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Nurturing our future: The importance of midwifery transition support programs
Oral Papers and Workshops E3.3 Nurturing our future: The importance of midwifery transition support programs Vanessa Clements a,∗ , Jennifer Fenwick b , Deborah Davis c a
NSW Maternity Support Network, NSW, Australia Griffith University and the Gold Coast Hospital, Queensland, Australia c University of Canberra and ACT Health, ACT, Australia b
Aim: This paper presents the findings from phase two of a three-phase qualitative project. Phase two’s aim was to explore graduates’ expectations and experiences of their transition support programs (TSP) in three Area Health Services in NSW (made up of 17 public hospitals). Background: Each year, newly-graduated midwives from different educational backgrounds are employed within the maternity health system. Transitioning from student to registered practitioner can be difficult. While there is universal agreement that TSPs should be on offer to all newly-qualified nurses and midwives, research on midwifery graduates’ expectations and experiences of these programs is limited. Understanding how best to support graduates during their transition becomes important as health policy increasingly requires models of care that better use the skills and expertise of the midwife. Method: A qualitative descriptive design was employed. New graduates from the Bachelor of Midwifery, Graduate Diploma and Masters programs were invited to participate in up to two telephone interviews (N = 29). Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data sets. Findings: Preliminary analysis suggests that newlygraduated midwives want a TSP that supports them to consolidate and develop their clinical skills. They value the opportunity to rotate through clinical areas in a supported environment and to attend skills-based training. However, TSPs need to be both structured and followed; when they are not, for example when clinical rotations change with limited notice, levels of stress and anxiety amongst new graduates rise and their confidence is negatively affected. Regular feedback from peers, experienced clinicians and women is identified as an essential component of a good transition support program. Conclusion: Provided they are structured and adhered to, TSPs provide an effective way to support newly-graduated midwives in their first year of practice. doi:10.1016/j.wombi.2011.07.102 E3.4 Online identity. Why we should care, and how we can develop a professional midwifery online identity Sarah Stewart Griffith University, Queensland, Australia Despite the Internet becoming more ubiquitous and social networking out-growing any other form of communication midwives, midwifery professional organizations and health employers have been slow to engage with social media. One reason for this is the concern about online behaviour and
S31 how it affects the professional reputation of midwives. Nevertheless, whilst it is prudent to be concerned about online safety and identity, this is not a valid reason for avoiding the Internet. So why should we care about our online identity? Firstly, you may have an online presence and not even be aware of it. Friends, colleagues and even the women you care for may tag you on Facebook, rate you on eBay and Amazon, and talk about you on Twitter. Thus, it is far better to control your online identity than let someone else do it for you. Secondly, midwives in Australia are moving into self-employed practice and starting to think about ways they can engage with women online to promote midwifery. So it is vital that issues around ‘‘brand’’ and how you ‘‘sell’’ yourself online are considered. Thirdly, it is now the way of the world that the first thing people do when they want to know more about you is to ‘‘google’’ you. Potential employers, people you want to collaborate with and even women who wish to have you as their midwife will use this as a strategy to check you out before engaging with you. This presentation will discuss ways that midwives can enjoy the professional benefits of social networking in a way that protects their online identity and adheres to standards of practice. We will explore strategies for building an online reputation and ‘‘brand’’, as well as identify practical tips for maintaining security on sites such as Facebook. doi:10.1016/j.wombi.2011.07.103 E4.1 Journey to the heart of midwifery: Student’s exploration of maternal health care in Timor Leste Nicki Biermann Flinders University, South Australia, Australia This paper describes the exciting and inspiring journey that we the authors had whilst studying Midwifery at Flinders University in 2010. As three midwifery students we shared a common interest in the reality of midwives providing maternal health care in developing nations. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to plan for and attend an innovative clinical placement in our neighbouring nation of Timor Leste. The focus of our placement was working in clinics and communities in the Ermera district, which has some of Timor Leste’s poorest health indicators in the areas of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. The midwifery work was undertaken in partnership with local midwives and our clinical facilitator. It involved antenatal clinics; family planning; infant vaccinations; post-natal, neonatal, and intra-partum care; and health education. Locations included both the clinic environment and village communities. Our greatest learning experiences came from gaining insight into the complex social, economic and health care realities in Timor Leste; and recognising the vast challenges that exist in the provision of effective health services. We were humbled by the innate sense of connectedness that developed as we realised the value of each and every woman and child we were meeting. Whilst seeing global maternal health statistics on paper is overwhelming, it is incredibly powerful to see the women and families face to face. Looking into the eyes of a woman who has lost numerous babies during their infancy; or holding a tiny malnourished infant who may have
