Drivers of job satisfaction in midwifery—A work design approach

BackgroundIdentifying common factors that influence job satisfaction for midwives working in diverse work settings is challenging. Applying a work design model developed in organisational behaviour to the midwifery context may help identify key antecedents of midwives job satisfaction.AimTo investigate three job characteristics – decision-making autonomy, empowerment, and professional recognition as antecedents of job satisfaction in New Zealand (NZ) midwives.MethodsLatent multiple regressions were performed on data from Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) midwives n = 327, employed midwives n = 255, and midwives working in ‘mixed-roles’ n = 123.FindingsWe found that professional recognition is positively linked to job satisfaction for midwives in all three work settings. At the same time, decision-making autonomy and empowerment were shown to influence job satisfaction for midwives working as LMCs only.DiscussionOur main finding suggests that the esteem generated from being acknowledged as an expert and valuable contributor by maternity health colleagues is satisfying across all work contexts. Professional recognition encompasses the social dimension of midwifery work and influences midwives job satisfaction. Decision-making autonomy and empowerment are task and relational job characteristics that may not be similarly experienced by all midwives to noticeably influence job satisfaction.ConclusionGiven that job satisfaction contributes to recruitment, retention, and sustainability, our findings show that drivers of job satisfaction differ by midwifery work context. We present evidence to support tailored efforts to bolster midwives job satisfaction, especially where resources are limited.     

Factors associated with midwives’ job satisfaction and experience of work: a cross-sectional survey of midwives in a tertiary maternity hospital in Melbourne,Australia

BackgroundSignificant factors affecting the Australian maternity care context include an ageing, predominantly part-time midwifery workforce, increasingly medicalised maternity care, and women with more complex health/social needs. This results in challenges for the maternity care system. There is a lack of understanding of midwives’ experiences and job satisfaction in this context.AimTo explore factors affecting Australian midwives’ job satisfaction and experience of work.MethodsIn 2017 an online cross-sectional questionnaire was used to survey midwives employed in a tertiary hospital. Data collected included characteristics, work roles, hours, midwives’ views and experiences of their job. The Midwifery Process Questionnaire was used to measure midwives’ satisfaction in four domains: Professional Satisfaction, Professional Support, Client Interaction and Professional Development. Data were analysed as a whole, then univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses conducted to explore any associations between each domain, participant characteristics and other relevant factors.FindingsThe overall survey response rate was 73% (302/411), with 96% (255/266) of permanently employed midwives responding. About half (53%) had a negative attitude about their Professional Support and Client Interaction (49%), and 21% felt negatively about Professional Development. The majority felt positively regarding Professional Satisfaction (85%). The main factors that impacted midwives’ satisfaction was inadequate acknowledgment from the organisation and needing more support to fulfil their current role.ConclusionFocus on leadership and mentorship around appropriate acknowledgement and support may impact positively on midwives’ satisfaction and experiences of work. A larger study could explore how widespread these findings are in the Australian maternity care setting.     

女性伦理学的哲学意义

以关怀伦理为代表的女性伦理学,挑战着西方以正义伦理为代表的主流伦理学并对哲学乃至其他学科带来极大影响。但是,在西方学术背景与社会背景下,女性伦理学在享用西方后现代哲学理论成果的同时,也承负着哲学困境所带来的理论和实践上的难题。从中西哲学比较的视角来看女性伦理学,一方面中国文化或许能为西方女性伦理学的发展提供更为合理的理论与实践基础;一方面也为当今世界哲学观念的转变、哲学方向的发展提供富有启发意义的思考。     

《道德经》新编及其论证

三、修身篇2 9( 1 9) .绝知弃辩 ,民利百倍 ;绝巧弃利 ,盗贼无有 ;绝伪弃虑 ,民复孝慈。此三者以为辨 ,不足。或令之有所属 :视素保朴 ,少私寡欲。30 ( 62 ) .道者 ,万物之奥。善人之宝 ,不善人之所保。美言可以市尊 ,美行可以加人。人之不善 ,何弃之有 ?故立天子 ,置三公 ,虽有拱璧以先驷马 ,不如坐进此道。古之所以贵此道者 ,何也 ?不曰 :求以得 ,有罪以免邪 ?故为天下贵。31 ( 32 ) .道常无名。朴虽小 ,天下莫能臣。侯王若能守之 ,万物将自宾。天地相合 ,以降甘露。民莫之命而自均。始制有名 ,名亦既有 ,夫亦将知止 ,知止所以不殆。譬道…     

