Midwifery Paradox in the US: Nurturing Others, But Not Always Each Other
TIMELY TOPIC breakout
DATE: Sunday, November 10th
TIME: 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
FACULTY: Rhonda R. Johnson, DNP, CNE, CNM, FACNM and Letitia Sullivan, CNM, MSN, FACNM
Workplace bullying is defined as when the perpetrator attempts to control, overwork, threaten and isolate the target. It has been identified as emotional abuse, harassment and mobbing in the workplace leading to high turn-over, low self-worth, and decreased productivity. It is an escalating systematic process in which the recipient becomes the target of repeatedly negative social acts and remains in the subordinate position with no way out. Like domestic violence, bullying is chronic abuse which occurs over a long timeframe which causes the target much distress.
Since it has been postulated that bullying is a significant workplace stressor leading to symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, the individual being targeted may not be able to flee the harmful work environment due to personal financial consequences. This inability to leave often results in the sufferer remaining silent. If a bullying target does choose to speak out, they are often constructively discharged (voluntarily asked to quit), convinced to quit to save their mental and physical health or may choose to transfer to another department.
Workplace bullying often causes midwives to leave their profession because of the disillusionment with the lack of change in the status quo and the deep-down feeling that no matter what they do, the midwife cannot bring about evidence-based care for their patients.
Recognizing that bullying might be a problem, the Board of Directors for the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) in 2019 formed a task force to address bullying behaviors among US certified nurse-midwives, certified midwives, and student midwives. This presentation will discuss those findings of this taskforce and potential solutions.
Faculty
Rhonda R. Johnson, DNP, DNE, DNM, FACNM
Dr. Johnson is a CNM with over 27 years of midwifery experience serving women and their families from all socioeconomic backgrounds. She believes in the midwifery model of care and is an advocate for birthplace choice. She was an accreditation specialist for the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers (CABC) for 15+ years and is a site visitor for Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education.
Dr. Johnson is an Associate Professor and works in the nurse-midwifery graduate program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She is actively involved in the ACNM taskforce on Bullying. Her goal is to help midwives thrive regardless of practice location.
A fellow in the American College of Nurse-Midwives, she received her BSN from the University of Florida in 1994, her MSN from the University of Pennsylvania in 1995, and her DNP from Case Western Reserve University in 2018.
Letitia Sullivan, CNM, MSN, FACNM
Ms. Sullivan is a Certified Nurse-Midwife and Registered Nurse with twenty-five years’ experience in high-risk OB. She has over twenty years’ experience as a Certified Nurse-Midwife in three different practices including an inner-city tertiary care teaching hospital, and two urban community hospitals. She is an active leader in ACNM and maintains memberships in NPWH and the organization of NPWH and ACNM AZ Affiliate.
Ms. Sullivan served in the role as the ACNM Annual Meeting and Exhibition Program Committee Chair. She is politically active and has assisted with midwifery legislative work to support the Sunrise Application in Arizona for the 2016 legislative session. Ms. Sullivan received her BSN from Loretto Heights College in 1972 and her MS in Midwifery from University of Philadelphia at the Institute of Midwifery and Women’s Health in 2001.
