Is there Bank/Agency work for Midwives?
#1
Is there Bank/Agency work for Midwives?
Hi All
I am a Midwife and here in the UK I work full time but I can work bank shifts for NHS Professionals and get some very good extra money.
Is there any agency / bank work available for Midwives etc in NZ?
Have just done two nights over a week end and earnt just under a third of my monthly salary - so you can see why I'm asking.
All help is appreciated
I am a Midwife and here in the UK I work full time but I can work bank shifts for NHS Professionals and get some very good extra money.
Is there any agency / bank work available for Midwives etc in NZ?
Have just done two nights over a week end and earnt just under a third of my monthly salary - so you can see why I'm asking.
All help is appreciated
#2
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: In a large village called Auckland
Posts: 5,249
Re: Is there Bank/Agency work for Midwives?
For sure, one agency I know of http://www.genevahealth.com/agency.php but check with your DHB first; they often have their own bureau and generally use the outside companies as a last resort.
#3
Account Closed
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 0
Re: Is there Bank/Agency work for Midwives?
Wife used to work for Geneva, they get paid upto $3 per hour more per shift than the permanent staff, although this may have changed since some hospitals are having to pay bonuses to keep their staff (this is in Auckland). They will cancel you at the very last moment if they don't require you which is a pain. You will have to pay your Annual Practising Certificate (APC) yourself (approx $400-500 per annum) plus you'll have to pay for your practising review (a farce so I'm told by wife & colleagues). You certainly won't make the big money you do in the UK.
There is plenty of midwifery work in Auckland be it agency or permanent for a DHB. High rates of attrition at Auckland City Hosp(National Women's) & North Shore, they have lost a large number of staff recently due to poor management, the maternity system in NZ(which is expensive & crap*). Staff have gone to Oz or gotten out of the profession altogether. Hospital midwives are treated like shit by many LMC's, practices are often not research-based, they are still weighing placentas , do head circumferences at birth & measure length of babies (all inaccurate, so no point!). My wife feels she is gradually de-skilling & has seen some very unsafe practices by LMC's eg. participating at a waterbirth when she had never even seen one, baby was compromised by her hands-on approach
My wife (& a significant number of her colleagues) plan to leave the profession in the next couple of years. Those who have worked in the UK (be they British, Kiwi or whatever) prefer the NHS system for all it's faults, as they believe it offers a better, safer system.
* The pregnant women love the system here, they don't seem to see past the single/twin room, the vast amounts of pain relief they are given post-c. section, which they don't need. The fact that their LMC has been up for 36hrs with other deliveries & is therefore unsafe but continues anyway - he/she gets money for each delivery. That the LMC is an obs/gyn & therefore better than a midwife, except that they are more likely to end up with a C-section, or instrumental delivery because the obs/gyn wants to get home/playing golf this afternoon/is on holiday next week etc. My wife has heard all these things said as valid reasons to have C-section or get the ventouse cup out.
My wife would advise any midwife carefully about coming here to practice midwifery. The glowing reports in the RCM journal et al are not necessarily the reality for many British midwives especially in Auckland.
There is plenty of midwifery work in Auckland be it agency or permanent for a DHB. High rates of attrition at Auckland City Hosp(National Women's) & North Shore, they have lost a large number of staff recently due to poor management, the maternity system in NZ(which is expensive & crap*). Staff have gone to Oz or gotten out of the profession altogether. Hospital midwives are treated like shit by many LMC's, practices are often not research-based, they are still weighing placentas , do head circumferences at birth & measure length of babies (all inaccurate, so no point!). My wife feels she is gradually de-skilling & has seen some very unsafe practices by LMC's eg. participating at a waterbirth when she had never even seen one, baby was compromised by her hands-on approach
My wife (& a significant number of her colleagues) plan to leave the profession in the next couple of years. Those who have worked in the UK (be they British, Kiwi or whatever) prefer the NHS system for all it's faults, as they believe it offers a better, safer system.
* The pregnant women love the system here, they don't seem to see past the single/twin room, the vast amounts of pain relief they are given post-c. section, which they don't need. The fact that their LMC has been up for 36hrs with other deliveries & is therefore unsafe but continues anyway - he/she gets money for each delivery. That the LMC is an obs/gyn & therefore better than a midwife, except that they are more likely to end up with a C-section, or instrumental delivery because the obs/gyn wants to get home/playing golf this afternoon/is on holiday next week etc. My wife has heard all these things said as valid reasons to have C-section or get the ventouse cup out.
My wife would advise any midwife carefully about coming here to practice midwifery. The glowing reports in the RCM journal et al are not necessarily the reality for many British midwives especially in Auckland.
#4
Re: Is there Bank/Agency work for Midwives?
Hi Vitalstatistx
Wow! Thank you for your completely honest reply.
I knew salaries were an issue and the lack of real midwifery but not to be treated professionally by collegues is totally out of order considering you are "babysitting" the woman until the LMC turns up. What happened to Team?!!
I love my job here in the UK but am looking for "the better lifestyle" for the family, whether I can compromise on the job front is another issue. I have researched long and hard about the midwifery system in NZ and knew there were flaws and sitting in UK in the rain the grass is always greener.
Many thanks again for the honesty.
Wow! Thank you for your completely honest reply.
I knew salaries were an issue and the lack of real midwifery but not to be treated professionally by collegues is totally out of order considering you are "babysitting" the woman until the LMC turns up. What happened to Team?!!
I love my job here in the UK but am looking for "the better lifestyle" for the family, whether I can compromise on the job front is another issue. I have researched long and hard about the midwifery system in NZ and knew there were flaws and sitting in UK in the rain the grass is always greener.
Many thanks again for the honesty.