谈教育职业的专业化与专家型教师

教育职业的专业化,成为当今世界教育发展的大趋势,中国的教育也不能例外。教育质量要进一步提高,创新教学要开展,都呼唤大批专家型教师的涌现。要成为专家型教师,教师个体必须自觉强化专业角色,提高自我诊断能力,健全专业情意。     

Does accreditation really matter in public relations practice? How age and experience compare to accreditation

Many scholars and practitioners have suggested accreditation as one way to enhance the professionalism of public relations practice. But, others have questioned whether accreditation really makes a difference and whether experience is a sufficient substitute for accreditation. This study found that, although accredited practitioners were significantly older and had significantly more years of experience compared to their non-accredited counterparts, differences between the groups with respect to seven work categories and five professional competencies remained even when age and years of experience were controlled. The affected work categories were account/client management, strategic planning, public relations program planning, project management, stakeholder relations, issues management, and crisis management. The affected professional competencies were the four-step strategic planning process; ethics and legal issues; communication theory; business literacy; and advanced communication skills. In short, this study refutes the argument that age and professional experience are sufficient substitutes for accreditation in public relations. In fact, they are not.     

现代职业女性心理健康与休闲调适

由于社会竞争日趋激烈,现代职业女性群体心理负荷颇重,心理健康问题较多,严重程度远远超过普通人群的平均水平。本文通过对现代职业女性压力表现的分析,提出通过休闲活动来缓解职业女性压力的调适策略。使职业女性在参与休闲活动过程中获得愉悦、关怀及支持感,从而有效地帮助职业女性减轻压力,提升生活质量与心理健康。     

Gender,Migration and Place of Qualification of Doctors in the UK: Perceptions of Inequality,Morale and Career Aspiration

This article draws on a large British Medical Association (BMA) survey which allows the comparison of doctors who qualified in the UK with International Medical Graduates (IMG) who qualified overseas. It does this with respect to inequality, morale and career aspiration. The paper argues that the human-capital protection of qualifications, profession and status is not sufficient to equal the experiences of migrant doctors with those of doctors who qualified in the UK. Moreover, the article provides a gendered analysis which demonstrates clear differences between women and men and shows that place of qualification intensifies the gendered experience of a medical career. Drawing on intersectional insights shows that women IMGs are the most disadvantaged despite the apparent protection of high human capital.     

工科院校社会工作专业教育存在的困境与办学特色探讨

社会工作专业教育自20世纪80年代末期在我国设立以来,在经历了前十几年缓慢发展以后,最近几年进入了一个快速扩张时期,国内高校尤其工科院校开办社会工作专业的数量成倍增加。社会工作注重应用性、实践性和操作性的特点与很多工科院校或以有工科背景的综合性大学的办学方针不谋而合。社会工作专业教育在取得了一定的成绩和研究成果的同时,也不难发现在其发展过程中存在不少的问题。把社会工作专业办成工科院校的亮点和特色,就要在办学过程中充分体现工科院校的应用型定位。     

Notes on contributors

Ethics is a central area for professional education in social work. The main educational strategies for the ethics component in social work programmes are often a combination of explicit attention to principles and implicit grounding in practice examples (such as ‘case study’ vignettes). These approaches equip students to recognise and respond to the complexities of ethics in practice. However, they may also encourage students to understand ethics as ‘rules of conduct’, in which there are ‘correct answers’ that can be learned and applied. This paper advances the view that it is more helpful to consider ethics as a ‘framework for thinking’ about the means/ends relationship in practice. It is argued that, as a consequence, the goal of ethics education should be to enable student social workers to grasp the inherently moral nature of practice and the ambiguities that follow from this. Such a position points to the paradox of social work education, that it involves teaching about things that cannot ‘exist’ separately from their being created in action. To explore this paradox in teaching ethics, the paper considers inductive approaches in learning as a way of responding to the ambiguities that are inherent not only in the subject but also in the experience of professional education.