Clinical Midwife Specialist (CMS)

Job Specification, Terms & Conditions

Job Title and Grade / Clinical Midwife Specialist Lactation
(Grade Code 2313)
Campaign Reference / NRS1109
Closing Date / Friday 14th March 2014 at 12 noon
Proposed Interview date(s) / April 2014
Taking up Appointment / The start date will be indicated at job offer stage.
Location of Post / MidlandsRegionalHospital
Dublin Road
Portlaoise
Laois.
Organisational Area / HSE Dublin Mid Leinster
Details of Service / The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise provides comprehensive services to ante natal; post natal mothers and women who require gynaecological procedures.
Within the hospital the following Specialities are provided:-
Obstetrics Gynaecology
Paediatric services including Special Care Baby Unit.
General Medicine including Cardiology and Cardiac Rehabilitation
General Surgery
Radiography including C.T. Scanning Service.
Diagnostics
Emergency Medicine
.
Reporting Relationship / :
The post holder:
Is professionally accountable to the Director of Nursing and Midwifery
Will have line management reporting arrangements to the Divisional Nurse Manager responsible for the service area.
Purpose and Details of the Post / The CMS Lactation will contribute to the improvement of the breastfeeding outcomes for mothers attending maternity services at the MRHP. The Clinical Midwife Specialist Lactation will provide clinical expertise and support to the midwifery/nursing staff working in the Maternity Unit, Paediatric Unit and the Special Care Baby Unit to ensure the current WHO Baby Friendly status is maintained in the Hospital. The Clinical Midwife Specialist will ensure the promotion, support and encouragement of Breast Feeding throughout the Hospital.
As a Maternity Unit with a Special Care Baby Unit providing care to over 2,000 mothers per annum, there is a need to continue to develop expertise in order to co-ordinate and enhance the service we provide to mothers and their families. In particular, the goal is to attain maintain our Baby Friendly Status.Ireland has a relatively low rate of breastfeeding with around 50% of women breastfeeding on leaving hospital following the birth of their child, which compares poorly to other European countries – UK: 78%, Norway: 99%, Denmark: 98%, Italy: 91%, Spain: 84% and France: 69%. In 2007, the Department of Health and Children Ireland launched a campaign by the HSE’s Breastfeeding Strategy Implementation Committee (BSIC) to increase breastfeeding rates by 2 per cent a year. The five-year Strategic Action Plan for Breastfeeding includes better hospital and community breastfeeding services for mothers.
Research carried out by the HSE (2007) found that support and practical information were vital for mothers who wished to breastfeed. The research showed that emotional support from a partner, being shown how to breastfeed in hospital and being provided with information on where to seek help are regarded as the three most important forms of support for mothers who are newly breastfeeding their babies.
Approximately 47% of mothers in Ireland are breastfeeding at discharge from maternity care (NPRS, 2008). Breastfeeding duration rate figures are not currently collected at national level, however, research studies indicate the fall-off in breastfeeding following discharge is worryingly high with less than 10% of infants still breastfeeding at 6 months of age.
A vast scientific literature demonstrates the substantial health, social and economic importance of breastfeeding and increasingly this research is demonstrating a dose response relationship strongly indicating that the health and nutritional advantages can be maximised by longer breastfeeding duration.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities / Clinical Focus
The CMS will:
  • Articulate and demonstrate the concept of nursing and midwifery specialist practice within the framework of relevant legislation, the Scope of Nursing & Midwifery Practice Framework (ABS 2000), The Code of Professional Conduct (ABA 2000) and Guidelines for Midwives (ABA 2001)
  • Perform nursing / midwifery assessments and plan and initiate care and treatment modalities within agreed interdisciplinary protocols to achieve patient / client centred outcomes; evaluates their effectiveness
  • Identify health promotion priorities in the area of specialist practice
  • Implement health promotion strategies for patient / client groups in accordance with the public health agenda
  • Have a working knowledge of HIQA Standards as they apply to the role, for example, Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards etc. and comply with associated HSE protocols for implementing and maintaining these standards.
