Abstract The nursing and midwifery workforce is becoming increasingly mobile and the globalisation of the midwifery workforce has been fuelled by the marketing strategies used by employers within Queensland to recruit midwives from overseas to fill vacancies within both the public and private sector. The United Kingdom has been specifically targeted, and the numbers of nurses and midwives moving to Queensland has more than doubled in five years and continues to rise. Little is known about the reasons why midwives are leaving the United Kingdom and what their experience is of working within midwifery in Queensland. This research was conducted within a phenomenological framework. A total of 18 midwives who had moved to Queensland within an eight year period were interviewed, who also completed a reflective journal about their motivations for moving, and subsequent experience of midwifery within Queensland. Data analysis was undertaken using an adaptation of the Van Kaam method of analysis of phenomenological data, as described by Moustakas. A Textural –Structural description of the meanings and essences of the experience incorporating the invariant constituents and themes was constructed for each participant. From the Textural –Structural Descriptions from all of the participants a composite description was constructed of the meanings and essences of the group experience. The reasons for leaving the United Kingdom were predominantly associated with an expectation of achieving an improved lifestyle for themselves and their families; and there was also a sense of seeking adventure. Participants also expressed dissatisfaction with life in the United Kingdom, which was particularly associated with work related issues such as bullying and harassment, increased workloads and burn out. Midwives reported choosing Queensland because of weather and lifestyle factors, but were also influenced by having friends, family or former colleagues already settled in the State. The main essences of the reported experience of working within the midwifery profession in Queensland included feelings of fear, frustration, shock and sadness. Despite the initial difficulties experienced in settling in to the midwifery profession, most midwives found a way to resume their midwifery career in Queensland by moving between jobs until they found one that enabled them to practise midwifery in a way they were comfortable with. Recommendations are made based on the findings to guide employers in their recruitment practices and assist with orientation of midwives recruited from the United Kingdom with a view to improved retention. In order to avoid the feelings of frustration and sadness described by the midwives in this study, employers should seek to match the skills of the midwives recruited to the positions available within the unit, and ensure systems are in place to facilitate recognition of prior learning and early credentialing to allow midwives to practise to their full scope and ability. In addition, in order to enable UK trained midwives to practise at their highest potential, supportive management structures should include access for migrant midwives to support in adjusting to midwifery practice differences between the UK and Queensland.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/282072 |
| Creators | Mary Sidebotham |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Detected Language | English |
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