Role in birth centre failure
The centre, which was due to open in May last year, consists of three suites with beds and birthing baths – each with a nature theme such as the Reef, rainforest and Outback.
It is designed for women to have a more natural, homestyle birth and is part of the $456.6 million redevelopment of Cairns Hospital. A FORMER Cairns Hospital nurse, who claims her bosses made life hellish while working in the maternity unit, has spoken out about a culture of bullying within the troubled ward.
Michele Doran staffed the maternity ward, and the emergency department, at the hospital for five years until she quit in 2015 over claims she was bullied at work.
The maternity ward has since been gripped by a shortage of midwives, that hospital insiders say is a direct result of a hostile work environment.
Two senior nurses from the unit were reported two weeks ago to have been stood down on full pay over bullying allegations.
Ms Doran, who trained and qualified as a midwife through the hospital, told the Weekend Post that supervisors made her life hell after she made a complaint about a patient who had been badly managed in the maternity ward.
“I was made to feel worthless and always that I shouldn’t have advocated for my patient as my complaint involved a senior doctor,” she said.
“I always felt intimidated by certain staff and most days were a battle.
“Instead of loving my job I ended up hating going to work and would breathe a sigh of relief if certain staff were not on duty.”
She claimed bullying was rife across the hospital with many staff too scared to complete a recent anonymous survey addressing the issue.
“Many staff would talk about it among themselves, but would never approach management because they knew they would come off worse and that nothing would be done,” she said.
“Most of the bullies on the shop floor were best buddies of the senior management, so if you complained, you’d be com-