Supervision of Midwifery for Students

SUPERVISION OF MIDWIFERY FOR STUDENTS

SHSSB

The Supervisors of Midwives in the Southern Trust would like to welcome you as a student midwife to our maternity services. This short document aims to provide you with clear information of local supervision of midwifery and encourage you to make the most of the supervisory framework during your course.

THE ROLE OF THE SUPERVISOR OF MIDWIVES
Supervision of Midwifery is a statutory supportive framework for midwives to enable and encourage safe and good practice. Supervision also aims to protect the public from poor practice and to intervene when unsafe practice occurs (NMC 2006).

The structure and responsibilities of the Supervisor of Midwives has been clearly documented in LSAMO (UK) Forum and NMC (2008) ‘Modern Supervision in Action’, London: NMC which is available online from . We would encourage you to read this short and concise booklet as background information.

YOUR ROLE AS A STUDENT MIDWIFE

The Midwives Rules and Standards (2004) states that “studentmidwives can be present under supervision with a woman in childbirth as part of their education”. However the registered midwife will remain “professionally accountable for what the student does and this will include the consequences of their actions and omissions” (NMC, 2004).

Statuary supervision of midwives should enable the student midwife to-

• To be supported by the supervisory framework

• To develop an understanding of the role and functions of a supervisor of midwives and how the process supports safe midwifery practice

• To develop an apperception and its implications; the Statutory Framework for midwifery practice, the midwives rules and standards (NMC, 2004) and any other legislation and guidance which supports the supervision of midwives

SUPPORT NETWORKS FOR STUDENTS

We are conscious that as a student you already have a number of support persons to help and guide you during your course such as:

-Mentor

-Personal Tutors

-Practice Educators

-Managers

-Midwifery staff colleagues

-Fellow students

However, we wish to highlight that you may also avail of the Supervisors of Midwives regarding practice issues.

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST OF SUPERVISION

In your role as a student midwife you can benefit from the supervision of midwives through the link which exists between the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queens University Belfast and each Health and Social Care Trust where you are assigned on clinical placement. This will occur by means of the following-

• Having a named supervisor of midwives within each HSC trust acting as a point of contact for students and lecturers.
• All supervisors of midwives should maintain effective liaison with Higher Educational Institutions, ensure that practice issues are regularly discussed and that concerns about practice which have been raised by students are resolved.
• Information regarding student midwives should be shared only on a need to know basis as confidentiality must be maintained as a Statutory Supervisory Standard
• All student midwives should be made aware of the Statutory Supervision Framework at commencement of their training and of local arrangements of HSC Trusts at commencement of their clinical placement.
• Supervisors of Midwives should play an active part in curriculum planning and development and in evaluation of pre registration midwifery programs

Information should be given on the following-

• The role and responsibilities of a Supervisor of Midwives
• Statutory Framework for Practice – NMC Midwives Rules and Standards
• Clinical audit activities including midwifery records
• Development of guidelines for clinical practice
• Professional training and development
• Purpose and format of annual review
• Receiving of notification of practice
• Management of clinical incidents

STRUCTURE OF SOUTHERN TRUST SUPERVISION

Names and contact details of Supervisors of Midwives within the Southern Trust

References

LSAMO (UK) Forum and NMC (2008) ‘Modern Supervision in Action’, London: NMC

NMC (2006) Standards for the preparation and practice of supervisors of midwives, London: NMC.

LSA Yorkshire and The Humber (2007) Supervision: Student Midwives, Return to Practice and Adaptation Course Midwives. LSA: Yorkshire.