This week it has been announced that there will be an additional $1.7 million funding for midwives, to cover professional development, post-graduate education, support for overseas midwives and promotion of midwifery as a career.
Support for ongoing education
I am a little behind with the play this week because I've been sick, but I am sure that midwives will be very happy to hear about this move. In the past we have been woefully ignored eg the Clinical Training Agency funds on-going training and education for doctors and nurses, but we have barely figured on their agenda. However, this initiative alongside the funded program for new graduate midwives will hopefully go some way to level the playing field.
Recruitment campaign
What I am wondering is what form the recruitment campaign will take to encourage young women into the profession. I am especially interested because I have a daughter who has been playing with the idea of becoming a midwife for some time, so I am cognizant of the issues involved.
If you are a young (or not so young) woman (or chap, for that matter), what would attract you to the midwifery profession? And what would prevent you?
2 comments:
Even before my days as a 'mummy' I couldn't afford the fees to apply let alone the tuition if I were accepted to one of the few midwifery programs. It is horrifying how many women apply only to be told to try again next year for one of the coveted spots. The expense is enormous.
The sheer cost is what prevented me.
And it still does.
I wish our government would take some initiative to help our ailing system.
I'm proof that a midwifery model of care can save thousands of dollars!
I would have been off for a repeat section long before I had my first vbac... the midwives were willing to read the paper and have a sandwich while I laboured on.
Millions could be saved on surgical costs alone with midwifery.
bangs head to table... it could be sooooo much better.
I dread to think what student loan my daughter is going to end up with, and she's doing an arts degree. The applied health degrees are much more expensive because you have to pay for the clinical component as well. Plus, the students cannot easily work to supplement themselves because they have to be on call. This is one of the reasons I think my daughter hasn't followed through with her interest in midwifery.
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