Job overview
Are you passionate and committed about making a difference to pregnant people and families? Are you eager to drive the quality and safety agenda and are you knowledgeable about caring for women with multiple pregnancies, those at risk of fetal growth restriction?
Working autonomously, the specialist midwife will lead and coordinate the day-to-day provision of care. The post holder must clearly recognise the need for a multi professional team (MDT) approach. Professional networking and collaboration will ensure that women are supported by the right professional. As such they will work collaboratively with the Obstetric/ultrasound, tertiary centres and the regional and national teams to provide high quality, evidence based holistic care.
The post holder will work alongside the fetal medicine and obstetric lead for multiple births and those at risk of FGR, within a small team delivering expert care. They must be able to coordinate care based on sound knowledge and current evidence, whilst providing advice and dealing with a complex range of midwifery and neonatal problems.
Within this remit, the post holder must also be able to develop care plans, facilitate clinical care pathways and initiate and undertake ongoing monitoring of pregnancies throughout the perinatal period.
Main duties of the job
The role of the lead midwife for the multiple pregnancy and FGR is to coordinate the care and support women and their families throughout a multiple pregnancy and those at risk of FGR, at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals. This includes overseeing the recommendations of the multiple pregnancy pathway, incorporating the recommendations from national maternity reviews, working to the Saving babies lives care bundle, NICE guidance and in accordance with the recommendations and standards associated with the Twins Trust.
With enhanced training and experience related to multiple pregnancy and FGR, the lead midwife will ensure a high-quality care is provided for women and families in line with national evidence/recommendations. They will also be responsible for the implementation and oversight of any additional recommendations for practice.
The lead midwife will also support the day-to-day provision of more complex fetal medicine cases, particularly for cases of fetal growth restriction and small for gestational age, in collaboration with the antenatal and new-born screening team, antenatal clinic and obstetric MDT. Part of the role will include supporting specialist consultant ultrasound clinics for fetal growth.
Working for our organisation
We have 10000 fantastic people working hard to deliver quality services to our patients. Whatever your role, you help look after 370,000 people in our local area & give specialist care to 1.5 million people across Lancashire & Cumbria.
Working with us gives you the knowledge and sense of pride that every activity you do genuinely does make a difference to support our patients & staff, ensuring we keep thriving & delivering outstanding healthcare right across our local towns.
Offering 4 places of birth, a maternal medicine centre and a fetal medicine service, the opportunities to develop your skills are endless! With a focus on continuous professional development, your professional skills will be prioritised.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
1. ·Have knowledge and skills, which includes understanding all aspects of effective care for women expecting a multiple pregnancy during the antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal period.
2. ·Lead and develop services working with the nominated multiple births multidisciplinary team to ensure continuity and consistency of care. This is particularly important when liaising with colleagues working in other areas eg. neonatal, mental health services, safeguarding, social care and health visitor services.
3. ·Initiate appropriate care and support of families where multiple pregnancy is identified.
4. ·Be confident with the Saving babies lives care bundle, demonstrating the understanding of how risk assessment and management of babies at risk of/or with fetal growth restriction (FGR).
5. ·Collaborate with Obstetric lead and other members of the MDT to develop individual care plans for women as required.
6. ·Be competent and confident in managing and caring for women and their babies, including understanding the potential that complications specific to FGR multiple pregnancy may occur. This includes the complexity of screening and diagnosis of abnormalities and selective feticide and a clear understanding of referral mechanisms and follow up.
7. ·Have a knowledge of the wider social and psychological factors for women and their families with multiple pregnancies. This should include understanding the emotional impact and increased risk to perinatal mental health.
Person specification
Qualifications & Education
Essential criteria
8. Registered Midwife
9. Degree in Midwifery
10. Evidence of continuing professional development and study associated with multiple pregnancy and fetal growth restriction.
11. An in-depth understanding of theories related to managing complex multiple pregnancy and fetal growth restriction.
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
12. Experience working with multiple pregnancy and fetal growth restriction
13. Evidence of working in complex antenatal and postnatal care environments
14. Understand the significance of partnership and multi-professional working with women and families
15. Evidence of managing key performance or projects
16. Evidence of leading a service or team
17. Experience of liaison with outside agency and partnership working
18. Ability to implement changes within practice
19. Knowledge of risk management and clinical governance and the relevance to practice
20. Knowledge of relevant policies and procedures
21. Knowledge of ethical issues
Desirable criteria
22. Experience working within a fetal medicine service.
23. Evidence of working at band 7 level or within an equivocal developmental role.
24. Evidence of leading a service or team
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
25. Excellent communication skills
26. Expert resource for all staff
27. Self-motivated and able to motivate others
28. Able to obtain and evaluate information to aid decision making
29. Able to promote best practice
30. Commitment to CPD of self and others
31. Able to work well as part of a multi-disciplinary team to promote, implement and deliver quality care
32. Ability to prioritise with excellent time management skills
33. IT skills
34. Good presentation skills and good teaching skills
Desirable criteria
35. Knowledge and experience of research and development
Values & Behaviours
Essential criteria
36. Professional attitude and approach
37. Enthusiastic
38. Motivated
39. Flexible
40. Adaptable to change
41. Ability to use initiative