Locum Midwife Positions

Locum Midwife Positions

Waitaki District Health Services

Waitaki District Health Services are seeking a locum midwife for the 8 day period 22 - 28^th October  and 5 - 12^th November 2008, and if our efforts to recruit another LMC to our team are not successful in the short term, we will also require a locum from the 19^th - 26^th November, 3 - 10^th December 2008, and possibly into the new year.

Waitaki District Health Services provides an employed LMC service based in Oamaru at our primary maternity facility.

The LMC midwives work in pairs, making three partnerships. At any one time, there are three midwives covering the workload/area, while the partner midwives enjoy guaranteed days off. The current rota is 8 days on, (including on call) and  6 days off. Payment is for a minimum of 64 hours a fortnight, plus extra hours worked over this. So the clients have continuity of two midwives during their pregnancy (and occasionally see a reliever).

They are birthed with one of their midwives, and a second midwife from the team of three on that day will be called for the birth. The reliever is kept busy throughout the year relieving 6 midwives for A/L and covering study and sick leave….which is where our current needs come in, as at least one of these midwives is leaving, and one has a period of sick leave looming.

We would be able to assist with accommodation requirements in the short term. With 6 days off, it would be possible for a locum to return home for those within reasonable travel distance. We enjoy a strong sense of camaraderie and support within our team, and would be happy to orientate a midwife into the rural setting.

Our role as LMCs covers full primary midwifery care, delegated secondary care, plus emergency care. As a primary unit, we refer women to Queen Mary Hospital Dunedin, as necessary, for secondary care or consultation. We are not required to stay in Dunedin after transferring women by ambulance, but handover to the team there.

A specialist from Queen Mary holds monthly clinics in Oamaru.

We travel long distances at times, postnatally, as we cover a large geographical area in north Otago, from Palmerston to Omarama..roughly!

Our unit has two birthing rooms, three postnatal rooms and  two A/N rooms, where most consultations are held. We offer a home birth service also. We are well supported by experienced enrolled nurses  who staff the centre  24 hours a day. Our service is coordinated  by  midwife Pat Robertson, who as well as managing the unit, staffs the centre during the daytime.

If you are interested in seeking more information about this opportunity please contact Alison Eddy at NZCOM on projecst@nzcom.org.nz or (03) 377 2732

Posted: 19 September 2008