Patient Advocate
The CMS will:
  • Enable patients / clients, families and communities to participate in decisions about their health needs
  • Articulate and represent patient / client interests in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team
  • Implement changes in healthcare service in response to patient / client need and service demand
Education and Training
The CMS will:
  • Provide mentorship, preceptorship, teaching, facilitation and professional supervisory skills for nurses and midwives and other healthcare workers
  • Educate patients / clients, families and communities in relation to their healthcare needs in the specialist area of practice
  • Identify own continuing professional development needs and engage accordingly
Audit and Research
The CMS will:
  • Identify, critically analyse, disseminate and integrate nursing / midwifery and other evidence into the area of specialist practice
  • Initiate and participate in evaluations and audits
  • Use the outcomes of audit to improve service provision
  • Contribute to service planning and budgetary processes through use of audit data and specialist knowledge
Consultant
The CMS will:
  • Provide leadership in clinical practice and act as a resource and role model for specialist practice
  • Generate and contribute to the development of clinical standards of practice and guidelines
  • Use specialist knowledge to support and enhance generalist nursing / midwifery practice
Health & Safety
The CMS will:
  • Contribute to the development of policies, procedures, guidelines and safe professional practice and adhere to relevant legislation, regulations and standards
  • Have a working knowledge of HIQA Standards as they apply to the role / care setting, for example, Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards etc.
Management
The CMS will:
  • Provide an efficient, effective, and high quality service, respecting the needs of each patient / client
  • Effectively manage time and caseload in order to meet the needs of a changing and developing service
  • Continually monitor the service to ensure it reflects current needs
  • Implement and manage identified changes
  • Ensure that confidentiality in relation to patient /client records is maintained
  • Maintain accurate and up to date statistics of the service provided, including audit of patient / client contacts
  • Represent the specialist service at local, national and international meetings as required
  • Maintain accurate and contemporaneous records/data on all matters pertaining to the planning, management, delivery and evaluation of this service in line with HSE requirements
The above Job Description 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.
Eligibility Criteria
Qualifications and/ or experience / Candidates must:
  • Be registered in the Midwifery Division of the Register of Nurses kept by Bord Altranais agus Cnáimhseachais na hÉireann (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland)
And
  • Have at least 5 years post registration experience in the division of the register in which the applicant is currently practising;
And
  • Have a minimum of 2 years experience in the specialist area of Midwifery;
And
  • Have the ability to practice safely and effectively fulfilling his/her professional responsibility within his / her scope of practice
And
  • Must demonstrate evidence of continuing professional development
And
  • Must have a level 8 (or higher) post registration Quality and Qualifications Ireland major academic award relevant to the specialist areaof Midwifery,prior to application
Age
Age restrictions shall only apply to a candidate where he/she is not classified as a new entrant (within the meaning of the Public Service Superannuation Act, 2004). A candidate who is not classified as a new entrant must be under 65 years of age.
Health
A candidate for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.
Character
Each candidate for and any person holding the office must be of good character
Post Specific Requirements, additional qualifications and/or experience required /
  • Demonstrate depth and breadth of experience in the specialist area of lactation and breastfeeding, as relevant to the post of CMS Lactation.
  • Demonstrate experience in the education of the client group in lactation and breastfeeding for e.g. organisation of support groups etc.
  • Have attained and maintained“International Board Certified Lactation Consultant” certification.
  • Have completed a 20 hour Breast feeding course

