I was absolutely delighted to receive an Iolanthe student award and was keen to share the opportunity with as many student midwives as possible, along with the option for midwives from the local trusts.
After hearing and reading so much negativity about lack of compassion in midwifery yet understanding and witnessing the positive impact of compassionate care, I felt it would be a great opportunity to develop understanding of nurturing a compassionate environment.
I applied for and gained full funding for a face-to-face training day with Mia Scotland, a Perinatal Charted Clinical Psychologist, who has trained within the NHS and now specialises in working with individuals, families and professionals surrounding birth trauma.
Mia joined us on campus at the University of Derby to deliver her course “The Power of Compassionate Care”, sharing her insight and expertise into psychological tools and techniques to better equip us in delivering compassionate care to improve the experience of the women, birthing people, and families.
Mia also explored love and kindness, including ensuring that self-compassion and wellbeing is a priority, offering some techniques and tips to incorporate into our daily life. By taking time to do relaxation, setting aside time in your diary for yourself and showing acts of kindness to others, as professionals, we are then more able to deliver compassionate care and reduces the risk of compassion.
I was delighted that the University of Derby Midwifery society (Midwifery Rocks) hosted the event on my behalf, so as many students as possible could attend. As the event was fully funded, it was open to members, non-members and across all five of the midwifery cohorts, for both BSc and MSC students.
Students completed a short survey following the event and expressed how useful they found the training and a reoccurring theme was the acknowledgement of how important self-care is to effectively care for others, something most students said they were not very good at. They stated that they gained a deeper understanding of compassion and empathy, and the difference of the two, including how they effect our behaviour and responses.
Students also shared that by harnessing self-care and relaxation, that in turn gave them more confidence and skills to empower women, birthing people, and families to use similar tools as they noticed a physical response when doing so.
I am so thankful to the Iolanthe Trust for funding the course, it was wonderful to see the growth of my peers throughout the day, and made a significant impact for me personally, recognising areas where I can practice more self-care to positivity improve my own wellbeing, the people in my care and promoting this amongst other HCPs.
Myself, and my peers look forward to utilising and sharing the tools, knowledge, and techniques that Mia shared with us when we next go into placement, and as we progress to qualified professionals.