WORKING AS A COORDINATOR MIDWIFE IN A TERTIARY ...

‘unknowing’ resulted in tensions, frustrations, anticipation of ‘what ifs’ and a general
level of resentment towards the LMC and her client because DHB staff had been
excluded from a secondary care situation when they could be called upon for assistance
with no warning and no knowledge of what had gone before. This was the woman’s right.
It became the coordinator’s role to manage the dynamics of the rest of the team on that
shift and maintain cohesion and teamwork ‘just in case’. She set the tone for that shift.
The LMC has her partnership established with her client during the course of the
pregnancy. If there are complications, there is potential to have to forgo this relationship
with its strong bonds based on the principles of continuity of care, when consultation
between the specialist, the woman and LMC results in a recommendation for handover of
care from the LMC to hospital maternity services in the tertiary setting. I have observed
conflict between LMC and DHB midwives based on what I perceived as ‘ownership’ and
‘dependency’ issues between LMC and the client and wondered if indeed this was an
issue for coordinators when there is transfer of care, or not. And, what of the LMC who
wants to hand over care but staffing shortages in the tertiary setting make this
impossible? I was interested in whether this is an issue for coordinators.
My pre-assumptions of stress in the delivery suite workplace
I perceive the delivery suite unit as an environment where stress exists. Barnes (2006)
writes “the process of coping with workplace stress lies with the individual experiencing
the stress” (p.19). I anticipated coordinators would reveal experiences which would bring
light to how they manage stress in their workplace and whether it is something they find
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