Maternity units are some of the most absurdly demoralising units I have worked in. If considered without context, one would think that a unit dedicated to bringing new life into the world, would be a more positive environment. But maternity units are petri dishes for conflict, and every role player seems to have a greater claim to misery.

Suffice to say, when I saw a book suggesting “nurturing” of maternity staff, I grabbed at it. It didn't matter that it is written about the UK and the NHS - I would take it as a case study, and learn what I could. I have recently realised that South African healthcare challenges can be quite similar to those experienced by the NHS - just perhaps with differences in severity.

Author Jan Smith is a psychologist with a special interest in mental health in the work environments, and she leads “Make Birth Better”, a maternity campaign in the UK.

Nurturing Maternity Staff is not a self-help book; nor is it a “how to” of roadmaps and tick boxes. In many ways it is reflection on the author’s experiences in working with maternity units around the UK. It is a biography of sorts: a biography of maternity care, and a decree of hope for its future. The text is a well-rounded description of approaches that work, interventions, and factors that are deleterious to their successes. But it is not (and at no point does it pretend to be) an all-encompassing solution to crises in maternity units.

Smith provides useful insights into how humans interact with dysfunctional systems, and especially, how healthcare workers are taught not only to interact with an abusive, traumatised system, but to protect it. Thankfully, she doesn’t spend an inordinate amount of time on proving the “why” of mental health and wellness of staff, but she covers enough for those readers who may need reminding of the immensity of its impact.

Nurturing Maternity Staff offers direction for leaders, and highlights common pitfalls in attempting to make maternity units run smoother. Importantly, she shares the stories of many staff members - midwives, nurses, doctors - and gives credence to their experiences, illustrating how important it is to hear people’s “truths” in attempting to fix a dysfunctional system.

While probably generalisable to other healthcare units, I think the importance of addressing the massive discontent among maternity staff, in particular, deserves this spotlight. I would recommend this to maternity staff in general, but especially to those in leadership roles.

Nurturing Maternity Staff by Jan Smith is a terrific book and one I wish had been available 20 years ago when I was still a Midwife. Trauma and Burnout is sadly why I left my career.

This book should be part of the student curriculum and in every Obstetric ward all over the country. It is full of great advice and helpful ways to help stop burnout and support you through any traumatic experiences you have in midwifery. A book you will go back to repeatedly.

Thanks to Net galley and Pinter and Martin for the ARC Copy. This review is my own opinion.