Job responsibilities
JOB DESCRIPTION
Post Title:
Midwife
Pay Band: 6
Hours: Full Time/Part
time
Contract: 12 month
Secondment
Location /
Department: Meadow Birth Centre, Maternity,
Trustwide
Accountable
to: Divisional Director
of Midwifery
Reports to: Ward Manager/Team
Leader
Key Working
Relationships:
Ward
Manager/Team Leader, Midwifery and support staff, Medical staff, Patients and
relatives
Job
Purpose:
Act as the professional lead for low risk women, promoting
physiological birthing process.
Be responsible for the assessment of care needs and the
development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care within the
practice area and to provide and maintain high standards of midwifery care.
Teach, motivate and encourage high standards of practice whilst
furthering personal knowledge and experience.
Accept responsibility for own personal and professional
development
To contribute to the management of the practice area by
accepting delegated responsibility from senior colleagues.
Contribute to the learning environment of the practice area to
enable students and new members of the practice area team to be supported
Ensure all statutory and non-statutory rules and regulations are
complied with.
Assist in promoting Clinical Risk Management within the practice
area.
To provide effective leadership and to act as a good role model.
To supervise junior staff and to teach qualified and unqualified
staff, acting as a mentor, as appropriate, providing advice and support as
necessary.
Work autonomously within guidelines and spheres of professional
practice.
To take all measures to ensure safety and report all
accidents/incidents to the Ward Manager/Matron/Divisional Director of Midwifery
and to monitor the safe and effective use of all equipment and the economic use
of supplies.
Maintain accurate management records at all times, ensuring
appropriate reporting mechanisms are used.
To assist in other wards/department of the maternity services if
the clinical situation or staffing levels demand.
To become familiar with ward/department budget and efficient and
effective utilisation of resources.
Be
conversant with Trust and other Policies and Procedures and mechanisms in place
for effective care and efficient management of the Maternity Unit.
Have ability and skills to organise own workload
Be able
to cannulate and suture
Key Duties:
Patient
Care:
To plan and deliver evidence based midwifery care in partnership
with women and their families.
To work collaboratively with women, respecting their right to
make informed decisions about their care.
To manage high risk labours in partnership with Consultant Midwife
and Obstetric colleagues where women choose to use the Birth Centre outside of
guidance.
To provide a supportive relationship, acting as advocate for
women and their families.
Utilise the full skills of a midwife practitioner (both integral
and extended) to women using the Birth Centre.
To discuss with the Ward Manager/Team Leader, development and
changes both midwifery and medical, which affect patients directly and
indirectly.
Communicate effectively with multi-disciplinary professionals
and agencies, ensuring seamless care at a high standard.
To take appropriate action to ensure the safety of patients,
including the delegation of patient care to midwives, with the appropriate
level skill at all times. To report any accidents/incidents to the Ward
Manager/Team Leader
To ensure that midwifery procedures/guidelines are implemented
and maintained in accordance with the policies of the Worcestershire Acute
Hospitals NHS Trust and national guidance.
To ensure that acceptable standards of care are maintained and,
where necessary, instigate changes in agreement with the Ward Manager/Team
Leader.
To be
fully conversant in dealing with complex midwifery problems such as child
protection issues.
Education
and Training
Supervise the training of qualified and unqualified staff, and
assist junior staff to develop clinical and managerial skills, in accordance
with their level of competence.
To act as a preceptor for junior staff.
To participate in teaching for all learners in accordance with
their objectives, working closely with local education providers. To provide
support and coaching as a supervisor/assessor to student midwives. To
participate in teaching programmes as required.
Maintain knowledge of current midwifery practice by reading
relevant journals and attending study days where appropriate, promoting
research based practice in agreement with ward manager/team leader.
To organise and provide training programmes in accordance with
the identified needs for the ward.
To participate
in further post-registration training, as evidenced by developments in
practice.
Management
To autonomously manage a caseload within the Birth Centre,
making decisions and acting on care needs as they arise.
To manage effectively the Birth Centre in the absence of the
Ward Manager, co-ordinating and allocating work to staff.
To liaise
with the midwives in charge of the wards/departments within the Trust to plan
workloads and staffing levels as effectively as possible. To inform and discuss
with the Ward Manager any problems regarding management and/or care of the
woman.
Professional
To maintain a professional attitude at all times developing the
role of the midwife in the best interest of the women and profession in
accordance with Nursing & Midwifery Council.
Be responsible for maintaining accurate and contemporaneous
midwifery records, written and electronic in accordance with the relevant NMC
and Trust guidance.
To be aware of extended personal and professional development.
To attend courses and conferences as relevant according to the requirements of
the role of an experienced midwife.
Develop competencies in the use of equipment in the clinical
area, attend teaching sessions as appropriate.
To attend courses and conferences as relevant.
To be conversant and comply with the Trust policies and
regulations and attend compulsory lectures as instructed.
To maintain good standards of care and assist in the
implementation of recommendations from Government and professional bodies in
relation to maternity care
Participate in research projects where appropriate, reporting
findings within a multi-disciplinary framework.
Implement research projects where appropriate.
To be professionally accountable for ones own midwifery
practice, acting in a professional manner at all times abiding by the relevant
NMC and Trust practice protocols and guidelines.
To be
responsible for the maintenance and improvement of own professional knowledge
and competence in keeping with the practice and CPD standard laid down by the
NMC to ensure continued professional registration.
Personnel
To participate in the selection and interviewing of junior staff
within the ward/department.
Participate in the devising and implementation of induction
programmes for newly appointed staff.
To assist the Ward Manager/Team Leader in monitoring staff
performance.
Participate in staff appraisal and the investigation of
complaints and incidents.
To assist the ward manager in the maintenance of day to day
discipline within the ward/department/area.
To inform the Ward/Department Manager (or Supervisor in his/her
absence), of staff failing to meet the required standard of performance.
To
counsel staff in relation to personnel and professional matters.
Vision and
Values:
The Trust
aims to provide local services for local people. It has developed its vision to
reflect this commitment.
To
continue to be the major provider of acute/specialist services for the people
of Worcestershire (and wider) with a strong reputation for providing
outstanding, high quality, reliable, accessible and integrated healthcare for
local people
Driving
this commitment are the Trust-wide signature behaviours:
Do what we say we will do
No Delays, every day
We listen, we learn, we lead
Work
together, celebrate together
Competence
The post
holder is responsible for limiting his / her actions to those which s/he feels
competent to undertake. If the post holder has any doubts as to his or her
competence during the course of his / her duties, then s/he should immediately
speak to their line manager or supervisor.
Codes of
conduct
All
employees of the Trust who are required to be registered with a professional
body, to enable them to practise within their profession, are required to
comply with their code of conduct and requirements of their professional
registration. Those staff that are not required to be registered with a
professional body are required to comply with the Trusts codes of conduct.
Confidentiality
The post
holder must maintain confidentiality, security and integrity of information
relating to patients, staff and other Health Service business.
Infection
Control
Employees
must accept personal responsibility and accountability for Infection Prevention
and Control practice. Employees should ensure they are familiar with, and
comply with, all relevant Infection Control policies for minimising the risk of
avoidable Health Care Associated Infection. All Employees must undertake
annual mandatory updates in Infection Control.
Children
and vulnerable adults
You have a
responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of the children /
young people / vulnerable adults that you come into contact with or are
responsible for in your job role and sphere of competence.
