Workplace violence in the Australian and New Zealand midwifery workforce : A scoping review

Aim The aim of the study is to identify and map what is known about workplace violence involving midwives in Australia and New Zealand. Background Research from the United Kingdom demonstrates that workplace violence within maternity services is a pervasive issue with significant and wide-ranging clinical, individual and organisational consequences. To date, little is known about this issue within Australian and New Zealand maternity services. Evaluation A scoping review, guided by Arksey and O′Malley's framework, was conducted. Reporting followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. Just one identified study aimed to explore midwives' experiences of workplace violence. A further nine arrived at related results or themes. Key issues Workplace violence is present in a variety of forms across maternity services in Australia and New Zealand. Its prevalence is, however, yet to be understood. Workplace violence causes physical and mental health issues for midwives, premature workforce attrition, and jeopardizes the quality and safety of maternity care. Conclusions Workplace violence has been acknowledged as one of the key contributing factors towards premature attrition from the midwifery profession, with new graduate midwives most likely to leave. With the midwifery workforce ageing and evidence of serious clinical implications emerging, workplace violence needs urgent research and organisational attention. Implications for nursing management Workplace violence is a key contributing factor towards recruitment and retention challenges for managers. To help tackle this, managers have a key role to play in identifying and effectively addressing workplace violence by acting as positive role models, taking a zero-tolerance approach and fostering collegial relationships. Managers, holding key clinical leadership positions, are pivotal to ensuring all complaints raised are handled with transparency and consistency regardless of one's position within the clinical hierarchy and organisational structure

The impact of social media influencers on pregnancy, birth, and early parenting experiences : A systematic review

Background Pregnant and new parents are increasingly engaging with social media. The impacts of engaging with social media ‘influencers’ and ‘bloggers’ during a time of heightened vulnerability to influence, in particular, merits exploration. Aim To systematically review the literature to identify what is known about how following social media ‘influencers’ and ‘bloggers’ impacts pregnant and new parents’ experiences and decision-making. Methods A search of CINAHL, World of Science, Medline, EMBASE and Google Scholar databases was undertaken in January 2023 to identify the literature focusing on the impacts of engaging with influencers or bloggers as pregnant or new parents. The reference lists of the included papers were hand-searched. Data were extracted from each paper, tabulated, and thematically analysed. The review was reported using the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Findings Seventeen papers met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final synthesis. Thematic analysis revealed four overarching themes, which were ‘sharing information’, ‘support’, ‘identity’, and ‘monetisation’. Discussion Social media influencers provide a network of peers amongst whom discussions, supportive behaviours, and information sharing take place. However, concern arises around the potential for combative interactions, the risk for transmission of misinformation, and the potential impacts of following influencers who are also qualified health professionals. Conclusion Existing research suggests that engaging with social media influencers can be both beneficial and harmful for pregnant and new parents. At the current time, it is unclear how exposure to the benefits or harm impacts personal experiences and decision-making

Social media influencers' impact during pregnancy and parenting : A qualitative descriptive study

Pregnant people and parents engage with social media networking sites seeking support and information that is shared in a relatable way. Engaging with social media influencers (SMIs) and their followers, however, may have both affirming and harmful effects. SMIs can facilitate information-sharing, discussion, and supportive behaviors, but engaging with SMIs can lead to negative experiences and exposure to misinformation. To date, little is known about the impacts of following influencers during pregnancy and early parenthood. The aim of this study was to explore how engaging with SMIs impacts pregnant people and parents of children aged 5 or under in Australia. A qualitative descriptive approach was taken. Qualitative data from 85 anonymously completed online written surveys were thematically analyzed using Braun & Clarke's six-step process. Five overarching themes and two subthemes were identified. The first theme, “Comparisons of self,” held two subthemes: “Unfavorable comparisons of self to SMIs” and “Favorable comparisons of self to SMIs.” Additional themes were “A virtual community of inspiration and togetherness,” “Sharing of information, opinions & experiences,” “Gatekeeping self-efficacy,” and “Credibility.” The findings of the study indicated that discordance between influencer-mediated expectations of parenthood and a person's actual experience may affect well-being and perceptions of parental self-efficacy. Information sought from influencers may substitute for face-to-face education by clinicians. Health professionals who are also influencers may possess the ability to provide evidence-based information. This content, however, is not without risk for bias or incompleteness

