Learning new things and creating beautiful birth experiences- Kommalapati Mallika

Every day is a new experience for midwives

“Before getting trained as a Midwifery educator, the scenario was different. I always used to give commands to the mothers. But after the training, I understood one important thing: her birth, her body, and her choices. We must help mothers create a positive birthing experience and make them feel happy.” Mallika, a midwifery educator, believes in creating beautiful birthing experiences and giving preferences to mothers’ choices.

Mallika is a midwifery educator at State Midwifery Training Institute, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. In 2010, she completed her MSc in Community Health Nursing from Narayana College of Nursing, Nellore. Since then, she has worked as a staff nurse in public health institutes until she came across an opportunity to train as a midwifery educator. She was happy to know that NMTI, Fernandez Foundation was offering such training with the association of the Government of India and the World Health Organization. It was a big thing because very few institutions offer such opportunities.

“My mother was a nurse, and I always used to go with her to the hospital. Since then, I dreamt of becoming a nurse. I always enjoyed being in the labour room, watching babies, and helping new mothers”. Mallika narrates one of her recent experiences as a midwife when she felt so happy and satisfied. “On a recent morning when I went to the hospital, I saw that one young pregnant lady in extreme labour pain. The thing that touched me was that she was alone, and nobody from her family accompanied her. More than the physical pain, she was going through emotional pain.” She added, “we took care of her. All the midwife trainees were always there with her throughout. And after she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, she felt so happy and pleased.” When pregnant mothers visit hospitals, they feel so much more vulnerable. This is because midwives are the ones who always accompany and help mothers. This makes mothers feel confident, respected, and powerful.
Mallika recalls her early days of working in Guntur. “Initially, nurses working in the hospital found our birthing practices incorrect. However, we shared our experiences and knowledge of skin-to-skin contact, different birthing positions, and delayed cord clamping. After that, they started incorporating these methods.”

“Every day was an experience during our training at NMTI, Fernandez School of Nursing. The amount of respect given to us was heart-warming. Even today, whenever we feel stuck at work and need suggestions, they always extend their support,” adds Mallika. She believes Midwifery Training Programmes are essential to understand the essence of midwifery. Therefore, aspiring midwives should grab this opportunity for a beautiful learning experience.

4-1-1229/1, Bogulkunta, Hyderabad – 500001. Telangana, India.

Job Title: International Clinical Midwifery Educator, Fernandez Foundation

Accountable to: Director of Midwifery Services, Fernandez Foundation

Mission

We are committed to providing access to excellent, equitable, evidence-based and respectful healthcare for women and the new-born. We believe that life is sacred and precious, and we do our best to affirm and preserve it always.

Vision

A world in which every woman and child has access to high-quality, compassionate care, that enables a life of respect and dignity.

1. Teaching and Training

Provide clinical supervision and leadership working alongside the national midwifery educators (NMEs) team, monitoring, and coaching, during pre-planned sessions, ensuring midwives attain their clinical competencies, by participating in their clinical assessment process.
Participate in the preparation of Personal Development Plans for staff and contribute to annual appraisals.
Working closely with the NME team to support development of teaching and training.
Professional Midwifery Training: Contribute to teaching midwifery subjects and women centred care in the twelve months nurse midwife practitioner education recognised by the Indian Nursing Council (INC).
Training and development-Support the delivery of Midwifery care. Reflective learning and journal clubs encouraging midwives to use the sessions in reading evidence-based articles and translating to clinical practice
Establishing and maintaining systems to record education, training, and development activities.
Evaluation of education, training, and development activities
Ensuring that education, training and development activities are evidence based.
Assist the Fernandez Foundation with training and development strategy for the professional development of midwives, doulas, additional birth support staff

2. Clinical Mentorship

Provide clinical mentoring by providing 80% clinical leadership working alongside our students and qualified midwives encouraging and promoting best practice.
Leading by clinical expertise in developing midwifery confidence caring for mothers in the midwife led centre.
Providing clinical leadership and communicating with women birth options promoting midwife led care in the midwife led unit

3. Professional Knowledge

Demonstrate practitioner competence and professionalism.
Demonstrate a high level of knowledge and expertise relevant to the post.
Demonstrate knowledge of relevant legislation and standards.
Demonstrate an understanding of key issues and priorities in the Indian context.
Demonstrate commitment to educational and professional development issues.
Demonstrate skills in teaching and facilitation.

4. Research and Audit

Demonstrates strong knowledge of research methods and knowledge of the challenges and opportunities to develop research, audit and evidence-based practice.
Encouraging and supporting the research agenda at local and national level
Encouraging research and audit development in the activities of the midwife led unit
Developing Research and clinical tools sharing the outcomes of the MLU

The above job specification is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.

Job Title: National Midwifery Educator, Fernandez Foundation

Accountable to: Director of Midwifery Services, Fernandez Foundation

Mission
We are committed to providing access to excellent, equitable, evidence-based and respectful healthcare for women and the new-born. We believe that life is sacred and precious and we do our best to affirm and preserve it always.

Vision
A world in which every woman and child has access to high-quality, compassionate care, that enables a life of respect and dignity.

1. Teaching and Training

Provide clinical supervision and leadership working alongside the midwifery team, monitoring and coaching, during pre-planned sessions, ensuring midwives attain their clinical competencies, by participating in their clinical assessment process.
Participate in the preparation of Personal Development Plans for staff and contribute to annual appraisals.
Professional Midwifery Training: Contribute to teaching midwifery subjects and women centred care in the twelve months nurse midwife practitioner education recognised by the Indian Nursing Council (INC).
Training and development-Support the delivery of Midwifery care. Reflective learning and journal clubs encouraging midwives to use the sessions in reading evidence-based articles and translating to clinical practice
Establishing and maintaining systems to record education, training and development activities.
Evaluation of education, training and development activities
Ensuring that education, training and development activities are evidence based.
Assist the Fernandez Foundation with training and development strategy for the professional development of midwives, doulas, additional birth support staff

2. Clinical Mentorship

Provide clinical mentoring by providing 80% clinical leadership working alongside our students and qualified midwives encouraging and promoting best practice.
Leading by clinical expertise in developing midwifery confidence caring for mothers in the midwife led centre.
Providing clinical leadership and communicating with women birth options promoting midwife led care in the midwife led unit

3. Professional Knowledge

Demonstrate practitioner competence and professionalism.
Demonstrate a high level of knowledge and expertise relevant to the post.
Demonstrate knowledge of relevant legislation and standards.
Demonstrate an understanding of key issues and priorities in the Indian context.
Demonstrate commitment to educational and professional development issues.
Demonstrate skills in teaching and facilitation.

4. Research and Audit

Demonstrates strong knowledge of research methods and knowledge of the challenges and opportunities to develop research, audit and evidence-based practice.
Encouraging and supporting the research agenda at local and national level
Encouraging research and audit development in the activities of the midwife led unit
Developing Research and clinical tools sharing the outcomes of the MLU

Who is a Midwife

A midwife is a person who has completed a midwifery education programme that is based on the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) Essential Competencies for Midwifery Practice and the framework of the ICM Global Standards for Midwifery Education. They provide care for women during pregnancy, labour, postpartum period as well as the care of the newborn baby.