A Detailed Analysis of the Impact that Supervision of Midwifery Has Had on My Practice - Essay Example

A Detailed Analysis of the Impact that Supervision of Midwifery has had on my Practice of the Name of the Concerned Professor 25 July 2011 A Detailed Analysis of the Impact that Supervision of Midwifery has had on my Practice Introduction It would not be wrong to say that midwifery is a profession in its own right in the UK, which is primarily responsible for extending antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care to the women (Mander 2001). Midwives stand to be the lead healthcare professionals that are associated with a majority of the births in the UK, both in hospital settings as well as at home (Mander 2001). In that context, the midwives bear an onerous responsibility regarding the women who are assigned to their care. The midwives in the UK are required to perform a variety of roles (Mander 2001). It is mostly the midwives who decide as to when to refer a complication to the specific experts and specialists. Midwives are also required to act as sort of advocates to the women under their care, who are to always assure that the women under their care always retain a sense of control and participation in the complete experience related to the child birth. In that perspective, the supervision of midwifery is an essential aspect of this profession that is by its very nature bound to yield positive results. A supervisor not only supports and aids a midwife in improving the care extended to a woman, but also help the women going through the overall experience of childbirth, in a variety of ways. I must say that the supervision of midwifery certainly had a positive and encouraging impact on my practice. A Methodical and Careful Approach towards Practice It goes without saying that midwives, as other healthcare professionals, tend to be systematic, careful and methodical in their approach towards practice (Edwins 2008). However, once one comes to place at the back of one’s mind the fact that one is being supervised by a more experienced and astute superior, it automatically nudges one to bring in that extra caution and professionalism in one’s practice, which certainly goes a long way in assuring high quality and positive results. The supervision of midwifery has certainly brought into my practice the extra onus to extend a safe provision of maternity care (Kirkham 1996). This has also facilitated me with an essential and thorough framework that guides me in my practice and professional life. The supervisors stand to be an excellent and fundamental addition to a plethora of other primarily theoretical resources always accessible to a midwife (Kirkham 1996). The supervision of midwifery has provided me with a reliable and credible framework, within which I can operate to explore and create positive benefits that I intend to pass on to the women under my care. The supervision of midwifery has greatly impacted my practice in the sense that it has formalized and consolidated an attitude of accountability, mentorship, care, concern and thoroughness in my overall approach towards my profession. I feel more empowered, responsible and perpetually aspire to be more effective. The provision for supervision of midwifery always encourages me to keep my practice consciously up to date, immaculate, and professional. Somebody I can look up to In every profession, it is mostly the veterans that embody and carry forward the trend for higher standards and efficiency. Same stands to be true for the profession of midwifery. Supervisors are mostly the experienced midwives who have gone through the additional training and education that aim at establishing the higher standards of care in this profession (Edwins 2008). They intend to continually improve and better the standards of midwifery in the UK by interpreting the feedback and inputs extended by the women and their families. They help the midwives integrate the conclusions churned out by their ample professional and theoretical background and prompt inputs into their everyday practice. Therefore, I strongly feel that supervisors help me immensely in my professional development. This enables me to provide safer and better quality care to mothers and children. In that context, the supervisors embody the essential standards of proficiency and provide me with the authentic role model whom I can look up to, to improve my practice. Many a times, it has been my supervisor who extended the requisite guidance and support that immensely helped me in refining and fine tuning my practice in consonance with the current trends and guidelines (Kirkham 2000). I am always confident that I have access to an essential source that I can look up to for information and guidance. This has made my approach towards practice more confident, competent and forward looking. Supervision of midwifery has inculcated a sense of organization, professionalism and I must say a deeply felt and cherished feeling of pride in my practice. It always feels good to realize that I have been able to meet the standards set by my supervisor. There have been moments when I stood corrected by my supervisor. But, this only turns out for the better in the sense that how can one expect to improve without making some mistakes, provided that mistakes get identified and rectified in time by someone more experienced and astute. A Sense of Empowerment I must say that it takes many things in the healthcare profession to extend that coveted sense of empowerment to a professional, without which it gets really difficult to act with decisiveness and authority. I emphatically feel that the supervision of midwifery has endowed my practice with that essential sense of empowerment. This arrangement for supervision generates this sense of empowerment both on the midwife’s and the mother’s end (Hall 2001). Most of the professionals who are affiliated to any discipline, will agree with the fact that it always gets scarier to act and perform, when one feels alone and totally on one’s own. Being part of a system or some organization brings in a sense of empowerment ensuing from the immense possibilities that may be exploited by the forward and backward integration in such a system (Hall 2001). This is how the supervision of midwifery endows me with the much sought after sense of empowerment, security and control. I am always sure that I am a part of a larger system that has the requisite intention, sources and experts to extend to me the right knowledge, help and information, when I need and where I need. In a somewhat similar way it works for the women I serve and their families. In the matters of health, it is always difficult for a person or a family to wholeheartedly place one’s trust in the hands of one single person, no matter how experienced or qualified one is. Hence, the supervision of midwifery sends the message to the mothers that their care is in the hands of a well developed and responsible system, which is designed to assure quality care. This makes them feel empowered and safe. Not to mention, it is always easier for me to serve women who trust me and the system I represent. Devil’s Advocate Overconfidence and a sense of infallibility do make incompetent and careless professionals. Constant supervision and advice always help one to keep one’s feet firmly on the ground. I deeply feel that there should be a mechanism for listening to and registering the opinions of the people I serve. There always exists a chance when the women I serve may be unsatisfied with some aspect of my care and may not be able to freely communicate it to me owing to many reasons. In my profession it is imperative to keep one’s silly ego aside to be more relevant and helpful to the people I serve. In that perspective, the supervision of midwifery acts as the devil’s advocate. The annual supervisory reviews, evaluation practices, and SWOT analysis not only motivate me to be more responsive to the aspirations of the individuals and families I serve, but also give a chance to them to register their dissatisfactions, views and concerns. Supervision of midwifery acts as a buffer, which allows me to take feedback, criticism, advice and suggestions in a healthier and professional manner. Conclusion I must say that the supervision of midwifery helped me in becoming a more confident, responsive, and accountable and forward looking healthcare professional. It endows me with a sense of being part of an efficient and enlightened system, which will leave no effort to help me refresh and improve my professional and soft skills. It also feels good to be a part of a team. Supervisors not only serve as readily available role models and mentors, but are in themselves a much needed source of information, guidelines and experience. Supervising of midwifery also helps to a great extent in streamlining and bridging the communication between the midwives and mothers. It helps the midwives retain a pragmatic sense of perspective and balance. Reference List Edwins, Jenny 2008, Community Midwifery Practice, London, Wiley-Blackwell. Hall, Jennifer 2001, Midwifery, Mind and Spirit: Emerging Issues of Care, London, Books for Midwives. Kirkham, Mavis J 1996, Supervision of Midwives, London, Midwives Press. Kirkham, Mavis J 2000, Developments in the Supervision of Midwives, London, Books for Midwives. Mander, Rosemary 2001, Supportive Care and Midwifery, London, Wiley-Blackwell. Read More