Community Midwife

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose:

To assess and provide the full range of care needs to develop, implement and evaluate programmes of care throughout the antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal period for women and their babies.

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.

Key Duties:

Patient Care:

To assess, develop, implement and evaluate programmes of care.

To be responsible for the organisation of midwifery care for the patients assigned to you.

Utilise the full skills of a midwife practitioner (both integral and extended) to a named caseload of women.

To discuss with the Team Leader development and changes both midwifery and medical, which affect patients directly and indirectly.

Provide care to bereaved patients and their relatives, breaking bad news and supporting other staff undergoing this process.

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 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 stands of care are maintained and, where necessary, instigate changes in agreement with the Team Leader.

To be fully conversant in dealing with complex midwifery problems such as child protection issues.

Education & 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 supervision as a mentor 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 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, making decisions and acting on care needs as they arise.

To participate in the co-ordinating and allocating of work to staff.

To inform and discuss with the Team Leader any problems regarding management and/or care of the women.

Maintain the custody of controlled drugs according to statutory procedure, ordering replacements, checking and administering all drugs according to the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

To participate in audit programmes.

To take all measures to ensure safety and report all accidents/incidents to the Team Leader 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.

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 and Midwives Rules.

Be responsible for maintaining accurate and contemporaneous midwifery records, written and electronic in accordance with Midwives Rules (1998) Rule 42.

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 Midwives Rules and Codes of Practice and all other relevant UKCC/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 UKCC/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 Team Leader in monitoring staff performance.

Participate in staff appraisal and the investigation of complaints and incidents.

To assist the Team Leader in the maintenance of day to day discipline within the ward/department area.

To inform the Team Leader of staff failing to meet the required standard of performance.

To counsel staff in relation to personnel and professional matters.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Proven experience in all areas of midwifery.

Desirable

• Management skills
• Previous experience of working within community.

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Midwife
• Evidence of further professional development.

Desirable

• Evidence of advanced midwifery studies.
• Mentorship training
• NIPE

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Evidence of continuous professional development
• Demonstrate evidence-based practice
• Ability to formulate, review and update guidelines, protocols and standards
• Leadership skills
• Computer literate
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to make informed decisions
• Time management skills
• Ability to prioritise workload
• Ability to suture
• Computer literate

Desirable

• Knowledge of computerised maternity systems

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

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

Address

Princess Of Wales Community Hospital

Stourbridge Road

Bromsgrove

Worcestershire

B61 0BB

Employer's website

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