Skills, competencies and/or knowledge / Candidates must demonstrate:
  • practitioner competence and professional credibility – demonstrates a high level of clinical knowledge to effectively carry out the duties and responsibilities of the role
  • the ability to lead on clinical practice and service quality
  • promotion of evidence-based decision making; evidence-based clinical knowledge in making decisions regarding patient / client care
  • the ability to plan and manage resource effectively
  • effective analytical, problem solving and decision making skills
  • strong interpersonal skills including the ability to build and maintain relationships
  • effective communication and influencing skills
  • initiative and innovation in the delivery of service
  • resilience and composure
  • openness to change
  • integrity and an ethical stance
  • a commitment to continuing professional development
  • the ability to relate nursing research to nursing practice
  • knowledge of quality assurance practices and their application to nursing procedures
  • awareness of relevant legislation and policy e.g. legislation relevant to the service area, health and safety, infection control etc.
  • awareness of current and emerging nursing strategies and policies in relation to the clinical / designated area
  • awareness of the Health Service Transformation Programme
  • a willingness to develop IT skills relevant to the role

Campaign Specific Selection Process
Shortlisting / Interview / Short listing may be carried out on the basis of information supplied in your application form. The criteria for short listing are based on the requirements of the post as outlined in the eligibility criteria and skills, competencies and/or knowledge section of this job specification. Therefore it is very important that you think about your experience in light of those requirements.
Failure to include information regarding these requirements may result in you not being called forward to the next stage of the selection process.
Those successful at the shortlisting stage of this process (where applied) will be called forward to interview.
Code of Practice / The Health Service Executive will run this campaign in compliance with the Code of Practice prepared by the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA). The Code of Practice sets out how the core principles of probity, merit, equity and fairness might be applied on a principle basis. The Codes also specifies the responsibilities placed on candidates, feedback facilities for candidates on matters relating to their application, when requested, and outlines procedures in relation to requests for a review of the recruitment and selection process, and review in relation to allegations of a breach of the Code of Practice. Additional information on the HSE’s review process is available in the document posted with each vacancy entitled “Code Of Practice, Information For Candidates”.
Codes of Practice are published by the CPSA and are available on in the document posted with each vacancy entitled “Code of Practice, Information For Candidates” or on
The reform programme outlined for the Health Services may impact on this role and as structures change the job description may be reviewed.
This job description is a guide to the general range of duties assigned to the post holder. It is intended to be neither definitive nor restrictive and is subject to periodic review with the employee concerned.

Clinical Midwife Specialist- Lactation (CMS)

Terms and Conditions of Employment

Tenure / The appointment is whole-time, permanent and pensionable.
A panel will be formed from this recruitment campaign and future permanent or specified purpose vacancies of full time or part time duration will be filled from this panel. The tenure of these posts will be indicated at ‘expression of interest’ stage.
Appointment as an employee of the Health Service Executive is governed by the Health Act 2004 and the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointment) Act 2004.
Appointment as an employee of the Health Service Executive is governed by the Health Act 2004 and the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointment) Act 2004.
Remuneration / The Salary scale for the post is: €47,089 - €55,852 (as at 01/01/2010)
9 points in the Salary Scale
Working Week / The standard working week applying to the post is: 39 hours.
HSE Circular 003-2009 “Matching Working Patterns to Service Needs (Extended Working Day / Week Arrangements); Framework for Implementation of Clause 30.4 of Towards 2016” applies. Under the terms of this circular, all new entrants and staff appointed to promotional posts from Dec 16th 2008 will be required to work agreed roster / on call arrangements as advised by their line manager. Contracted hours of work are liable to change between the hours of 8am-8pm over seven days to meet the requirements for extended day services in accordance with the terms of the Framework Agreement (Implementation of Clause 30.4 of Towards 2016).
Annual Leave / The annual leave associated with the post is: To be confirmed at job offer stage
Superannuation / Membership of the HSE Employee Superannuation Scheme applies to this appointment.
Existing Members who transferred to the HSE on 1st January 2005 pursuant to Section 60 of the Health Act 2004 are entitled to superannuation benefit terms under the HSE Scheme which are no less favourable to those to which they were entitled at 31st December 2004.
Appointees to posts in the Mental Health Services which formerly attracted fast accrual of service should note that the terms of Section 65 of the Mental Treatment Act 1945 do not apply to New Entrant Public Servants as defined by Section 12 of the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004
Probation / Every appointment of a person who is not already a permanent officer of the Health Service Executive or of a Local Authority shall be subject to a probationary period of 12 months.
Protection of Persons Reporting Child Abuse Act 1998 / This post is one of those designated in accordance with Section 2 of the Protection of Persons Reporting Child Abuse Act, 1998. You will remain a designated officer for the duration of your appointment in this post or for the duration of your appointment to such other post as is included in the categories specified in the Ministerial Direction. Such officers will, on receiving a report of child abuse, formally notify the Senior Social Worker in the community care area in which the child is living.
Infection Control / All HSE employees must have a working knowledge of HIQA Standards as they apply to the role for example, Standards for Healthcare, National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections, Hygiene Standards etc.

NRS1109 Job Spec Clinical Midwife Specialist – Lactation: Page 1