Attributes Flashcards
Leadership
As a third year student I have completed the training allowing me to be a practice supervisor when qualified.
Therefore, while on placement, I took it upon myself to support and educate first year students in checking the resuscitaire.
So each morning when we would check it, I would offer to show the first years how to check it then provide them with the opportunity to do it themselves under supervision to gain their confidence. I would then support them in setting it up if required
Organisation
Throughout my degree, I have participated in best start’s continuity of carer model. I followed 12 women throughout the perinatal period while completing assessments and attending other placements.
To achieve this, I had to be organised to ensure I did not neglect academic work, work life balance while achieving continuity of carer.
Therefore, I planned out my week and communicated with the women and the midwife regarding appointments. Taking into consideration travel, directed study etc to make sure everything is achieved.
As a result, I achieved 12 episodes of continuity of carer, 7 of which I attended antenatal, intrapartum and postnatal care, 2 of which I followed from booking, birth and up to several days postnatal. Many women have expressed to me how beneficial continuity of carer with a student was and one woman wrote to my university and on care opinion expressing her gratitude. While passing first and second year with distinction and passing third year awaiting results regarding distinction.
Communication
Communication is vital to delivering safe effective care. A communication tool I use every day is SBAR’s which studies show improve communication and reduces the risk of error as information is communicated in a clear concise manner. Particularly during transfers, handovers or escalating concerns. Another communication method would be close looped communication which I utilise when making plans with the MDT to ensure clarification and avoid errors. An example where I used closed looped communication was when a women had just a section that day and her blood pressure was low, I completed a full check and informed the obstetric doctors. They made a plan and I repeated it back to them for clarification, which avoided errors and made sure appropriate care was given. The woman’s blood pressure improved and she began to feel better.
Collaboration/Teamwork
A scenario where I was involved in effective teamworking was when a baby was on additional observations due to an extensive neonatal resuscitation and was now on IV abx for sepsis.
The doctor provided a handover of the plan of care and I therefore, understood my role. Therefore, subsequently when completing these observations, they were abnormal; I bleeped the neonates as it was my responsibility to escalate concerns and for decisions to be made as this is outwith my scope of practice. The doctors asked for the observations to be repeat within 30 minutes and to have a low threshold for any other concerns. I used close looped communication to ensure clarification to avoid error. The baby further escalated and was floppy. Therefore, I called for help while taking the baby to the resuscitaire and acknowledge that a senior charge midwife was more appropriate to provide that initial care while I phone the neonates which I communicated the situation clearly to allow for the situation to be handled appropriately and within everyone’s scope of practice.
Weakness
I often find it hard to say no to people when they ask for help when I have my own workload as well. However, with through developing the ability to be flexible and organised, I often able to balance by own work load while helping others.
Situation involving a conflict?
I had just finished a week of four shifts and I had a received a phone call saying that my continuity lady was in labour. However, I felt as though it was not safe for me to then do a further shift and that i had to ensure i had a work life balance so that i can practice safely. So even though i felt awful that i could not attend, it was the most appropriate thing for me to do and instead the next day i went in to see the woman and congratulate her and do a postnatal check,
