2020: YEAR OF THE MIDWIFE
The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse and Midwife”, in honor of the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale. The year 2020 is significant for WHO in the context of nursing and midwifery strengthening for Universal Health Coverage. WHO is leading the development of the first-ever State of the World’s Nursing report which will be launched in 2020, prior to the 73rd World Health Assembly. Last time midwifery was on such an international recognition level was in 2014 when the Lancet Journal’s Midwifery Series. The essential needs of childbearing women in all countries, and of their babies and families, are the focus of this thought-provoking series of international studies on midwifery. Many of those needs are still not being met, decades after they have been recognized. New solutions are required. The Series provides a framework for quality maternal and newborn care (QMNC) that firmly places the needs of women and their newborn infants at its center. It is based on a definition of midwifery that takes account of skills, attitudes and behaviors rather than specific professional roles. The findings of this Series support a shift from fragmented maternal and newborn care provision that is focused on identification and treatment of pathology to a whole-system approach that provides skilled care for all. If you haven’t seen these amazing articles, I strongly encourage you to visit this website: https://www.thelancet.com/series/midwifery Take advantage of this great international marketing campaign occurring about midwives. Talk to everyone you know about this phenomenon recognition and what midwifery means to our communities! Take the leap and start your business and expand into a new service like a birth center this year. This midwifery momentum will really increase awareness to our valued services! I can’t wait to see what this year holds to each and every midwife across the country. We are here to stay and continue to grow as an options for everyone women wanting personalized, normalized women’s health care and birth. Continue to fight the fight protecting normal birth experiences, women empowerment about her body, and breastfeeding support. Write your political representative about the importance of midwifery. Reach out to your local hospital and set up a friendly collaboration meeting to discuss this amazing honor midwives have in 2020. We are the champions for healthy moms and babies. Don’t ever forget that! Please pass along to one midwife you know the WHO and ACNM marketing campaigns about 2020: YEAR OF THE NURSE AND MIDWIFE. There are so many opportunities for midwives to flourish in the United States. With rising cesarean section rates and pitiful long term breastfeeding rates here, midwives are desperately needed to change our maternity culture back to supporting, rather than medically managing families. I am beyond excited to help midwives grow their dream of business ownership in 2020.
Time Management: Your Most Valuable Asset as a Midwife
Time is a precious resource for midwives, balancing professional responsibilities, personal well-being, and family commitments requires effective time management. Here’s how midwives can optimize their time to enhance business success, self-care, and family life: Prioritize Tasks and Responsibilities: Identify and prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance. Use tools like priority lists or task management apps to stay organized. Allocate time for clinical care, administrative duties, patient communication, and professional development. Set Realistic Goals and Deadlines: Establish clear, achievable goals for your midwifery practice, personal growth, and family time. Break down larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks with specific deadlines to maintain focus and accountability. Delegate Effectively: Delegate tasks that can be performed by support staff or administrative personnel, allowing you to focus on core responsibilities. Trust and empower your team to handle routine tasks, while you concentrate on clinical care and strategic decision-making. Utilize Time-Saving Tools and Technology: Adopt electronic health records (EHRs), scheduling software, and telehealth platforms to streamline administrative tasks and improve patient care coordination. Automate appointment reminders, billing processes, and patient communications to reduce manual workload. Practice Self-Care and Well-Being: Prioritize self-care activities such as exercise, relaxation techniques, and hobbies to reduce stress and prevent burnout. Allocate time for regular breaks, meals, and adequate sleep to maintain physical and mental well-being. Establish Boundaries and Manage Work-Life Balance: Set boundaries between work and personal life to prevent work-related stress from impacting family time and personal relationships. Schedule dedicated time for family activities, social connections, and unplugging from work responsibilities. Continuous Learning and Professional Development: Invest in ongoing education, certifications, and professional development opportunities to enhance clinical skills and stay updated with industry trends. Attend conferences, workshops, and peer learning sessions to network with colleagues and gain new insights. Evaluate and Optimize Time Use: Regularly review how you spend your time and identify areas for improvement or efficiency gains. Adjust schedules or workflows as needed to maximize productivity and minimize time wasted on non-essential tasks. Practice Mindfulness and Time Management Techniques: Practice mindfulness techniques, such as meditation or deep breathing, to enhance focus and productivity during busy workdays. Use time management strategies like the Pomodoro Technique or time blocking to structure your day and maintain momentum. Seek Support and Collaboration: Build a network of supportive colleagues, mentors, and healthcare professionals to share resources, advice, and workload when needed. Collaborate with other midwives or healthcare providers to enhance patient care coordination and share best practices. By prioritizing time management as a critical asset, midwives can achieve balance between professional responsibilities, personal well-being, and family life. Implementing these strategies fosters efficiency, reduces stress, and enhances overall satisfaction in both professional and personal domains.
