Integrated Midwife

Job Summary

We are seeking a skilled and experienced Integrated Midwife to join our team at Stroud Birth Unit. As a key member of our close-knit midwifery team, you will work closely with colleagues to provide holistic midwife-led maternity care to women and their families.

Key Responsibilities

• To participate in shift working in a freestanding midwifery led unit using an integrated midwifery model.
• To act as shift lead in the absence of a clinical Lead Midwife.
• Be confident in dealing with obstetric emergencies in a freestanding birth unit setting.
• Ensure accurate, clear, contemporaneous, legible records are kept with evidence of assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of care undertaken with the woman and family.
• Be responsible for delivering and maintaining a high standard of day to day, evidence-based practice for all women in the designated clinical area.
• To engage with women and their families to encourage and promote women centred care, normalising their experience as much as possible.
• Ensure the safe custody of drugs in accordance with the hospital policy and the Midwives Rules and Code of Practice.
• Be responsible for the protection of safeguarding of children with an awareness of child protection procedures.
• To act as a mentor for student midwives and newly qualified midwives.

Midwifery Care

• To provide the full range of midwifery support and care, which includes antenatal, one to one care in labour and postnatal care, liaising with midwifery colleagues, obstetric consultants and other relevant members of the multi-disciplinary team when appropriate.
• To assess the mother's and baby's condition and deliver appropriate care, within the multidisciplinary team.
• To carry out appropriate screening tests on women and babies, following appropriate discussion with the woman and informed consent.
• To be able to diagnose / recognise specific problems and make decisions in the provision of care related to pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period, informing the most suitably qualified person to assist in the provision of care in the event of any deviation from the norm.
• To deliver safe care within a challenging and changing clinical environment, using equipment and resources safely and as appropriate.
• To provide health education and support with parenting skills to individuals and/or formal and informal groups.
• To adhere to all Trust policies and procedures and Midwives Rules and Standards.
• Maintain women's dignity and confidentiality at all times.
• Demonstrate and promote a woman and family centred style of clinical practice.
• To communicate with the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) to aid effective woman-centred care, which will include taking an active role in team meetings, joint consultations and case conferences as required. Respond to emergency situations with composure, maintaining patient safety and seeking immediate support, supporting the woman, family and other staff as required.
• To communicate effectively with women and families potentially complex, sensitive or distressing information; in order to provide family centred care.

Professional Practice

• Registered Midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Council with degree, diploma or relevant midwifery experience.
• To be a competent, autonomous practitioner accountable for own actions, working within the NMC Standards for Competence for Registered Midwives 2018.
• To maintain and develop clinical competencies in all aspects of midwifery care, to provide record of same in the form of a portfolio. Evidence of ongoing reflection on care provided, to enhance quality of service provision and meet revalidation requirements.
• Participate in annual appraisal, identifying specific training requirements of self as part of service planning and continuous personal development.
• With supervision and assistance take on increased responsibility recognising own limitations and seeking help appropriately.
• Demonstrate an awareness and understanding of Accountability, responsibility and Duty of Care and work towards the provision of support and education for less experienced and non-registered staff on the implications for practice.

Leadership and Management

• To support the senior midwife in the management of recruitment retention and performance related issues.
• To assist in the development of a culture of continuous quality improvement.
• To contribute to policy development and public health initiatives in order to provide care which will improve both maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity.
• To take responsibility for mentorship and training of students and support staff and preceptorship of newly qualified midwives.
• To lead the midwifery team, in the absence of the senior midwife, in the full range of obstetric and neonatal emergencies regardless of the practice setting.
• To responsibly input and retrieve patient information from computer-based systems in accordance with the Data Protection Act.
• Comply with Trust and Departmental policies and procedures e.g. Health and Safety at Work Act (1974), Manual Handling, clinical equipment competency, risk management, Data Protection Acts and patient confidentiality at all times. This will include demonstrating compliance with the terms of all safeguarding policies and processes relevant to the safeguarding of adults and children in the care of GHNHSFT and to undergo regular mandatory training concerned with safeguarding matters.
• In conjunction with their manager, identify training needs of self, participating in clinical audit and quality projects which contribute to the departmental education programme.
• Report near misses and untoward incidents, complaints, clinical emergencies, injury or medicine administration errors as detailed in the departmental and Trust protocols.

Education and Training

• Be actively involved in and support departmental education programmes.
• Regularly access educational opportunities to enhance knowledge and improve quality of care.
• To participate in the supervision, and clinical education of support workers, progressing to supervising undergraduates and less experienced staff with support of senior staff, as required. Providing support, guidance, training, and assessing and evaluating competence, in order to fulfil clinical governance requirements and retain a skilled workforce.
• To participate in Mandatory Trust and Midwifery in-service training on an annual basis to enhance safety and quality of care provided.
• Demonstrate a commitment to research based practice and clinical excellence and play an active part in the introduction of research based change to improve patient centred care.

Improving Quality and Developing Practice

• To assist in the development of a culture of continuous quality improvement, embracing lifelong learning, continually striving to deliver a higher standard of evidence-based midwifery care.
• Work with senior staff undertaking audit and research projects, to further own and team's clinical practice within each rotation. To be involved in making recommendations for changes to practice and procedures for the relevant clinical area, and the implementation of these changes.
• Contribute to the Clinical Governance and Quality agenda by active participation in service initiatives, health and safety and risk management.
• Understand and contribute to the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies/ protocols/ guidelines relevant to the specialist area.
• Openly question and challenge practice in a constructive way so that standards of care are continually evaluated and improved.

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