7.3 Career Spotlight

How much of a plan did you have for your career as a midwife when you were in your training? Did you know what direction you wanted to go in? Are you now wondering what would be the best place for YOU in midwifery and maternity services? This hour will provide a spotlight on the things you need to think about right at the beginning, and then includes some ‘what I wish I’d known’... points to set you on the best pathway, or even give you some ideas for a slight change in your career direction!   Hosted by: Sue Macdonald, Midwifery Expert, Mayes Midwifery   Contributions from: Michelle Steptoe, Senior Lecturer (SFHEA) – Course Director, HSC, Midwifery, London South Bank University (LSBU) and Chelone Lee-Wo, Consultant Midwife for Public Health, St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust   Biographies: Chelone Lee-Wo Chelone qualified as a registered nurse in 1994 and worked in Gynaecology and Orthopaedic surgical wards at Kingston Hospital.  In 1996 she gained a BSC (Hons) in Midwifery and in 2001 a Diploma in Obstetric Ultrasound from King’s College University. As a midwife in the North West London region for 20 years, she set up a multidisciplinary teenage pregnancy community-based service which continues. She was a Supervisor of Midwives for 10 years until the function ceased. During two years in Trinidad as a case-loading midwife in the only Caribbean stand-alone birth center, she completed her MSc in Advanced Midwifery Practice and produced a free Redbook equivalent for the local parents in 2016.   Chelone started her Consultant Midwife post at St George’s in 2017 and focuses on Public Health, Maternity Transformation, and Patient Experience.   MSc/RM RN PgDip ObstUS   Michelle Steptoe Michelle has been a midwife for 29 years and in higher education for the past 14, achieving her MA in Academic Practice in 2010 and Senior Fellowship of the Higher education Authority (HEA) in 2016. She is currently the course director for the 3-year midwifery degree programme at LSBU (London South Bank University).   During her career, Michelle has had various roles, including an innovative role in developing evidence-based trust guidelines and standards, ward co-ordinator positions, staff training, and development, supporting and promoting home birth, and is a qualified hypnobirthing teacher.   Michelle’s clinical interests lie in promoting normality through empowering women and supporting midwives to provide woman/person-centered care and promoting the development of knowledge and skills through research and reflection. Her academic interests lie in ensuring that students achieve to the best of their ability, and she has worked on various projects focused on developing appropriate feedforward methods, which help to enable students to become more independent on their learning journey and which help them to secure employment at the end of their programme.   Supported by MATFLIX: https://matflix.co.uk Register to watch the next episode LIVE or attend a Maternity & Midwifery Festival: https://mmf.eventbrite.com Watch the live stream: https://facebook.com/midwiferyforum/live