13 THINGS MENTALLY STRONG MIDWIVES DON'T DO
Mentally strong midwives have healthy habits. They manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in ways that set them up for success in life. Check out these things that mentally strong midwives don’t do so that you too can become more mentally strong. 1. They Don’t Waste Time Feeling Sorry for Themselves Mentally strong midwives don’t sit around feeling sorry about their circumstances or how others have treated them. Instead, they take responsibility for their role in life and understand that life isn’t always easy or fair. 2. They Don’t Give Away Their Power They don’t allow others to control them, and they don’t give someone else power over them. They don’t say things like, “My boss makes me feel bad,” because they understand that they are in control over their own emotions and they have a choice in how they respond. 3. They Don’t Shy Away from Change Mentally strong people don’t try to avoid change. Instead, they welcome positive change and are willing to be flexible. They understand that change is inevitable and believe in their abilities to adapt. 4. They Don’t Waste Energy on Things They Can’t Control You won’t hear a mentally strong midwives complaining over lost luggage or traffic jams. Instead, they focus on what they can control in their lives. They recognize that sometimes, the only thing they can control is their attitude. 5. They Don’t Worry About Pleasing Everyone Mentally strong midwives recognize that they don’t need to please everyone all the time. They’re not afraid to say no or speak up when necessary. They strive to be kind and fair, but can handle other people being upset if they didn’t make them happy. 6. They Don’t Fear Taking Calculated Risks They don’t take reckless or foolish risks, but don’t mind taking calculated risks. Mentally strong midwives spend time weighing the risks and benefits before making a big decision, and they’re fully informed of the potential downsides before they take action. 7. They Don’t Dwell on the Past Mentally strong midwives don’t waste time dwelling on the past and wishing things could be different. They acknowledge their past and can say what they’ve learned from it. However, they don’t constantly relive bad experiences or fantasize about the glory days. Instead, they live for the present and plan for the future. 8. They Don’t Make the Same Mistakes Over and Over They accept responsibility for their behavior and learn from their past mistakes. As a result, they don’t keep repeating those mistakes over and over. Instead, they move on and make better decisions in the future. 9. They Don’t Resent Other People’s Success Mentally strong midwives can appreciate and celebrate other people’s success in life. They don’t grow jealous or feel cheated when others surpass them. Instead, they recognize that success comes with hard work, and they are willing to work hard for their own chance at success. 10. They Don’t Give Up After the First Failure They don’t view failure as a reason to give up. Instead, they use failure as an opportunity to grow and improve. They are willing to keep trying until they get it right. 11. They Don’t Fear Alone Time Mentally strong midwives can tolerate being alone and they don’t fear silence. They aren’t afraid to be alone with their thoughts and they can use downtime to be productive. They enjoy their own company and aren’t dependent on others for companionship and entertainment all the time but instead can be happy alone. 12. They Don’t Feel the World Owes Them Anything They don’t feel entitled to things in life. They weren’t born with a mentality that others would take care of them or that the world must give them something. Instead, they look for opportunities based on their own merits. 13. They Don’t Expect Immediate Results Whether they are working on improving their health or getting a new business off the ground, mentally strong people don’t expect immediate results. Instead, they apply their skills and time to the best of their ability and understand that real change takes time. https://amymorinlcsw.com/mentally-strong-people/
10 MISTAKES DONE BY MIDWIFE BUSINESS OWNERS
Mistakes Made by Midwife Business Owners Midwifery practice start ups are fraught with missteps, mishaps, and mistakes. No matter how steeped you are in business-ownership experience, you are bound to run into problems at some point. The key to your success is to quickly identify your mistakes, learn from them, and prevent the same mistakes from happening again, says Mike Michalowicz, small business expert and author of “The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur.” Most business owners fall into the same traps. It’s those mistakes which could make the difference between owning a successful and viable small business, or owning a money pit that could leave you in financial pain for years to come. So, what are the biggest mistakes owners make when starting and managing their small businesses? 