The Biographizing trend in popular science writing

Muurlink, OT ORCiD: 0000-0002-8251-9521Biography’s enduring popularity as a non-fiction form appears to have triggered a trend in science writing toward the “biography of the object” rather than the “subject.” The trend gives rise to a number of questions. Are these texts really biographies or simply conventional non-fiction texts that borrow the lustre of the biography “brand,” occasionally co-opting elements of biographical techniques? Does their success correspond to the degree to which they successfully mimic conventional biographies of human subjects? Finally, does the biographizing trend in popular science writing imperil the science? In responding to the research questions, this study examines evidence, both in case study and quantitative form, that biographizing of objects is a new trend and takes a case study approach to two popular examples of the “new” genre

A higher degree of stress: Academic wellbeing

Muurlink, OT ORCiD: 0000-0002-8251-9521Postgraduates and professional academics are unique in that they are more or less ‘free’ to engage in research that is not tightly constrained by an employer. This freedom comes ata price. This article provides evidence that the high levels of stress observed in academia is related to the lack of clarity in academic roles and chronic overwork caused by changinguniversity structures and expectations. The article reviews evidence of stress and a broad definition of wellbeing, focusing on the postgraduate student and university teachers, and concludes with evidence that universities are beginning to embrace the challenge of wellbeing

COVID-19: Cultural predictors of gender differences in global prevalence patterns

Muurlink, OT ORCiD: 0000-0002-8251-9521; Taylor-Robinson, AW ORCiD: 0000-0001-7342-8348Puzzling differences are emerging between male and female infection and death rates for COVID-19 (Cai, 2020). We predict that this may be amplified, especially in the developing world, due to hitherto overlooked cultural factors. Currently, credible data from low- and lower middle-income countries on COVID-19 are sparse, with recorded case numbers seemingly suppressed by unreliable surveillance, lesser testing capacity and an underlying burden of infectious diseases that may mimic key symptoms, notably pyrexia. Indeed, acute undifferentiated febrile illness is a common feature of resource-limited tropical regions. Patterns of prevalence of vector-borne diseases in the developing world, however, offer an indication of likely COVID-19 infection and morbidity gender trends

The ‘lifecycle’ of human beings: A call to explore vector-borne diseases from an ecosystem perspective

Muurlink, OT ORCiD: 0000-0002-8251-9521; Taylor-Robinson, AW ORCiD: 0000-0001-7342-8348Background: Dengue virus, an Aedes mosquito-borne flavivirus, is associated with close to 400 million reported infections per annum worldwide. Reduction of dengue virus transmission depends entirely on limiting Aedes breeding or preventing adult female contact with humans. Currently, the World Health Organization promotes the strategic approach of integrated vector management in order to optimise resources for mosquito control. Main text: Neglected tropical disease researchers focus on geographical zones where the incidence of clinical cases, and prevalence of vectors, are high. In combatting those infectious diseases such as dengue that affect mainly low-income populations in developing regions, a mosquito-centric approach is frequently adopted. This prioritises environmental factors that facilitate or impede the lifecycle progression of the vector. Climatic variables (such as rainfall and wind speed) that impact the vector’s lifecycle either causally or by happenstance also affect the human host’s ‘lifecycle’, but in very different ways. The socioeconomic impacts of the same variables that influence vector control impact host vulnerability but at different points in the human lifecycle to those of the vector. Here, we argue that the vulnerability of the vector and that of the host interact in complex and unpredictable ways that are characteristic of (complex and intransigent) ‘wicked problems’. Moreover, they are treated by public health programs in ways that may ignore this complexity. This opinion draws on recent evidence showing that the best climate predictors of the scale of dengue outbreaks in Bangladesh cannot be explained through a simple vector-to-host causal model. Conclusions: In mapping causal pathways for vector-borne diseases this article makes a case to elevate the lifecycle of the human host to a level closer in equivalence to that of the vector. Here, we suggest value may be gained from transferring Rittel and Webber’s concept of a wicked (social) problem to dengue, malaria and other mosquito-transmitted public health concerns. This would take a ‘problem definition’ rather than a ‘solution-finding’ approach, particularly when considering problems in which climate impacts simultaneously on human and vector vulnerability

Developing police leaders: Does experience in isolated areas build leadership capacity and what role does mentoring play?

