Incontinence in nurses & midwives an issue for productivity

Currently, 4.8 million Australians live with incontinence, or pelvic floor dysfunction. The number is 1 in 3 for women who have had a baby.

You have probably heard of urinary incontinence, which is where urine leakages occur and faecal incontinence, where you can’t control the stool. Pelvic floor dysfunction is the umbrella term, which covers these types of incontinence – and another 250.

It’s a condition that has a lot of stigma, and as you can imagine, affects the way you work.


Nurses and midwives are especially susceptible to urinary incontinence, as their bladder habits aren’t always healthy. Taking a bathroom break isn’t exactly an option when you are in the operating theatre.

Heather Pierce is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Health at UTS. She talks us through what pelvic floor dysfunction is, and the implications it has for the nursing and midwifery workforce.

Links:

Australian Physiotherapy Association Continence & Women’s Health Group
Continence Foundation of Australia

Image: Rosmarie Voegtli on Flickr.

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