Midwifery
Preparing families for the delivery of their baby puts midwives at the heart of every stage of pregnancy, labour and the early postnatal period.
Midwives often describe their job as 'privileged'. Helping to bring new life into the world is a great responsibility and one that needs care and compassion.
Midwife
Midwives provide care and support to women and their families while pregnant, throughout labour and during the period after a baby’s birth.
Training to become a midwife is a mix of academic study and practical, hands-on experience.
You’ll mainly deal with pregnant women requiring professional support and advice. You are likely to be the lead health professional and contact for a woman, providing evidence-based information and helping her make informed choices about the options and services available throughout her pregnancy.
You’ll be the expert on childbirth and your responsibilities are likely to be diverse.
You will:
provide full antenatal care, including parenting classes, clinical examinations and screening
identify high-risk pregnancies
monitor women and support them during labour and the birthing process
teach new and expectant mothers how to feed, care for and bathe their babies.
Nursery nurse
As a nursery nurse or a nursery assistant, you'll work with our young patients and their families, primarily on children's wards. Some will also work in hospital nurseries looking after children of NHS staff. If you're a nursery assistant, you'll work under the supervision of a qualified nursery nurse.
The work of a nursery nurse and nursery assistant includes:
making sure children are safe, happy and stimulated
communicating information to children using play
supporting children during clinical procedures
encouraging children’s development
using play to maintain a child’s level of development during illness
creating a child-friendly environment
maintaining toys and play equipment
finding ways to stimulate children particularly those with special and sensory needs
supporting carers in the parenting of their children.
In addition, qualified nursery nurses may
supervise staff
coordinate a programme of activities for children
set up a daily routine for the nursery
attend meetings
work with other professionals within and outside the NHS
support children who have been abused
promote public health and parenting.
Maternity support worker
Maternity support workers are the frontline of a family's journey through pregnancy, childbirth and the first few days of birth.
As a maternity support worker, you'll be under the supervision of a registered midwife. They are sometimes also known as maternity healthcare support workers or midwifery assistants.
They work in the community, post-natal wards, maternity theatres, delivery suites and midwifery led units. You need to be able to cope with emergency situations and straightforward labour and birth.
As a maternity support worker you will:
help to care for mothers and babies
make routine observations (temperature, pulse, blood pressure, breathing, etc.)
update records and other admin tasks
educate parents one-to-one or in groups
take blood samples for testing
order stationery and equipment
prepare equipment
promote breastfeeding
report problems to a registered midwife or nurse.