Derby midwife wins national award for work supporting newly qualified midwives
By RCM on 16 March 2018 Preceptorship RCM Annual Midwifery Awards Newly Qualified Midwives
A midwife from Derby has won one of the UK’s top midwifery awards for her project to support newly qualified midwives at the trust. Kristen Goodall has scooped the JOHNSON’S® Excellence in Midwifery Education, Learning and Research Award at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Annual Awards.
Kristen works at Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She saw a need to support newly qualified midwives coming to work at the trust, as it expanded its midwifery workforce with a lot of newly qualified midwives. All newly qualified midwives undergo a six month support programme when they start work. However, a more robust one was needed with the large number of new starters coming to the trust.
She put in place a sixteen month programme that supported these midwives. This included mentoring from experienced midwives, and a structured education programme which included working in different parts of maternity care. This included working in maternity units and out in the community.
The judges of the award were impressed by the impact of Kristen’s project. It has improved recruitment and retention of midwives at the trust, and ensured a smooth transition into midwifery for newly qualified midwives.
Kristen said: “Whilst my name is on it, this award is for the whole Professional Development Team. The entire midwife workforce works so hard to help make the preceptorship midwives into the midwives they are today. It fills me with an immense sense of pride to see them progress and then, in turn, support others further down the line. The feedback we have had for the programme has been excellent and it has really helped to change the culture and support for all new starters.”
Jane Haslam, Head of Midwifery at Derby Teaching Hospitals, said: “We’re delighted that Kristen and the Professional Development Team have received this well-deserved recognition. Providing the right support network for our newly qualified midwives is crucial to aiding their development. To see the whole maternity team working together to make this happen is fantastic to see and they should all be commended for their efforts.”
Rebecca Bennett, from award sponsor JOHNSON’S®, said: “We are always delighted to support the education of tomorrow’s midwives and this submission offered a fantastic opportunity for students both to work with mentors and to extend their learning in a structured and relevant way. The results on recruitment and retention speak for themselves and Kristen is a very worthy winner.”
Gill Walton, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, said: “It is critical that newly qualified midwives get the right support when they come into the profession. Kristen’s work is a great example of how this can be achieved and how it can ensure our midwifery workforce for the future. This is a project that deserves this recognition and I congratulate Kristen on winning the award.”
For more information on the RCM Annual Awards visit http://www.rcmawards.com/awards-day.
Note to editors
JOHNSON’S®, an Alliance Partner with the RCM since 2004 is proud to work with the RCM, supporting midwives in their work to care for mothers and babies. JOHNSON’S® partnership with the RCM is highly valued and we are pleased to be able to sponsor these awards celebrating the hard work and dedication of midwives. For more information about JOHNSON’S®, visit the RCM website.
The RCM is the only trade union and professional association dedicated to serving midwifery and the whole midwifery team. We provide workplace advice and support, professional and clinical guidance and information, and learning opportunities with our broad range of events, conferences and online resources. For more information visit the RCM website at https://www.rcm.org.uk/.