Giving midwives some ‘me’ time

In last month's Birthwrite column, Louise Silverton (2019) encouraged midwives and other interested parties to respond to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) consultation on the draft standards and proficiencies for the future midwife (NMC 2019)—a sentiment I would echo.

As the draft standards formed an unwieldy document, I had only skimmed the main themes, but the article prompted me to look at them in much more detail. Some of those suggested in Domain 5 caught my eye. These related to midwives being able to demonstrate at the point of registration that they have the strength and resourcefulness to work in stressful and difficult situations, that they are able to recognise the signs of vulnerability in themselves or colleagues, and that they can incorporate self-care into their personal and professional lives. Similarly, I recently noticed a thread on social media related to making midwifery colleagues feel valued in the workplace and increasing their wellbeing. Ideas to do this included a selection of goodies to keep them going over the working day or an inspirational quote. This might have been prompted because someone has identified a need in others or in response to a particularly challenging day—a great idea that hopefully links to compassionate care.