Volunteer Midwife
Hours: 40 hours over 5 days
Reporting to: Deputy Chief Executive Officer(Health/Operations)
Accountable to: Clinical Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator & CEO
Summary
The Volunteer Midwife at our Tala Park clinic has a supervisory role, working with the
staff of the Mother and Child Health section (MCH) to provide the best possible care
for the patients.
Programs run in the MCH include an ante-natal clinic, postnatal clinic, an infant
feeding program for malnourished infants children under 5 years, immunisation
program, family planning and health education. The volunteer has essentially a
supervisory and teaching role with special attention on monitoring documentation.
The volunteer is required to attend the clinic in the morning and complete any
computer work, administrative paperwork and attend meetings in the afternoon.
Responsibilities
• Although essentially a supervisory role, there is some hands on care in this
position. The volunteer must ensure all programmes are running well, and
help and deal with problems as they arise.
• Supervise ante-natal programme, ensuring correct admission, monitoring and
documentation of the care of pregnant women. This includes supervision and
teaching in the following areas: – recording of B/P, weight, urinalysis,
abdominal palpation and ensuring routine bloods are ordered, tetanus toxoid
vaccine is given as necessary and appropriate medication given.
• Ensure correct detection of complications and appropriate referral to
supplements and vaccinations are administered.
• Supervise Supplementary Feeding program (SFP), ensuring proper care and
monitoring of the condition of extremely malnourished infants and children.
Ensure nutritional supplements and medications are administered, children
with special needs are referred correctly (e.g. hospital admission,
physiotherapy) and mothers receive appropriate education to enable them to
restore their child to health.
• Supervise and support staff, maintain motivation, encourage good
performance.
• Assist with staff performance reviews.
• Identify staff training needs and participate in training where appropriate.
• Hold continuing education classes for MCH staff to improve their knowledge
and clinical skills.
• Liase with Health Education Co coordinator to monitor and improve health
education given.
• Supervise the collection of monthly statistics. Evaluate and analyse as
required.
• Assist the MAC (Medical Audit Committee) with improving working practices
and updating protocols. Assess and evaluate each program by collecting data
for continuing statistical monitoring.
Calcutta Rescue 3
• Update practices as appropriate, in line with developments in primary health
care.
• Ensure equipment used in MCH is used, maintained and sterilised as required
correctly.
• Establish contact with and visit other health organisations where appropriate.
• Use knowledge of research based practice to update and present new
guidelines/protocols to the Medical Audit Committee or Doctors Meeting and
update practice as required.
• Contribute cohesive reports for submission to Quarterly reports and Support
Groups.
• Attendance at meetings: Volunteer, MAC (Medical Audit Committee) and
Doctors meeting.
• Work alongside Clinic Coordinator and Volunteer Coordinator on any relevant
tasks assigned to improve clinical practice or increase the profile of Calcutta
Rescue.
• Work alongside other volunteers on a rota basis at the weekly Fairtrade
Handicraft stall operated by Calcutta Rescue.
• Maintain high standards of professional practice and competence in line with
nursing code of conduct or relevant professional body and local health
authorities.
Essential Qualities
• Registered midwife with experience in providing training and mentoring to
other staff.
• Good interpersonal/ communication skills
• Good knowledge of written and spoken English
• Computer literate
Desirable Qualities
• Flexibility/Adaptability with a sense of humour
• Ability to work well in a multicultural team
• Commitment to volunteering overseas