Birthing and Midwifery
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Waikato DHB employs more than 100 midwives across its secondary/tertiary hospital and birthing units in rural settings.
Locations
There are also a number of private primary birthing units in Hamilton and the greater Waikato.
Waikato DHB is dedicated to fostering close working relationships between its employed midwives and self-employed midwives (lead maternity carers) whose clients birth at Waikato DHB facilities.
We are also committed to working closely with the School of Midwifery at the Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec), the local tertiary education provider.
Midwifery roles at Waikato DHB
- midwives (newly graduated and experienced)
- midwife coordinator
- clinical midwife specialists
- clinical midwifery educators
- clinical midwifery managers
- clinical director - midwifery
Professionally, all midwives employed by Waikato DHB are led and supported by the Director of Nursing and Midwifery (Sue Hayward) and the Clinical Director - Midwifery (Corli Roodt) who reports to her.
Organisational reporting lines are to clinical midwife managers in the Women’s Service (for Waikato Hospital midwives) and in the Rural and Community Services (for midwives working in the rural facilities or community based).
Waikato DHB recognises midwives as highly skilled, autonomous professionals who are part of a team which includes medical staff, nurses and health care assistants.
Midwives work across the scope of practice as regulated by the Midwifery Council of New Zealand.
We are committed to offering the best midwifery services to women who require maternity care.
We aim to employ midwives who share our women-centred and midwifery-focused approach.
Poster promoting primary birthing facilities at Rhoda Read and Matariki
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Professional development
Many professional development opportunities are available to assist meeting practicing certificate requirements and contributing to midwives' growth.
We offer educational and peer support to prepare you for working in the tertiary setting at Waikato Hospital or at our primary rural maternity units.
Quality Leadership Programme (QLP)
- A professional development programme designed to recognise and reward midwives for their individual level of practice and their contribution to the midwifery profession.
- Participation in the programme is voluntary.
- Recognised nationally by the New Zealand College of Midwives (NZCOM), Midwifery Employee Representative and Advisory Services (MERAS) and New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO).
- Midwives are supported and coached to progressively achieve the confident and leadership domains within the QLP framework. Financial recognition is attached to the successful achievement of each of the mentioned domains for midwives other than in designated senior roles (e.g. managers, educators).
Education
Education team
There are four members of the education team:
- Lindsay Fergusson RM. MHSc (Hons). RN. ADN.
- Sabine Weil RM. Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Supervision
- Wendy May RM
- Meegan Farbez-Tabrizi RN
Lindsay, Wendy and Sabine each have backgrounds in lead maternity carer (LMC), primary, secondary and tertiary midwifery clinical practice. Meegan provides support to nursing staff working within the Women’s Service with specialist knowledge in gynaecology nursing.
We are a dedicated and passionate educator team who design and develop
- compulsory education components of Annual Practising Certificate (APC) re-certification requirements
- a range of elective Midwifery Council of New Zealand approved education workshops
- education workshops for nurses working in maternity settings throughout the Waikato DHB
‘Our collective vision is to provide quality education opportunities for Waikato DHB staff which is inclusive of LMC and Wintec colleagues and encompasses a woman focused, midwifery centred philosophy of care.’
Midwifery education
- Networking and communication is facilitated by educators for midwives who work in a variety of settings regionally.
- Midwives are supported to apply for funding to attend national conferences, regional workshops and to pursue post graduate education and training.
- On campus educational/training facilities include the Clinical Skills Centre which is part of the Auckland University School of Medicine. Facilities are described by health professionals as ‘second to none’.
- World class library services are available to all Waikato DHB staff and lead maternity carers (LMCs) who have access to DHB facilities.
Education programme
Within our unit, educators work with midwifery, nursing and medical colleagues. To enhance inter disciplinary teamwork, we try to make workshops available to as many colleagues as possible, however some are registration specific.
We enjoy a close working relationship with Wintec (Waikato Institute of Technology) and LMC colleagues and with midwifery specific workshops, aim for a 50:50 mix of LMC and DHB midwives at most workshops.
2011 education is fully subscribed to.
Examples of annual education workshops are as follows:
Mandatory Midwifery Council of New Zealand approved education for midwives
- 2011 – 2014 Technical Skills Workshop two day workshop programmes (midwives only – Annual Practising Certificate specific requirement)
- Pregnancy specific CPR two hour workshops in conjunction with the Clinical Skills Centre
- Level 4 New Zealand Resuscitation Council approved CPR workshops at the Clinical Skills Workshops
- Breast feeding education workshops facilitated by the breast feeding educators in compliance with Annual Practising Certificate (APC) and Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) requirements
- Waikato DHB specific preceptors workshops with one and a half days attendance and four hours pre reading allocation
Elective education workshops with Midwifery Council of NZ approved points allocation and available for nurses to participate in for Nursing Council of NZ education hours allocation:
- PROMPT (PRactical Obstetrics MultiProfessional Training) workshops whereby DHB midwives, DHB nurses, LMC’s, anaesthetists and obstetricians are working together in simulated obstetric emergency situations on delivery suite with the objective of establishing positive teamwork and maximising clinical skills in a non threatening environment.
- Mix’n’Match workshop whereby participants have an option of choosing a range of one hour workshops ranging from speculum examination, hyperemesis, maternal mental health, hytadidiform mole, to ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.
- Gynaecology workshop
- Risk management workshop
- Skills and drills half day workshops managing simulated obstetric emergency situations in the clinical skills centre for registered nurses, enrolled nurses and maternity nurses working in the maternity clinical setting
- Fetal Surveillance Education Programme – this is a one day workshop facilitated by RANZCOG (Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians) for midwives and doctors involved in the interpretation of CTG’s.
- Epidural workshops, arterial line workshops and central venous line workshops
- Midwives and nurses are supported to complete appropriate Waikato DHB organisational medicine management and health and safety education.
Midwifery First Year of Practice Programme – NZCOM
Graduate Programme of Support (GPS) – Waikato DHB programme
First year of practice midwives employed at Waikato Hospital are required to be enrolled with the New Zealand College of Midwives (NZCOM) Midwifery First Year of Practice Programme as a condition of employment.
In 2012 it is proposed to have a six months allocation to delivery suite with four month placements in the ante natal and post natal areas.
During their first year of practice, midwives are assigned to one educator who oversees their programme with all educators providing support.
The NZCOM MFYP programme provides a comprehensive mentorship programme.
Midwife educators at Waikato Hospital provide preceptorship, support and education on our GPS programme to complement the MFYP programme.
Examples of Waikato DHB GPS education provision include management of post operative opioids in the tertiary setting, midwifery emergency skills and drills simulated learning in the Clinical Skills Centre and perineal suturing education.
Supporting MFYP midwives at Waikato Hospital encompasses teamwork between educators, clinical midwife managers, the clinical director of midwifery whilst maintaining close working relationships with the MFYP mentorship programme.
Midwifery team
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Clinical Midwifery Director: Corli Roodt
Provides strategic midwifery advice, effective professional leadership and direction.
Responsible for overall level of midwifery standards, quality and accreditation, education and research, and career development.
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Midwifery manager: Pip Wright
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Testimonials
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