Midwives, MSWs and senior managers are seeking out opportunities to enrich their careers and add value to the profession – as well as helping others to do the same.
So often in maternity we focus on the challenges – feeling tired, overstretched and undervalued has left many of us losing sight of why we chose to practice in the first place. However, when did you last stop to consider what a rich and varied profession it is, and what opportunities there are to specialise, follow what you’re interested in and shape your own role? In fact, how often do you consider all that it has to offer?
Even with 32 years of experience, maternity support worker (MSW) Sharon Batchelor believed she couldn’t apply for the RCM Wales and Welsh Government midwifery leadership group development (MLGD) programme because, as she told her deputy head of midwifery, “I can’t stand up in front of people.”
She did apply and was astonished. “We learned so much about each other and ourselves. On our first day, we had to do a three-minute presentation on a project that we thought would work. Since I mostly work in theatre as a runner, I did mine on teaching student midwives all about theatre procedures. It was picked as one of the five best projects – and it was the first year they’d opened it to MSWs.”
The experience boosted her confidence and opened doors. After presenting her shortlisted project to the Welsh Government, Sharon was approached by consultant midwife Emma Mills, who wanted to implement it at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. Sharon now acknowledges her ability to teach new recruits and recognises herself as a leader.
She’s also passionate about the value of MSWs, highlighting the need for commensurate banding and pay. “We’re providing such support to women and their families – and not always in the nice way. We’re there for families when it isn’t so good, when they’re frightened and have to go to theatre. We have had some really lovely comments back to say ‘thank you’ and the midwives say they couldn’t do their job without us.”
A fellow MSW since 2022, Lucy Wall also completed the MLGD programme in May. Like Sharon, she says it boosted her confidence and networking skills, enhancing her ability to advocate for her colleagues at Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and adopt a leadership role.
“After the course, I emailed the RCM to ask if there were any opportunities for MSWs, because some of them feel limited in what they can do to progress in the role. That’s something I couldn’t have done before – taking ideas forward to heads and directors of midwifery – but it’s for everybody’s benefit,” she says.
Her progress has not gone unrecognised. Lucy is on the shortlist for MSW of the Year at the RCM Awards. “I feel really honoured to be a part of it. To have our own category of awards boosts morale as it shows MSWs are just as much a part of the team as everyone else.”
She has aspirations to one day become a midwife, but is in no rush because she’s enjoying her role. “I’m quite happy doing what I’m doing,” she says. “I’m in the setting that I’ve always wanted to work in and I’m developing, learning and enhancing my skills for the future. I love my job.”
Tips to make the most of your career
Gillian:
“Document your career pathway – that was one of the tips that someone gave to me when I first went into a senior post.
“Write down all the things that you’ve done on a weekly basis. Then you can look back and go, ‘That’s incredible!’ Celebrate the small wins that you have throughout your career, because sometimes it’s these tiny things that sustain you.
“And try and fire other people’s imaginations and passion, because there’s nothing better than watching people develop and reach their potential. It shouldn’t be about you.”
Sharon:
“Do [a] leadership course. I’ve met such lovely people and we’ve stayed in touch.
“We’ve really supported each other – not just in leadership, but in other ways as well.”
Lily:
“Just say ‘yes’ to every opportunity that comes your way – you never know what it will bring and how it will help to shape you as a midwife.”
Forging ahead
Gillian Morton, director of midwifery at NHS Forth Valley in Scotland, reflects on a week-long RCM course in Coventry that set her on the path from midwife to midwifery director. “[As an RCM steward] I learned about how the system works, then became interested in how to be part of change processes and learned about taking people with you. It made me interested in furthering my own education.
“From there, I did a degree and a masters, and I’ve had this other career as a senior manager. It was the spark that ignited the flame.”
Gillian’s role has since seen her support others in their professional development and address the challenges posed by COVID-19. “The NHS is still recovering from the pandemic. It’s moving away from the more task-orientated approach and back to putting the people we serve at the heart of service delivery and decisions. As midwives, this is particularly important to meet the individual needs of women and their families.”
“It constantly makes me think about my practice; how I could better it or what I could do to further my learning”
Being invited to share her career journey with RCM Scotland stewards last year and to speak at this year’s RCM conference affirmed how valuable Gillian’s contribution to the profession has been and how far she has come. “If you cut me down the middle, I’m a midwife,” she says.
Her advice to those in the workforce striving to make the most of their career? “Find the bit of the profession that is your passion. We’ve got the best job in the world.
“Even under difficult circumstances, we can make a difference just by being kind, giving people information and supporting them to make choices. It’s a beautiful mix of art and science.”
Like Gillian, Evelyn Frame, former chief midwife for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, served as an RCM staff representative. “It was rewarding and provided excellent training and opportunities,” she says. Like handing a ladder down to others, she notes that it “allowed me to identify other midwives who would be good at the role, then give them a good understanding of what was expected of them and what it could bring to them.
“The training gives great insight and knowledge into the workings of the NHS and provides opportunities for improving communication, analytical and negotiation skills. It increases your interactions with senior managers, other RCM reps across the UK and other local staff reps from other organisations. It raises your profile with the staff you’re representing and provides them with a role model.” By all accounts, it opened up a network of opportunities that enabled Evelyn to progress and support others to do the same.
First rung of the ladder
Lily Maxwell, early career midwife and a Band 6 for Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, has reaped the rewards from her involvement in the Queen’s University Belfast midwifery society (midsoc) as a student. “I joined in the height of COVID-19 as joint events coordinator and then became president for the year 2021-22. I always wanted to get involved in society life but wasn’t sure how I would manage juggling it with my studies. But with a year under my belt, I felt more confident to take on a role within the committee.
“I wanted to help ensure we could make the most of our time as midwifery students – making friends and creating opportunities for the social aspect of student life, but also opportunities where we could bring other elements into our training and learn and develop outside the classroom together,” she says.
One of Lily’s achievements in the role included organising the midsoc’s awards event on International Day of the Midwife – its first in person since COVID-19. “It brought students, staff and midwifery alumni from all areas together for a celebration of all the fabulous midwifery in Northern Ireland. It was a huge undertaking over many months, with the committee and I liaising with external contacts and all our Trusts. It was a wonderful afternoon that I look back on with such pride,” she says.
The midsoc experience stood Lily in excellent stead for her education and future career. “There’s the obvious benefit of improving both my verbal and nonverbal communication, which has helped me when providing individualised care, but also when working in a multidisciplinary team,” she notes. “It constantly makes me think about my practice; how I could better it or what I could do to further my learning.
“It’s helped me look at what opportunities are around me – and what isn’t on offer here in Northern Ireland that is on offer in the UK or Europe. And it’s made me think about my future practice more and where midwifery could take me.”
Further reading
The RCM’s career framework provides a profession-specific career structure for RCM members, their employers and educators across the UK. The framework is built on the four pillars of education, clinical practice, management and research with leadership spanning all four pillars. For more on the career framework, mapping career paths and opportunities for maternity professionals, see Career framework – open access: b.link/RCM-4pillars hosted in RCM i-learn.
Also available on i-learn is Spreading the word: getting your abstract accepted (Study time: 15 minutes): b.link/RCM-abstract
