Midwife - Stoke Mandeville Hospital / Wycombe Hospital

Job Title: Midwife

Base: Stoke Mandeville Hospital / Wycombe Hospital

Agenda for Change banding: 6

Hours of Work: Full time / Part time – 37.5 hrs per week

Details of Special Conditions:

Professional Accountability: Band 7 Midwife

Managerial Accountability: Divisional Chief Nurse/Midwifery

Head of Midwifery & Matron

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE POST

This is a rotational post and the post holder is required to work in all areas within the Maternity Services providing antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care. The post holder will participate in quality improvements, and service developments.

The post holder will have an annual appraisal and undertake continuing professional development. It is expected that midwives work autonomously within the Trust guidelines and sphere of professional practice.

RESPONSIBILITITES

MAIN TASKS - PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITES:

1. Promote continuity of care to provide a high standard of midwifery care to mother and baby and to provide help and support to the family unit.
2. Actively promote the concept of total holistic woman centered care within the maternity services offering choice to women regarding place of birth.
3. Is designated to take charge regularly of the Ward/Department in the absence of the person with continuing responsibility.
4. Is expected to take part in the appraisal process, to supervise, mentor and provide preceptorship for junior staff.
5. Is able and expected to teach, lead and manage qualified and other staff, including students and student midwives.

Professional:

1. Maintain a professional Portfolio to facilitate revalidation.
2. Ensure midwifery registration remains active on the NMC register.
3. Maintain accurate and contemporaneous records at all times, both written and electronic.
4. Administer and supply medicines under midwives exemptions/PGDs and Medicines Act of 1968 and Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust Medicines Policy.
5. Actively promote the concept of holistic personalised care within the maternity services in both hospital and community.
6. Advise on the promotion of health, education, social care and the prevention of illness.
7. Recognise and appropriately manage complex physical, emotional and psychological situations that may be detrimental to the health and well-being of mother and baby.
8. Devise and develop a plan of midwifery care based on assessment in association with mother, taking into account her individual personalised needs and preferences.
9. Implement the plan of midwifery care and where appropriate co-ordinate other members of the multi-disciplinary team responsible for implementing specific aspects of the care.
10. Review the effectiveness of the care provided, and where appropriate, initiate any further action that may be required, liaising with appropriate agencies.
11. Acts at all time in accordance with the NMC Code (ensures working colleagues also act in accordance with the NMC Code) and within the principles of the scope of professional practice and ensures other members of the team also work within these.
12. Carry out midwifery procedures in accordance with Midwifery Guidelines, Policies and Standards.Undertake and demonstrate midwifery and nursing tasks in the best interest of patient care and professional standards.This will include:
    • Abdominal palpation
    • Delivery of baby
    • Perineal suturing
    • Obtaining specimens eg. bodily fluids, wound swabs
    • Administration of drugs eg. oral, intravenous, subcutaneous, rectal and topical
    • Vaginal examination
    • Neonatal resuscitation
    • Venepuncture
    • Cannulation
    • Management of epidural anaesthesia
13. Attend In-service training sessions and professional study as appropriate to maintain awareness of new developments, best practice guidance and gain shared learning from incidents.
14. Help to maintain a safe and efficient environment for the physical, social and psychological well-being of mothers, babies, and colleagues.
15. Maintain a safe and sensitive environment.
16. Maintain awareness of new developments and research in midwifery and the profession as a whole, contributing and reviewing new guidelines as appropriate.
17. Awareness of the role of the midwife and management of complex social situations and ‘life event’ situations, safeguarding, stillbirth and bereavement, domestic violence.
18. Ability to manage a caseload of women with minimal support utilising planning and organisational skills.
19. Undertakes the midwifery assessment of the woman/neonate including risk assessments eg. tissue viability, early warning score, VTE.

Administration:

1. Manage the Ward/Department in the absence of the Band 7/Matron.
2. Ensure that all nursing and administrative policies and procedures and circulars within Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust are adhered to.
3. Ensure that the best use is made of available manpower at all times and that staff are deployed with due consideration to their qualifications and experience.
4. Ensure that the Ward/Department is maintained in good order and to a high standard, that supplies are adequate, and that all equipment is safe.
5. Ensure that the appropriate and efficient use of supplies is made and exercise economy in the use of consumables.
6. Share the responsibility for the day to day running of the Ward with other trained staff, including covering the duty roster.
7. Liaise continuously with the Band 7/Midwife in Charge/Matron and ensure that effective communication systems are maintained within the Ward/Department.
8. Under the guidance of the Band 7/ Clinical Midwife Specialist draw up duty rotas.
9. In the absence of the Band 7/Matron report all absenteeism, lateness and sickness to the Maternity bleep holder.
10. Takes all measures to ensure the safety of the woman – reporting all accidents and incidents, completing relevant documentation and undertakes further investigation as directed.
11. In the absence of the Band 7/Matron to manage the process for the deployment of staff in the event of sickness, ensuring that staff are deployed with due consideration to their qualifications and experience.

