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Riding the waves of change: The development of modern midwifery within the New Zealand health sector

Abstract:

Midwives do not work in social isolation. Most would probably agree that they work within a politically labile environment. This paper presents the case of New Zealand midwives’ transition to autonomous practice as an example of opportunistic positioning by the profession, enabling midwives to ride the waves of change in the last decade of the twentieth century. The socio-political environment that existed within New Zealand in the late 1980s fostered the passage of legislation in 1990 that enabled New Zealand midwives to practice [sic] independently from nurses and doctors. An historical review of the impact of key socio-political events and legislative changes on New Zealand midwifery will be presented, to illustrate that the profession in this country was well positioned by the late 1980s to take advantage of a rising consumer movement, the questioning of medical dominance and a government sympathetic to women’s health issues. While achieving the milestone of legal autonomy in 1990, the challenges involved in developing the midwifery profession were complicated a few years later by complex market driven health reforms. Yet the midwives appeared to position themselves well to meet the challenge of this changed political environment. What can we learn from this experience?

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1990 Nurses Amendment Act, autonomy of practice, historical health policies, social policy