Colley, LK ORCiD: 0000-0001-7692-5868; Doyle, ST ORCiD: 0000-0002-1008-3706; Muurlink, OT ORCiD: 0000-0002-8251-9521The scant scholarly attention to how police leaders develop is surprising, given the critical importance of a cadre of capable police leaders to maintain public confidence and deal with challenges in an increasingly complex policing environment. There is some consensus amongst scholars that police acquire most key skills in the field, as opposed to the classroom. Establishing relationships, including mentoring, particularly from superiors, also plays an important role in learning. However, this paper questions how this can occur when leaders are removed to rural and remote postings. Policing in Queensland produces its own diverse set of challenges, none the least being a state so geographically dispersed. Physical isolation, from resources and support, brings with it its own set of policing challenges, which can, in theory, make or break an officer’s leadership. The literature remains largely silent on how experiences in isolated areas can build good police leaders. Mentoring, as the other important piece in the leadership development puzzle, has similarly escape scholarly interest – in terms of how it mediates the process. The current research, situated in the Queensland Police Service (QPS), presents a case study to address this focus. In-depth interviews were conducted with a highly representative group of 20 commissioned officers, who, when faced with a step pyramid organisation, had managed to successfully navigate a slow and at times arduous climb into senior leadership positions. Officers describe commanding major incidents and natural disasters in isolated areas and how their leadership blossomed, or was hindered, as a result. The role mentoring played in their development, against the backdrop of isolated outposts, where support and resources could be hours away, were also highlighted in officers’ narratives

Midwifery students’ experiences of bullying and workplace violence: A systematic review

Capper, TS ORCiD: 0000-0003-3464-1423; Muurlink, OT ORCiD: 0000-0002-8251-9521; Williamson, MJ ORCiD: 0000-0002-8504-5851Background: Workplace violence directed at registered midwives in the maternity setting has been a recognised issue since the early 1990s. More recently it has become evident that midwifery students are also victims of bullying and harassment whilst on clinical placement. Due to the short and long-term impacts this has on students, it is likely to have a detrimental effect on the future and sustainability of the midwifery profession. As a basis for designing a response, it is important to understand what is currently known about this phenomenon. Aim: To systematically review the literature to identify what is known about workplace violence and bullying experienced by midwifery students whilst on clinical placement. Method: Reporting of this review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A search was undertaken of all primary research that focussed upon workplace violence and bullying involving midwifery students whilst on clinical placement, published between January 1990 and December 2019. Pre-defined terms were used to search the following five databases: CINAHL, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Embase, supplemented with Google Scholar. Additional manual searches of reference lists were conducted. An assessment of the quality of each eligible study was then undertaken using an appropriate mixed methods appraisal tool (MMAT). Extracted data were then synthesised using thematic synthesis. Findings: Nine articles met the criteria for inclusion in the review. Studies were primarily qualitative, with some reporting descriptive statistics that do not enable key issues such as prevalence to be reliably addressed. The synthesis identified four main themes that related to workplace violence and bullying of midwifery students whilst on clinical placement. Results were clustered around the role of power in bullying, prevalence and impacts, the culture of compliance, and the victim's response. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: A broader understanding of the nature of workplace violence and bullying and how it manifests itself is beginning to emerge, but more and higher quality research is required to establish an empirical base on which to design interventions. Studies suggest that bullying is common and has significant impacts at both a personal and professional level. This strongly reinforces a need for greater policy and organisational responses to bullying in the clinical education context, in order to break the bullying cycle and ensure the midwives of the future remain in the profession and sustain the workforce. © 2020 Elsevier Lt

Midwifery students’ perceptions of the modifiable organisational factors that foster bullying behaviours whilst on clinical placement. A qualitative descriptive study

Problem An increasing body of research suggests midwifery students experience bullying and harassment whilst on clinical placement. Little is known, however, about factors that foster bullying within this context and how they may be addressed. Aim To explore and describe midwifery students’ perceptions of what modifiable organisational factors foster bullying behaviours and to map the identified factors against the students’ perceptions of a solution. Methods A qualitative descriptive design was used. A total of 120 midwifery students from the United Kingdom and Australia participated in this study. Participants completed an online qualitative survey and data was thematically analysed. Findings The midwifery students in this study perceive that several organisational factors exist that help foster bullying behaviours towards them whilst undertaking clinical placement. Three overarching themes were identified relating to ineffective midwifery mentorship, the high stress environment of the maternity unit, and challenges faced with transparency and whistleblowing. Students identified a range of potential structural responses to bullying. Conclusions Recommendations are made that midwifery managers and academics acknowledge how students perceive several potentially modifiable organisational factors which either lead to or exacerbate the likelihood of them being the target of bullying whilst on clinical placement. Consideration should be given to solutions that from the student’s perspective may help tackle bullying and subsequently lead to fewer students leaving midwifery education and further depleting the future workforce