NSW Maternity Support Network, NSW, Australia Griffith University and the Gold Coast Hospital, Queensland, Australia c University of Canberra and ACT Health, ACT, Australia b
Aim: This paper presents the findings from phase two of a three-phase qualitative project. Phase two’s aim was to explore graduates’ expectations and experiences of their transition support programs (TSP) in three Area Health Services in NSW (made up of 17 public hospitals). Background: Each year, newly-graduated midwives from different educational backgrounds are employed within the maternity health system. Transitioning from student to registered practitioner can be difficult. While there is universal agreement that TSPs should be on offer to all newly-qualified nurses and midwives, research on midwifery graduates’ expectations and experiences of these programs is limited. Understanding how best to support graduates during their transition becomes important as health policy increasingly requires models of care that better use the skills and expertise of the midwife. Method: A qualitative descriptive design was employed. New graduates from the Bachelor of Midwifery, Graduate Diploma and Masters programs were invited to participate in up to two telephone interviews (N = 29). Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data sets. Findings: Preliminary analysis suggests that newlygraduated midwives want a TSP that supports them to consolidate and develop their clinical skills. They value the opportunity to rotate through clinical areas in a supported environment and to attend skills-based training. However, TSPs need to be both structured and followed; when they are not, for example when clinical rotations change with limited notice, levels of stress and anxiety amongst new graduates rise and their confidence is negatively affected. Regular feedback from peers, experienced clinicians and women is identified as an essential component of a good transition support program. Conclusion: Provided they are structured and adhered to, TSPs provide an effective way to support newly-graduated midwives in their first year of practice. doi:10.1016/j.wombi.2011.07.102 E3.4 Online identity. Why we should care, and how we can develop a professional midwifery online identity Sarah Stewart Griffith University, Queensland, Australia Despite the Internet becoming more ubiquitous and social networking out-growing any other form of communication midwives, midwifery professional organizations and health employers have been slow to engage with social media. One reason for this is the concern about online behaviour and
S31 how it affects the professional reputation of midwives. Nevertheless, whilst it is prudent to be concerned about online safety and identity, this is not a valid reason for avoiding the Internet. So why should we care about our online identity? Firstly, you may have an online presence and not even be aware of it. Friends, colleagues and even the women you care for may tag you on Facebook, rate you on eBay and Amazon, and talk about you on Twitter. Thus, it is far better to control your online identity than let someone else do it for you. Secondly, midwives in Australia are moving into self-employed practice and starting to think about ways they can engage with women online to promote midwifery. So it is vital that issues around ‘‘brand’’ and how you ‘‘sell’’ yourself online are considered. Thirdly, it is now the way of the world that the first thing people do when they want to know more about you is to ‘‘google’’ you. Potential employers, people you want to collaborate with and even women who wish to have you as their midwife will use this as a strategy to check you out before engaging with you. This presentation will discuss ways that midwives can enjoy the professional benefits of social networking in a way that protects their online identity and adheres to standards of practice. We will explore strategies for building an online reputation and ‘‘brand’’, as well as identify practical tips for maintaining security on sites such as Facebook. doi:10.1016/j.wombi.2011.07.103 E4.1 Journey to the heart of midwifery: Student’s exploration of maternal health care in Timor Leste Nicki Biermann Flinders University, South Australia, Australia This paper describes the exciting and inspiring journey that we the authors had whilst studying Midwifery at Flinders University in 2010. As three midwifery students we shared a common interest in the reality of midwives providing maternal health care in developing nations. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to plan for and attend an innovative clinical placement in our neighbouring nation of Timor Leste. The focus of our placement was working in clinics and communities in the Ermera district, which has some of Timor Leste’s poorest health indicators in the areas of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. The midwifery work was undertaken in partnership with local midwives and our clinical facilitator. It involved antenatal clinics; family planning; infant vaccinations; post-natal, neonatal, and intra-partum care; and health education. Locations included both the clinic environment and village communities. Our greatest learning experiences came from gaining insight into the complex social, economic and health care realities in Timor Leste; and recognising the vast challenges that exist in the provision of effective health services. We were humbled by the innate sense of connectedness that developed as we realised the value of each and every woman and child we were meeting. Whilst seeing global maternal health statistics on paper is overwhelming, it is incredibly powerful to see the women and families face to face. Looking into the eyes of a woman who has lost numerous babies during their infancy; or holding a tiny malnourished infant who may have