'They're really in a tight spot': Midwives cover summer nursing shortage in Shawville
A team of 10 midwives has joined the obstetrics team at the Pontiac Hospital
A team of midwives is stepping in to help deliver babies during a summer nursing shortage in Shawville, Que.
Ten midwives from the Maison de naissance de l'Outaouais in Gatineau will ensure that women in the small community have access to obstetric care at the Pontiac Hospital, close to home.
"We have a basic level of commitment to the women of this region, including the women of the Pontiac," said midwife Tobi-Lynn Bayarova.
"We have a great deal of respect for the team that works out in Shawville," she added. "They're really in a tight spot right now, so it seemed kind of cool to be able to come forward and offer a kind of interdisciplinary approach."
Since July 26, Bayarova and her colleagues have given up some of their days off to be on call in Shawville to act as a kind of hybrid between a nurse and a doctor.
They will be available until August 25.
"It's the nursing shortage that we're covering, but because of the nursing shortage, the doctors also can't do the births because they work together as a close team in a complementary kind of way," Bayarova said.
The midwives will join doctors for the births and offer postnatal care to about a dozen women who are expected to have babies over the next three-and-a-half weeks.
Exceptional circumstance
The nursing shortage in Shawville is due in part to summer vacations, and also unexpected leaves of absence, according to Parvin Makhzani, the head midwife at the birth centre.
She said all the patients have the option of a nurse if they don't want to work with a midwife.
"Actually all the clients, they were called by their doctor, explaining to them how do we work, what's our philosophy, what we can do, what we can't do," Makhzani said, adding that all of the women agreed to care from a midwife.
It will be Makhzani's job to dispatch employees based on who is available. The Pontiac Hospital has provided a space for the midwives to stay while on call.