WORKING AS A COORDINATOR MIDWIFE IN A TERTIARY ...

weather storms better than others just as some midwives enjoy coordinating and others
prefer not to. Irene remarks:
It makes me think about a movie I once saw about a storm. Part of me always
remains in the centre of the storm even though there may be times when I am
weaving in and out of the storm with everybody around me moving too.
Irene’s analogy fits well as she describes partly being centred in ‘the storm’ but in reality,
never static as she multitasks and moves in time to the rhythm of the happenings of the
unit and the colleagues she works with. Smythe and Norton (2007) write “thinking
leaders live a back-and-forthing, drawn to lead and pulled back to follow, to being with
and then to being alone, prompted to act and cautioned to wait” (p.76). Weaving in and
out with these encounters is something which has to be done and for Irene there is a sense
she will dance in the rain of the storms she experiences. She has no control over what ‘is’
or what ‘may be’, rather she is a player in life’s events as they unfold in her workplace.
Amiria describes being in charge of a shift when she is multitasking:
It was very busy. Everyone was caring for one or two labouring women, when a
lady came in. It was so busy, I had to look after the woman plus deal with
everything else going on, and in the midst of this I realised there was a staffing
crisis and I had to solve that as well as support the woman in labour. It was hard
because I was telling my manager I needed help, as the baby was being born and
was told that they’ve catered for the shortfall with experienced staff nurses. That
was not what we needed, we needed midwives. Ultimately, I am responsible for
the nurses in the birthing unit setting and it is hard. You can’t leave your
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