1. Trying to Get Rich Quick Overnight success usually takes 15 to 20 years to achieve. If you go in expecting to be rich overnight, you may become discouraged early on and give up your dream prematurely. Know that success takes time, perseverance, and a little bit of luck. Give your business the time to grow. Only if your company is stagnant for a long time should you take it as an indication that you need to try something new. 2. Assuming You Have No Competition Even if you have the latest, greatest, never-been-done-before approach to something, don’t assume that you have no competition. Competition is more than just the direct, obvious competitors. Competition is also all the available alternatives. What else could the consumer do instead of using your product or service? Could they do nothing? The customer almost always has the option of walking away. That alone is a serious competitive threat. 3. Being a Weak Leader The success of your company is contingent on you being a strong, effective leader. This does not mean you need to be an authoritarian, but neither are you everyone’s buddy. A great leader sets the course for the company, communicates it constantly and inspires the team to get to the next level. 4. Being All Business, All the Time Many entrepreneurs put their personal lives on hold to focus exclusively on their businesses. Ultimately, both suffer. There is no question your business needs your full attention and effort, but only in short spurts. Just like an elite athlete in training, you need to have a proper, healthy diet, get enough rest, and take breaks. Balance your personal and business life, and you will actually do better in both. 5. Setting Unrealistic Financial Goals If all business plans came true, being a billionaire would be nothing extraordinary. Many entrepreneurs go into new ventures planning astronomical returns. Yet most never even get the business off the ground. Unrealistic goals not only hurt your credibility, but can also be an emotional drain. Set specific, measurable, accountable, realistic, and time specific (or SMART) goals to ensure continual progress. If you do this, your chances of being an overnight success (in 15 to 20 years) are much greater! 6. Having No ‘Rallying Point’ There is a reason why employees leave high-paying corporate jobs to go to start-ups, and it’s not for the money. People are driven to serve an important purpose, in addition to getting a paycheck. Many businesses never define their real purpose for existence, and continually attract a mix of employees who are seeking success in different ways. Clarify the purpose of your company, beyond just making money, and you set the stage for attracting like-minded employees. A team focused on the same goal is a very powerful force. 7. Cutting Prices Often, the first thing entrepreneurs resort to when business is tough is to try differentiating on price. Cheaper prices mean more customers, right? Wrong! Most customers are willing to buy more expensive items because of the greater quality or the added convenience. During tough economic times, an increase in price, coupled with improvements in quality or convenience, can drive customers to your door. Price slashing is a dangerous game, which could lead to slashing employees or salaries to keep costs down. 8. Having No Clear Marketing Strategy You never know where, when, or how a new prospect is going to hear of your business. If you have a mix of messages out there, the prospects will have an unclear expectation of what your business can offer. Your company must present a consistent, clear message on all fronts. You will never get a second chance to make a first impression. Make sure every new prospect who sees your business for the first time receives the same, consistent message. 9. Not Being Forthright The days of cover-ups died with former-President Bill Clinton’s denial of sexual relations with “that woman.” The anonymous nature and grand size of the Internet allows people to share anything with anyone at anytime. If your business tries to cover up a mistake, it is just a matter of time before word leaks and you are labeled a liar. That’s not good for business. Be the one to break your own bad news, and you will be perceived as honest and trustworthy. 10. Trying to Do It All The greatest mistake midwifery business owners can make is to believe they can do it all by themselves. While an entrepreneur can do almost everything, they do almost everything poorly. Just like any other person, an entrepreneur has one or two natural talents. As an entrepreneur, it is your job to identify those talents and focus on them to your fullest. Surround yourself with people who are strong where your talents are weakest. Great companies are built on the foundation of exploiting a few strengths, not on trying to be masters of everything. By Mike Michalowicz The 10 Biggest Mistakes Made by Small Business Owners (cnbc.com)
10 Best Midwife Business Ideas Revolving around the Holidays
