friendly policy in place).
Do Midwives feel valued? I can recall some years ago a friend telling me of her workplace assessment, and mentioning that in her workplace the employees were given a form to complete which had a list of questions :- One of the questions being in regards to in line Manager, and was praise / thanks received from that Manager today. I can recall being surprised at the question. Mentioning never having come across any questions regarding Manager or Management in regards to a workplace assessment. As I had only been used to the employee being the focus of the assessment, the employees work, attitude, timekeeping, etc, etc.
I thought at the time I wonder if this is the future for other employees, employees in other workplace. The friend worked in a call centre. I believe that the owner of the company was American. Britain often tend to follow American philosophies, etc. Employee probably works well if feels valued, and Manager is employed to Manage. Aim being to run an Effective, Efficient establishment which can lead to a good Reputation. Seems Health Service did not take on board this American philosophy.
Bankers seem to get bonuses. Estate Agents I believe may get rewards for sales. Yet we often hear and read via the media that within the Health Service and Social Care there is understaffing Issues, Pressures, Targets, etc. Maybe Workplaces need to be Researched in regards to how they treat Employees. As this impact on outcomes, society,etc. As Zero Hours Contracts still exist in some workplaces (even when Business owner is a Billionaire). Surely being on a zero hours contract is detrimental to Healthy, Happy :- Quality of Life :- Which can then impact on other, whether that be family, friends,society, Health and Social Care, Food Banks, etc. Surely we need a Fairer Society. One which will be Caring and Sharing, aiming for Quality of Life for Everyone. Individual successes, Team successes, Business successes, Community Successes, National and International successes.
Everyone should be made to feel accepted and valued ( rather than pressurised, threatened by targets, bullied, etc). There is only so much one person can do, ideally we need to share a common positive goal and work cohesively towards it. Learning along the way what is Beneficial for us collectively.
Just what Does the Future hold? How are staffing levels within Midwifery? Client Satisfaction? Outcomes? Employee Job Satisfaction :- Does it Exist anymore?? Rate of Pay? Quality of Life? Work / Life Balance?
Culture? Atmosphere? Targets? Pressures? Stress Levels :- Any information in regards to the sources of negative stress? Can Stress Levels be Reduced?
Theory : Practice Gap? Practitioners :- Theorists, Lecturers, Management, Politicians,Researchers. Etc? Integration :- Segregation?
What is Valued? What is Measured? Feedback? Accountability? Women’s Experiences? Families Experiences? Culture? Society? Community / Communities? Effectiveness? Efficiency? Cost Effective? Value for Money?. Tax – Payers viewpoints, as they are the True Funders of the Service /s?
Overall Evaluation??????
Came across information :- This week is National Work / Life Balance Week.
This blog / article is in regards to Bullying in Midwifery. Seems at least it hopefully is being acknowledged that it exists. Dealing with it, and dealing with it most appropriately is a much, much more difficult task / aim.
Yet we have come across acknowledgement that Bullying exists within schools. I believe with a variety of methods tried to address this. A zero tolerance similar to Domestic Abuse I think may have been proposed / encouraged.
Recently on tv there has been news stories regarding Bullying in medical profession. One Advanced Nurse Practitioner gave an account of her personal experience. Doctors being Bullied was mentioned. The BMA (British Medical Association) was mentioned on a number of occasions. To me this seemed to be an unusual way to present factual news in this day and age (present / modern time :- Equality and Diversity).
As the Nurse :- A female gave her personal story / history of being bullied. No mention of any Nursing Authorities / Nursing Unions / Peer Support. Yet when Doctors being bullied was mentioned, no doctor contributed, and yet Doctors organisation :- BMA mentioned on several occasions.
Bullying is bullying. Surely it is the bullying which needs to be addressed / tackled.. Zero Tolerance.
Children, schools, Doctors, Nurses, Midwives, Hospitals :- What is common? In the past the word Institutions may have been mentioned. Buildings, hierarchies, competition may be what was / is thought of today / nowadays.
What other places / people are there were there may be a historical link / connection to Institutions :- That would probably be Mental Health Hospitals, Psychiatric Units, Assessment Units, Care Homes. Yet as there is the Risk of Social Isolation in regards to the vulnerable within society, and they are the individuals who are most likely to require care :- Has this put / left these individuals at Risk. From recent BBC, Panorama, Documentaries, News, etc via the media :- It very much seems that these individuals are indead at Risk of Harm / Bullying. So what is being done in order to Protect these individuals, their Quality of Life, etc???
