Staff Midwife

Professional Responsibilities

The Staff Midwife will:

· Practice Midwifery according to the Code of Professional Conduct as laid down by An Bórd Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann (Nursing Midwifery Board Ireland) and Professional Clinical Guidelines

· Comply with national, regional and local Health Service Executive (HSE) guidelines, policies, protocols and legislation

· Work within their scope of practice and take measures to develop and maintain the competence necessary for professional practice

· Maintain a high standard of professional behaviour and be accountable for their practice

· Be aware of ethical policies and procedures which pertain to their area of practice

· Respect and maintain the privacy, dignity and confidentiality of the patient

· Follow appropriate lines of authority within the Midwifery Management structure

Clinical Practice

The Staff Midwife will:

· Fulfil their statutory obligations within the legislation and HSEpolicies as appropriate to the role

· Deliver midwifery care to women and babies according to best practice / evidence based framework

· Practice midwifery in a manner in which the promotion of normality is the philosophy underpinning midwifery care during the preconceptual, antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal periods

· Fulfil their obligation with regard to the registration and notification of births

· Be familiar with international, national and local policies, services and resources relating to women who are experiencing a violation to their human rights e.g. domestic abuse and Female Genital Mutilation

· Manage a caseload as required

· Promote the health, welfare and social wellbeing of all women and babies

· Actively participate as a multi-disciplinary / inter -disciplinary team member in all aspects of service delivery including case conferences, clinical meetings, team meetings

· Assess, plan, implement and evaluate individual person centred care programmes within an agreed framework and in accordance with policies procedures and guidelines and established best practice

· Develop and promote good interpersonal relationships with patients, their family / social network supports and the multi-disciplinary care team in the promotion of patient centred care

· Endeavour to ensure that care is carried out in an empathetic and ethical manner and that the dignity, spiritual needs and individuality of the patient is respected

· Promote and recognise the patients’ social and cultural dimensions of care

· Collaborate and work closely with the patient, their family, the multi-disciplinary team, external agencies and services to facilitate discharge planning, continuity of care and specific care requirements

· Provide education and information to the patient, their family as required and be an advocate for the individual patient and for their family

· Report and consult with senior midwifery management on clinical issues as appropriate

· Maintain appropriate and accurate written midwifery records and reports regarding women / patient care in accordance with local / national / professional and confidentiality guidelines

· Participate in innovation and change management in the approach to patient care delivery particularly in relation to new research findings, evidence based practice and advances in treatments

· Participate in clinical audit and review

· Participate in community needs assessment and ongoing community involvement

· Undertake the role of key worker as co-ordinator as part of the primarycare team as required

· Promote a positive health concept with patients and colleagues and contribute to health promotion and disease prevention initiatives as outlined by the Health Service Executive

· Delegate and supervise the work of other grades of Midwifery and Midwifery support staff within the remit of their role, as appropriate

· Refer patients to other services as required

· Initiate and undertake approved clinical midwifery research

· Participate in national code of discharge planning

· Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the role for example, Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards etc

Clinical Governance

The Staff Midwife will:

· Participate in clinical governance structures within the local / regional / national clinical governance framework

· Have a working knowledge of HIQA standards as they apply to the role/care setting, for example, Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards etc.

· Contribute to ongoing monitoring, audit and evaluation of the service as appropriate

· Accurately record and report all complaints to appropriate personnel according to local service policy

· Participate in the development of policies / procedures and guidelines to support compliance with current legal requirements, where existing, for the safe storage and administration of medicines and other clinical products

· Participate in the development of policies / procedures and guidelines with health, safety, risk and management personnel and participate in their development in conjunction with relevant staff and in compliance with statutory obligations

· Observe, report and take appropriate action on any matter which may be detrimental to patient care or well being

· Be aware of the principles of clinical governance including quality, risk and health and safety and be individually responsible for clinical governance, risk management / health and safety issues in their area of work

· Comply with HSE policies to minimise risk with particular reference to infection control, domiciliary visits and lone working

· Participate in the development, promotion and implementation of infection control guidelines

· Assist with the decontamination process

· Adhere to organisational dress code