What our students say
BSc Midwifery student Sophie Komar, 34, shares her diary of two days at university and two days on clinical placement...
Tuesday 23 May: In the skills laboratory, Kingston Hill campus
“The day started at 9am and our class of 40 was divided into two. The morning session focused on ‘manual handling’. There's a strong emphasis on health and safety on the course and we often learn ways to protect our backs. Our tutors showed us how to use slip mats which enable us to move patients up the beds without having to hoist them ourselves. We practiced the different manoeuvres while our tutors observed us. We were then shown how to use an electronic hoist and a brave colleague sat in one and was transported from a bed to a wheelchair.
“We took a break for an hour for lunch and all headed to the canteen. As we’re on placement so often it’s always great to catch up with the group. In the afternoon we had a lecture on wound management, where the tutor showed us all the various different types of dressings. We couldn’t believe how many there were to choose from and were intrigued that manuka honey is now used as its healing properties have been proven.
“We finished early, so a few us went to the library and spent an hour preparing for a group presentation which is due next week.”
Friday 8 September: Lectures at the St George’s, University of London campus
“The morning began at 8.30am when a few of us met for coffee. Our first lecture began at 9am and ran till 12.30pm with a quick break mid-morning. We were lucky to have a guest speaker come and talk to us about obesity and diabetes with a focus on pregnancy. It was a fascinating morning and something we were all keen to know more about, as both health problems are increasing and have various implications for pregnancy.
“In the afternoon we had a lecture on ‘models of care within maternity’ from the consultant midwife at St George’s Hospital. This relates to the different ways units organise their maternity services and it was really interesting but also quite disheartening as most NHS hospitals are really only able to offer women very basic care. We all agreed how important an ongoing relationship is between the woman and her midwife. However most women will see new staff at each appointment and won’t know the midwife who will look after her during labour. We finished up around 4pm and all felt we had learnt a lot during the day. Food for thought.”
Friday 21 June: Community placement
“My mentor and I were running a morning and afternoon antenatal clinic at a local GP surgery. We met at the hospital at 8am to pick up notes and headed off to the surgery. After a quick cup of tea we began the clinic at 9am. The morning clinic is for women who are 20+ weeks pregnant and each appointment has a 15 minute allocation. We carry out a basic check which includes blood pressure and a urine test. We then measure the fundus (aka the ‘bump’), palpate the abdomen (to see how the baby is lying) and listen in to the baby’s heartbeat. We may also take bloods. My midwife makes sure she leaves enough time at the end to answer any questions, which pregnant women often have. (By June, I was carrying out all the examinations and tests under the supervision of my mentor which I really enjoyed.).
“In the afternoon, after a quick lunch break, we ran a booking clinic. This is for pregnant women who are usually 12-14 weeks pregnant and have had their first scan at the hospital. It's often the first meeting with the midwife and we allocate 45 minutes for each appointment. We carry out the antenatal check as above and take a full medical history. We also give advice regarding nutrition, exercise and antenatal classes and answer any questions the woman may have. The clinic finished at 5pm and we drove back to the hospital to drop off our notes. That night my mentor was on-call for homebirths and sure enough I got a call at midnight to say a woman was in labour. We raced over to her house and the baby was born within minutes! Everything went well and I got home at 5am... luckily I had the next day off.”
Wednesday 26 July: Ward placement
“On the maternity unit we work long shifts (12½ hours) and start at 7.15am promptly. The labour ward co-ordinator took us through ‘the board’ which is a list of all the women on the unit and how their labour is progressing plus all those who are due to come in. My mentor and I were assigned Mrs T who was in the final stages of labour. We introduced ourselves to her and her husband and quickly realised the baby would be arriving shortly! Within an hour a baby boy was welcomed into the world weighing a healthy 3.8kg. Much of the morning was spent helping mum to breast feed and to fill in the copious amounts of paperwork.
“By lunchtime Mrs T was transferred to our postnatal ward and our next labourer arrived. Mrs G was Polish and spoke very little English. She was in the first stage of labour and we spent all afternoon encouraging her to move around and supporting her through painful contractions. Luckily her husband could speak some English so she could understand what we were trying to say. Before I knew it, it was 7.30pm and we handed over care to the night staff. The day was busy and exhilarating and I went home happy and exhausted.”