Power, Control and Influence often comes from the top – down. Hierarchical. We are Governed. The Government is funded via Public ( Public Purse / Taxation). Do the Public get value for money? A Safe, Compassionate, Respectful service for their payment / fee?
There has been a recent series on television in regards to Margaret Thatcher ( ex-British, Conservative Prime Minister. First Woman to hold the post). It mentioned that she was responsible for “Individualim”. I was surprised by this statement. Yet it seems true, she was for a ‘Free Market’. She thought the individual was Responsible for Self, that there was “No Such Thing as Society”. She believed the individual should look out and after Self. The individual could succeed and move upwards (improve Self, own situation, etc),and increase wealth.
We now have Equality and Diversity. An awareness that some individuals are poorer (financially, in health, ability, etc). We have heard mention of Fairer Society, Fairer Scotland, Reasonable Adjustments, etc, etc. So what are the present Government aiming for. As we have high Unemployment, Food Banks, Fuel Poverty. Etc. Just how much can individual, family, community, society bear. Meanwhile Goverment :- We are to have a new Prime Minister, they are in a “Fight” we are told :- For the Top Job. Why :- Good pay, Good Conditions, Good Pension irrespective of Performance, Time in Post, Etc. Meanwhile other employees may be working Zero Hours Contracts, visiting Food Banks, Suffering Poverty (various aspects of Poverty). Competition. No wonder it seems that rather than Equality and Diversity :- Inclusion, Acceptance, Etc. We have a culture of Bullying (Winner Takes It All), and losers who are left to fend for themselves, “Fight” for what they need.
Whatever happened to “We are All in it Together”. Bonding. Teamwork, Cohesiveness, Caring, Compassion, Sharing, Responsibility, Accountability, Love, Empathy, Morals, Etc, etc.
Midwifery :- ” With Woman”. Is clarity needed in which woman / women. Good Deeds need to be acknowledged and Valued. Good Outcomes are hoped for, and should be acknowledged and Celebrated by all who contributed.Surely!
Rachel Craig
Goverment :- There is to be a general election. There has been continuing uncertainty regarding Brexit. NHS (National Health Service) is a hot political topic:- As it always is when there is to be a general election. Policing is another hot topic (Police numbers/staffing) . Public Services do tend to be high on the agendas / debates,etc :- Come election. Community Care may well need reviewing given that hospital stays have shortened.
Self Care and Orem’s model of care being encouraged, and main focus. Knowledge is Power (Foucault). There is a need to know when and whom to contact when need arises. Communication is ultimate to this working well, in an attempt for good outcomes.
Are women, families, midwife working together with common aim / goal. Are there the resources available to meet needs appropriately and safely? As media reporting Maternity Scandal:- Shrewsbury. Government and Management plan and organise / manage resources. Midwives deal with caseload / client /s, etc. Is there a need for review in regards to how this team / organisation / Management Structure works in an attempt to improve outcomes? Improve client satisfaction? Reduce complaints?
As the midwife provides direct care:- there is a degree of accountability. Though midwife should not be in isolation, but supported by team, management, government. The whole system / big picture may need to be considered / reviewed in an attempt to have good healthy outcomes for all involved.
Yet reports in media:- Poor / negative outcomes. Clients and families disappointed, grieving. Seeking information, finding it is not forthcoming :- Why? David Cameron (ex-Prime Minister) “Open, Honest, Transparent ” was often quoted by him. Public Services surely should be aimed at good outcomes, and be willing to communicate with clients, general public, etc :- Whilst maintaining individual client’s confidentiality.
Maybe midwives and others would feel less pressured, and less bullied if there were more updates within the media of hospital / midwife led units statistics. Whilst we need to be aware perfection does not exist. We perhaps need to acknowledge good outcomes, good care, degree of client satisfaction, etc. Not expecting 100%, but acknowledging achievement, improvement, etc.
Media recently reported / reporting on Maternity Scandal within an English Hospital Trust. Hopefully the Truth will be considered in an attempt to “ Learn Lessons “, “Improve Care”, and meanwhile express Kindness.
As the National Health Service/s Funded via Public Funds : – Should be Accountable. Should be Truly Caring, Respectful, etc towards the Public. “Needs Based”, not based on Status, Wealth, Knowledge, Educational Assets, etc.
“Equality and Diversity “. Maybe that needs to be expressed by Outcomes.
“Damage Limitations “ :- Maybe that should be aiming for Good Outcomes, Good Experiences.
Reputation comes from personal experience, sharing / communicating. Avoiding a repeat of a negative experience by perhaps avoiding the same place , and going elsewhere. “ Voting with feet “.
Customer / Client, experiences, etc form :- Reputation. Not self advertising. “Cliques “, etc.