When life is so busy around the Holidays with work and personal life, marketing tends to get a back burner approach. This is a great time to give back to your community as a last minute tax write off donation while marketing your brand. Send past clients Christmas cards and give that special touch that most doctor’s offices aren’t doing for their patients. Here is a list of 30 marketing ideas specifically towards the Christmas season! 1. Christmas cards to staff and past clients: have entire staff sign the cards and personalize them to families names. Find a picture from delivery on file to bring back beautiful memories to families to place in the cards. 2. 2020 practice magnets to mail current clients and dispense to local business community to have at the office: Calendars on fridges are a great way for your name to be noticed whenever someone wants to know the date 3. Christmas party for staff and past clients: great way to get together and catch up in a more casual environment. Do a presentation at the Christmas party of a new recommendation for care or additional services that will be offered with practice starting in 2020. 4. Personalized cookie trays to local businesses: I love bringing chiropractor offices, doctor offices, and massage therapy offices couple dozen homemade cookies to give thanks for past referrals and collaboration efforts. 5. Email chain Christmas card to any affiliated person or business to the practice. A nice card virtually with a small update on services is a great way for past clients to start thinking about schedule another annual due in 2020 and remind businesses what your practice is all about! 6. Sponsor a family in need. Many communities and Churches have a list of families struggling around the Holidays. Do something good and provide their family gifts for Christmas. Good deeds go along way with promoting your midwifery mission to help women and their families. 7. Do staff Christmas caroling together. It will be great for team building and giving back to the community. Make some really cute midwife holiday shirts for everyone to match and promote your practice. 8. Give away a free birth to a women who was nominated by community that would normally not have been able to afford your services. Have a big Facebook advertisement about promoting a friend wanting your care and tell their birth story. It will get great “likes, shares, & promotions.” 9. “Merry Midwifery Christmas” Do a count down for Christmas on your Facebook page and put did you know facts about midwifery and your practice’s services. Do weekly giveaways to pamper your client community and create awareness for your cause at the same time! 10. Make too much money this year and need to find tax write offs? Take advantage of buying bulk advertising material to use in upcoming year as a business write off expense prior to January 1, 2020. Stock pile brochures, business cards, flyers, update website with a marketing company, and staff sweats
Covid-19 Long Term Changes
Covid-19 Long Term Changes It will take around two years for a vaccination or herd immunity to occur with Covid-19. The social distancing and personal protection equipment are our new normal. So much has happened in such a short amount of time. Midwives have had a massive increase in out of hospital birth demands, increase business overhead costs for staff personal protection equipment, and increase red tapes to go through for insurance reimbursement of care. Midwives need more than ever strong business models to handle all of these drastic changes. The administration overhead will continue to increase with phone call, patient questions, high costs of supplies, and barriers with getting products due to limited shipping international options. Practice Being In Demand Our practices are in higher demand with families wanting to avoid hospital deliveries. There is a growing shortage of midwives from burnout and hospitals taking Medical Students or Physician Assistants instead of CNMs. We need to stand together more than ever to get through this health care uncertainty wave. Our health care system is on the brink of collapse. Midwives are a minority with limited massive reserves like large health care systems to weather this storm. There will only be so much money handed out by the government to help Small Business and we need to utilize our skills and resources to make it out on top of this pandemic. I want all midwives to start thinking about their current professional situation. Are you a Certified Nurse Midwife working in a hospital setting that doesn’t give proper protective equipment to care for patients? Are there policies implemented that aren’t based on evidence, but CDC guidelines that change daily? Are the visitor policies and separation of mothers and babies to extreme in your area? Want to start your own private practice, but unsure where to start? Been considering becoming a Certified Professional Midwife and train to help fill the current demands? Available Resources Our resources, online courses, and consultation services are there to help midwives start their own home birth or birth center practices, improve their business’ bottom line, increase revenue reimbursement with insurance companies, and improve skills of their birth team to improve patient safety and decrease business liability risk. There are so many things to think about with Covid-19 and many midwives are really questioning their role in all of this. Find your soul purpose and reason why you became a midwife. Focus on that passion and drive for fulfilling your dreams. These changes are only the beginning of a whole new health care world we will be part of. Be part of the positive change and support families with your own private midwifery practice. This course Covid Care Tips for Midwives has been created to provide crucial knowledge whether you’ve been practicing since before the pandemic or are just starting out in this career.