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A University of Nottingham lecturer has won a top UK midwifery prize for her innovative work-based education programme for midwives.
Dr Jayne Marshall, of the University’s School of Nursing, Midwifery and Physiotherapy, has been instrumental in implementing the Developing Midwifery Practice Through Work-Based Learning module which is one of the core modules for experienced practising midwives undertaking the BSc (Hons) in Midwifery Studies Pathway.
Last night at an award ceremony in London, Dr Marshall’s work won the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Annual Midwifery Award in the Johnson’s Baby Award for Excellence in Midwifery Education category.
Double success
A University of Nottingham midwifery student, Lorraine Bowen, won the Royal College of Midwives’ Pampers Award for Exellence in Postnatal and Neonatal Care for her booklet on men’s adaptation to fatherhood which she developed as a student on Dr Marshall’s work-based learning module.
The module was devised as a way of offering midwives the opportunity to complete part of their degree in their own workplace, providing them with the flexibility to more effectively balance the pressures of work and home life with their studies and undertake novel project work.
New contributions to maternity services
Dr Marshall said: ““It is indeed an honour and privilege to be recognised nationally by my peers for the work I have initiated in enabling experienced midwives to become graduates and at the same time observe them gaining confidence to undertake project work that can have benefit to them in their career progression through making valuable contributions to developing the maternity services in which they work.”
The work based project can take many forms and midwives have been instrumental in developing clinical guidelines, information leaflets and booklets for parents and staff, internet resources such as virtual maternity unit tours and intranet staff training packages. Each project has proven to have had a positive effect on the midwives’ own professional and career development as well as their clinical practice and that of their colleagues, their employing organisation and more importantly the care provided to local women, their babies and families. The midwives’ projects are approved beforehand with the module leader and employer in the form of a learning action plan (LAP) and each midwife has both an academic and work-based supervisor to support them in completing their project.
An evaluative study has been undertaken by Dr Marshall in order to examine the effect this module has had on both the individual midwife and in developing midwifery practice. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with midwives and their employers clearly recognising the tangible benefits of the project work in developing the local maternity and neonatal services.
The RCM’s Johnson’s Baby Award for Excellence in Midwifery Education recognises those who have led and pioneered work in midwifery education, and influenced the theory and practice of midwives to the benefit of clinical practice, and care of mothers, their babies and families.
'Better care for mothers and babies'
Cathy Warwick, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said: “This award highlights the important, innovative and pioneering work being done by Jayne. I congratulate her perseverance and commitment to midwifery education and the profession. It is important for people to know that midwifery education does not stand still. When midwives are given the resources, support and freedom to develop their work, the result is better services, better care and better outcomes for mothers, babies and their families.