Matlala Mosehle S, Lumadi Thanyani G
Department of Health Studies, School of Social Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria.
Curationis. 2019 Jul 22;42(1):e1-e10. doi: 10.4102/curationis.v42i1.1952.
Midwifery is the backbone of women and child healthcare. The shortage of staff in maternity units is a crisis faced by many countries worldwide, including South Africa.
This study aims to explore the perceptions of midwives on the shortage and retention of staff at a public institution.
The study was conducted at one of the tertiary hospitals in Tshwane District, Gauteng Province. A total of 11 midwives were interviewed through face-to-face and focus group interviews. An explorative, descriptive generic qualitative design method was followed, and a non-probability, purposive sampling technique was used. Thematic coding analysis was followed for analysing data.
The impact of shortage of midwives was reported to be directly related to poor provision of quality care as a result of increased workload, leading to low morale and burnout. The compromised autonomy of midwives in the high obstetrics dependency units devalues the status of midwives.
Midwives are passionate about their job, despite the hurdles related to their day-to-day work environment. They are demoralised by chronic shortage of staff and feel overworked. Staff involvement in decision-making processes is a motivational factor for midwives to stay in the profession. The midwives need to be in the centre of the decision-making processes related to their profession. The revision of the scope of practice and classification of midwifery profession away from general nursing complex by the South African Nursing Council (SANC) could place midwifery in its rightful status.
助产工作是妇幼保健的支柱。产科病房人员短缺是包括南非在内的世界许多国家面临的危机。
本研究旨在探讨助产士对一家公共机构人员短缺及留用情况的看法。
该研究在豪登省茨瓦内区的一家三级医院进行。通过面对面访谈和焦点小组访谈，共采访了11名助产士。采用探索性、描述性的一般定性设计方法，并使用非概率、目的抽样技术。数据分析采用主题编码分析法。
据报告，助产士短缺的影响与工作量增加导致优质护理服务不足直接相关，进而导致士气低落和职业倦怠。在高产科依赖病房，助产士的自主权受到损害，这贬低了助产士的地位。
尽管日常工作环境存在诸多障碍，但助产士仍对自己的工作充满热情。长期的人员短缺使他们士气低落，感觉工作过度。让员工参与决策过程是激励助产士留在该行业的一个因素。助产士需要处于与其职业相关的决策过程的核心位置。南非护理委员会（SANC）对助产士执业范围和职业分类进行修订，使其脱离综合普通护理范畴，这可能会使助产士获得应有的地位。