Personnel:

1. To act as a role model in professional and personal attributes for all members of staff.
2. To maintain IT skills to ensure accurate recording and retrieval of all patient information.
3. Assist with induction programmes for newly appointed staff and act as a preceptor/mentor.
4. Ensure that all learners are adequately supervised during their allocation and that they are given sufficient opportunity to gain the appropriate experience.
5. Liaise closely with the Band 7/Matron on the progress of all learners.
6. Maintain close liaison with the maternity Practice Development team.
7. Monitor and actively support the work of Maternity Care Assistant staff within the Ward/Department to ensure that the highest professional standards are maintained.
8. Provide training and guidance to Maternity Care Assistants and junior staff as necessary.
9. To actively participate in the recruitment process.
10. Undertake the annual appraisal of registered and non-registered staff, developing personal development plans with those staff and providing feed back to the Band 7.
11. Participate in the appropriate on-call rota dependent on allocation within the maternity services.

Education:

1. In conjunction with the Band 7, maintain a suitable learning environment for all grades of staff according to the University guidelines.
2. Ensure that qualified staff understand the educational objectives of all grades of staff.
3. Is conversant with the current curriculae from the University.
4. Participate in the education of all grades of staff, liaising with the training department and the University.
5. Acts as a mentor/assessor to students and assess their performance, liaising with the lecturers/Practice Educators where necessary.Acts as a preceptor to newly qualified or newly appointed staff.
6. Encourages and supports staff development.
7. Maintain and enhance own knowledge through continuing education, training and research activities.
8. Take part in an annual appraisal, reviewing personal development plans and performance with line manager.

Quality and Development:

1. Initiate and participate in audits.
2. Support clinical trials undertaken within the maternity service.
3. Identify possible changes in practice in the clinical area and plan and manage the change process.
4. In the absence of the Band 7, ensure that any complaints are dealt with professionally in a timely manner according to Trust policy.
5. Participate in working groups and/or projects within the Trust.
6. Takes responsibility for the audit of defined guidelines

General:

1. Promotes a positive team image by a professional and helpful approach to all team members and visitors to the Ward/Department.
2. Assist in other Wards/Departments as requested by the Matron/Head of Midwifery.
3. Undertake any other duties as requested by the Matron/Head of Midwifery.
4. Support approved clinical nursing research and audit with the clinical area.
5. To be conversant with the fire and emergency procedures and moving and handling.
6. Assist the Band 7/team leader/Matron to maintain a safe, clean, pleasant and therapeutic environment taking remedial action when necessary.
7. Assist the Band 7/team leader/Matron in ensuring infection control policies and procedures are adhered to and take remedial action when they are not.
8. Adherence to the Uniform policy/non-uniform policy as appropriate to area of work.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Trust Values

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Health and Safety at Work Act

The post holder is required to take responsible care for the health and safety of him/herself and other persons who may be affected by his/her acts or omissions at work. The post holder is also required to co-operate with Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust to ensure that statutory and departmental safety regulations are adhered to.

Confidentiality

The post holder has a responsibility to maintain confidentiality and ensure the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998, the Confidentiality: NHS Code of Practice and Trust policy on confidentiality and Data Protection are applied to patient, staff and Trust business/information.

Equal Opportunities

The Trust welcomes all persons without regard to age, ethnic, or national origin, gender or sexual orientation, religion, lifestyle, presenting illness, marital or parental status or disability. We aim to provide a non-judgemental service at all times.

Managing Risk: Maintaining skills and learning from problems

Reducing risk is everyone's responsibility. All staff in the Trust must attend training identified by their manager, or stated by the Trust to be mandatory. The Trust uses risk assessments to predict and control risk and the incident reporting system to learn from mistakes and near misses and so improve services for patients and staff. All staff are expected to become familiar with these systems and use them The Trust has designated the prevention and control of infection as a core issue in the organisation's clinical governance, managing risk and patient safety programmes. In consequence, all employees are expected to:-

1. Follow consistently high standards of infection control practice, especially withreference to hand hygiene and aseptic techniques,
2. Be aware of all Trust infection control guidelines and procedures relevant to their work.

SAFEGUARDING OF CHILDREN AND VULNERABLE ADULTS

During your employment with the Trust, you have a responsibility to safeguard children and vulnerable adults. You are required to complete statutory and mandatory training and take appropriate action as set out in the Trust’s policies and procedures.

Governance

Post holders will aim to ensure that areas of the trust under their responsibility comply with “Standards for Better Health” Core and Developmental Standards and bring deficiencies to the attention of their Director”

Information Management/ Data Quality

The post holder must ensure that Trust records are documented, secured, stored and disposed of appropriately and in accordance with the Records Management: NHS Code of Practice and Trust policy. In addition, information recorded must be fit for purpose - accurate, relevant, up to date and complete.

Freedom of Information

The post holder must be aware that any information held by the Trust in theory could be requested by the public, including emails and minutes of meetings. It is therefore essential that records are accurately recorded and maintained in accordance with the Trust's policies.

Travel to other sites

You may be required to travel to other Trust locations. Please complete travel expense using the online system. Details of allowances can be obtained from the Human Resources Department.

Smoking statement

Smoking is not permitted in any premises or grounds managed, leased or owned by the Trust. Smoking is not permitted in Trust vehicles or in any vehicle parked on Trust premises.

General

The duties outlined above are not intended as a restrictive list and may be extended or altered to include other tasks that are commensurate with the grade. Should you have any queries or concerns relating to the contents of this letter, please contact the Recruitment team, Amersham Hospital, Whielden Street, Amersham, Bucks, HP7 0JD.