Proud mum moment for Caboolture midwife student facilitator

It’s not just the new mother’s beaming with pride at Caboolture Hospital’s maternity ward.

With a nursing career spanning 36 years, midwifery clinical student facilitator, Andrea, not only has the all-important job of caring for mothers during the birth process at Caboolture Hospital, but she also cares for the student midwives who come through the doors.

“It’s a joyful job and an absolute privilege to walk alongside these women.”

After spending 12 years in the Emergency Department, Andrea knew it was time for a change.

“I just love my job.

“Sharing the best moments, and unfortunately sometimes losses too, is all part of the learning for these next generation midwives.

The student midwives who come to Caboolture hospital on their placement experience all maternity services offered including pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatal care through group practice midwifery.

“My job is to facilitate their placement and integration into the wards and marry up what they’ve have learnt and help them to put it into practice.”

“The technical and medical skills come with time and practice, but being a great midwife comes down to your ability to talk to people,” Andrea said.

This busy maternity ward safely delivered 1,950 little babies in the year 2022 so there is no shortage of work experience here.

Andrea tailors her care to the individual needs of all the women she encounters, and she invites the students into that space to learn and develop their own ethos as new practitioners.

“A lot of my students come back as graduates. I will look around the floor and recognise so many of them.”

“It’s a proud mummy moment for me!”