Vanessa Watkins has been awarded for her dedication. 74248
By Casey Neill
ANGLISS Hospital midwife Vanessa Watkins has received a top award for a new program that’s “flipped midwifery on its head”.
The clinical midwife consultant received the Deakin University – Health Super 2011 Leadership in Nursing and Midwifery Award for her dedication to delivering better pregnancy outcomes.
“I still haven’t really got my head around it,” she said.
“It’s humbling.
“I work with some wonderful people. Without them I wouldn’t have won any awards.”
Ms Watkins has helped to establish the Eastern Health Expected Pathways of Care for Pregnant Women program.
A pilot study found clinicians highly rated the project as an innovation that was likely to improve maternity care quality. “We try to follow a collaborative model where we all are working together and are singing from the same song sheet,” she said.
“It is important that care experienced is connected and coherent by the woman where there are multiple care givers and professionals involved.”
Ms Watkins said problems occurred with breakdowns in communication, which this program was designed to prevent.
She said anecdotal evidence pointed to a great improvement, but the program was constantly evaluated.
“We’re evolving the whole time with new information we’re receiving,” she said.
Ms Watkins said there was plenty of work ahead, but other Victorian organisations had expressed interest in the program.
“We’ve flipped midwifery care on its head,” she said.
Ms Watkins has always wanted to be a midwife.
She was originally an orthopaedic trauma nurse and gained valuable experience working as a nurse and midwife in the United Kingdom.
She said recent advances in medical technology had altered pregnant women’s expectations.
Education, nutrition and other issues are now key discussion points.
“In maternity care it is important to work together to support pregnant women in a healthy life event, as well as to support women with more complex needs,” she said.
