Lead Midwife Screening, Band 7

Job description

Job responsibilities

- To provide specialist support to women and their families in relation to the screening programmes

- To work with maternity colleagues to ensure all women and their families receive best evidence information to ensure they make an informed decision with respect to antenatal screening

- To work with colleagues to ensure the antenatal/ newborn cohorts can be clearly identified

- To ensure all screening programmes have robust failsafes in place to ensure all women have a result for the screening they choose

- To work closely with fetal medicine to provide care for women where referral is needed

- To give support for fetal medicine where an abnormality is suspected/detected, by working closely with other professionals including medical staff and midwives.

- To support parents in interpreting information and making antenatal screening decisions.

- To convey complex, sensitive information regarding antenatal screening testing to parents that may cause emotional distress to all parties.

- To sensitively provide results of antenatal /maternal tests which may show an abnormal or unexpected outcome and counsel parents about complex decisions/choices with regard to ongoing management of the pregnancy.

- To manage difficult situations and people e.g. supporting parents and their families during the bereavement process

- To provide support to parents during periods of instability and crisis, e.g. at the disclosure of abnormal results or during bereavement.

- To undertake midwifery care assessment of a mothers needs within the specialist area of antenatal screening and evaluate direct clinical care as appropriate.

- To liaise with appropriate departments and other relevant organisations to ensure a rapid response following antenatal screening and diagnostic tests.

- To provide non-directive counselling and support women and their partners through the process of antenatal , high-risk screening results, and decision making regarding potential invasive tests.

- To maintain a quality midwifery care in a demanding and unpredictable working environment.

- Demonstrate and promote a patient and family centred style of clinical practice.

- To use clinical reasoning skills and techniques to assess, diagnose, plan and offer a range of treatment options; deliver, evaluate and amend the treatment plan.

- To be responsible for the organisation of own caseload and appropriately delegate to support workers or other staff members in order to ensure effective time management. To assist the team in the day to day running of the clinical area.

- To communicate with the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) to aid effective patient care, which will include taking an active role in team meetings, joint treatment sessions, case conferences and specialist interest group meetings. Either working alone or as part of the multi-disciplinary team, to make recommendations for appropriate and timely discharge/transfer from hospital

- Respond to emergency situations with composure, maintaining patient safety and seeking immediate support, supporting the patient, family and other staff as required.

- To communicate effectively with patients and carers potentially complex, sensitive or distressing information; in order to provide patient centred care, to encourage self-management, maximise rehabilitation potential and to ensure understanding of the condition. Patients may have communication, perceptual or cognitive/understanding difficulties.

- To maintain clear, accurate and concise patient records in line with departmental and professional standards and include relevant outcome measures. This will include writing patient reports for e.g. medical practitioners and solicitors requests.

- Maintain patient dignity and confidentiality at all times

Professional practice

- Registered midwife with the Nursing and Midwifery Council with degree, diploma, or relevant midwifery experience pertaining to antenatal screening.

- Maintain expert knowledge of antenatal screening and extensive knowledge of the current national guidelines.

- To take a lead in developing and formulating multi-disciplinary guidelines and policies relating to antenatal with other screening co-ordinators, line managers and clinical staff.

- Excellent communication/ counselling skills.

- Recognised Teaching/mentoring qualification with evidence of teaching experience.

- Good organisational skills, with the ability to work in a team or independently.

- Ability to achieve targets within time scales and evaluate and monitor progress.

- Enhanced levels of dexterity and accuracy pertaining to clinical skills eg venepuncture, and where necessary assisting at invasive procedures such as amniocentesis/CVS and other fetal medicine procedures.

- Enhanced I.T. skills e.g. access to PAS, Word data bases, Power Point presentations and word processing.

- Demonstrates understanding of ethics, UK law, The Code; Nursing and Midwifery Council guidelines and those relating to childbirth, especially pertaining to advocacy, consent and sexual health.

- Understands and can contribute to the Directorates Clinical Governance strategy.

- Adheres to all Trust policies and procedures

- Supplies and administers medication as appropriate and on own authority according to NMC Medicines Management guidance. Adheres to Trust policy and treatment within the Procedure for the Ordering, Prescribing and Administration of Medication guidelines.

- Ensure clinical practice is evidence based or peer reviewed best practice

- Develop and maintain clinical skills and knowledge necessary to deliver and evidence based service.

- With supervision and assistance take on increased responsibility recognising own limitations and seeking help appropriately

- Be competent in the use of all relevant Trust IT systems including the use of electronic patient record, email, and PACS.

- Maintain regular use of emails to keep abreast of information disseminated in the Trust

- Adhere to the NMC Code of practice at all times and operate within the scope of professional practice.

- 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.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Active registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council
• United Kingdom recognised Degree in Midwifery Practice
• Evidence of ongoing professional development through maintenance of professional portfolio

Experience

Essential

• Experience (through placement or employment) of working in an acute clinical environment
• Previous experience in a relevant speciality
• Able to supervise non-registered and less experienced staff to ensure effective service and care delivery.
• Acts as a role model and are able to lead by example to ensure the Trust's values and behaviours are reinforced throughout their area of practice.

Desirable

• Experience in Antenatal screening

Skills

Essential

• Able to prioritise own workload and that of others as appropriate
• Personally resilient and able to manage complexity and work in an ambiguous or changing
• Excellent presentational, communication and interpersonal skills
• Demonstrates ability to maintain and contribute to the development of standards of practice, conduct or decision making in conjunction
• Demonstrates ability to use clinical reasoning skills and techniques to assess, diagnose, plan and offer a range of treatment options; deliver, evaluate and amend the treatment plan.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Gloucester Royal Hospital

Great Western Road

Gloucester

GL1 3NN

Employer's website

https://www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)