Maternity Support Worker Maternity Ward

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. General 

• Always maintain a professional behaviour and always promote a positive image of North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust.
• Respond to patient calls and direct appropriately.
• Assist in maintaining client confidentiality and privacy.
• To understand and adhere to all relevant trust policies and procedures.
• Recognise the importance of working within the team and supporting colleagues.
• To be always courteous and professional when answering the telephone and when dealing with women, relatives, and colleagues.
• Assist in orientating clients and visitors to the clinical environment.
• Deliver and collect items from other departments as necessary.
• Help to keep all areas of the clinic environment clean and tidy including liaising with domestic staff, stock ordering and estates and facilities.
• Ensure compliance with all aspects of Infection Control, Isolation and Food Hygiene policies.
• To work in accordance with the changing needs of the maternity service and trust policies and procedures.

2. Clinical responsibilities

• To maintain high standards of cleanliness and hygiene within all clinical areas, i.e. cleaning consulting rooms, equipment’s, Temperature audit, and keeping a good stock supply of all necessary stationery and consumables to run efficient services.
• To assist the midwives and doctors in the care of women antenatally and postnatally to ensure that planned programmes of care are provided, including:
• Providing support to mothers and birth partners with the care of the baby or caring for the baby if the mother or partner is not able to.
• Assisting the midwife by maintaining a tidy environment.
• Providing and maintaining hygiene and cleanliness of clinical areas and ensuring that dignity and respect are always maintained.
• Any other duties as required by the midwife/obstetric team at the time.
• Provide support with phlebotomy services.
• To participate in the provision of 24-hour cover for the unit, including flexibility to move within team areas as the service requires.
• Assist with all aspects of clients’ hygiene and personal needs as required when supporting other areas of the department.
• To assist in the provision of food and drink to women if appropriate.
• To provide appropriate advice, within their level of knowledge, to parents on aspects of parenting in relation to the baby’s well-being and safety.
• Supporting women with all methods of infant feeding.
• Be proactive in supporting women with breastfeeding and give them the advice and assistance they require according to the national and Trust guidelines.
• Assisting women with their babies’ hygiene needs.
• To maintain accurate records of all care provision in the clinical records.
• To escort patients to different clinical areas within the unit. This may involve the use of wheelchairs or beds and trolleys.
• Be aware of emergency calling procedures to be able to call for assistance for the midwife or doctor when asked to do so according to agreed protocols.
• To participate in emergency situations to act as a scribe or ‘runner’.
• To act as a chaperone.
• To demonstrate initiative and the ability to recognise/identify changes in a woman condition/treatment and report promptly to the midwife/nurse or medical staff as appropriate.
• Perform the following clinical duties informing the midwife of the results and recording these appropriately:
• Taking maternal temperature, pulse, blood pressure respiration rate and oxygen saturations and record findings accurately on the MEOWS chart, including the use of the scoring system on each occasion.
• Escalate appropriately on any occasion when the MEOWS score is out of normal range.
• Maintaining fluid balance charts.
• Report lochia/blood loss, monitor for signs of infection.
• Support and care for a woman with an indwelling urinary catheter, including removal of catheter (TWOC), once trained and signed as competent.
• Venepuncture if trained or undertaking training and assessment to acquire these skills.
• Cannulation if trained (midwife to flush -if not included in the Cannulation Pack- and/ or attach IV).
• Obtaining and testing mid-stream urine samples and performing urinalysis.
• Obtain a capillary sample of maternal blood glucose assessment, aware when to escalate.
• Daily baby check (not initial, on transfer, on discharge or if concerns).
• Baby observations for meconium, group B strep or prolonged rupture of membranes.
• Obtain infant capillary sample blood via heel prick for blood glucose. Refer result to midwife.
• Correctly perform TCB assessment on new born, plot the result on jaundice chart and aware of when to escalate.
• New born blood spot screening procedure, obtaining informed consent. *Completion of NBBS e-learning required prior to commencing practice.
• Accurate weighing of baby, calculation of weight loss if applicable, documentation and aware of when to escalate.
• Obtaining urine samples from babies when required.
• Removal of an IV cannula.
• Care of cannula; including changing of dressing.
• Contribute to effective and timely discharge planning.
• Complete discharge paperwork and discharge talk for low risk women, following the clinical decision to discharge by the midwife.
• Participate in safeguarding protocols before discharge.
• Assist woman with postnatal exercises including pelvic floor exercises.
• Collection of blood products from blood bank when requested.
• Reporting faculty equipment to the midwife / Manager and completing requisitions as required or requested.
• Assisting the midwife/doctor with aseptic procedures.
• Act in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Healthcare Support Workers in England.
• To understand and support safeguarding principles for clients and escalate any concerns to the midwife in charge.
• At all times to respect clients’ privacy and dignity.
• To always communicate in an appropriate manner with women and relatives.
• To demonstrate a sound of understanding of local and the trust’s Adult and Child protection policies and procedures as relevant to your role

3. Administrative

•  Complete discharge paperwork in Medway.
• Provide administrative support to midwives.
• To prioritise care and clerical work as appropriate.
• Answering the telephone and relaying messages to the appropriate member of staff.
• Ensuring the safekeeping of client’s property in accordance with the trust policy.
• To participate in audit as appropriate keeping up to date with changing practises.
• To understand the principles of the Friends and Family Test and client feedback and how it is used to improve and maintain an excellent client experience 

4. Education and Development 

• Through the appraisal system, ensure own training needs are identified.
• All mandatory training is kept up to date as required.
• Attend staff meetings, including team briefings and read information as required.
• Engage with learning opportunities within the department and Trust