Midwifery leader working to 'inspire and ignite' for the betterment of mums

Now she's working to support her midwife colleagues.

Ms Staniforth was just named as the Western NSW Local Health District's Nursing and Midwifery Leader of the Year. The award was for her work with the Mentoring in Midwifery program.

The program aims to attract and retain a strong midwifery workforce by creating strong, reciprocal relationships between experienced midwives and student or new to practice midwives.

"There's been a statewide and nationwide shortage of midwives. We have significant midwifery workforce challenges and in the last five years COVID has actually exacerbated that, especially in regional areas," Ms Staniforth said.

"There's been significant strain on our health system and maternity services have copped that as well. Regional maternity services have suffered a lot."

However, a study a few years ago into the student midwives' experience found workplace culture had a significant role to play, specifically people were more likely to stay if they had a supportive, nurturing workplace.

Ms Staniforth is the Mentoring in Midwifery facilitator for the health district. She's been in the role for the past 18 months, covering the six maternity sites in western NSW including Dubbo, Orange and Bathurst hospitals.

"As midwives it's an immense privilege to share precious moments with women and we're entrusted by them to vital role in their childbirth experience. I'm passionate about building positive workplace culture because when midwives feel supported in a sense of well-bring in their work this transfers profoundly to the quality of care that we provide to women and their families," Ms Staniforth said.

"Since I've been going around to these maternity sites, I've seen that we have very strong midwives who are very passionate in what they do and we have a lot of strength in our workforce out here.

"I'm really proud of them all. I want to thank them for their passion, their care and their resilience. I really do believe women and their families are in great hands out here. We've just got to go and recruit more, that's all."

She's training midwives to be mentors, to "inspire and ignite leadership skills" in them.

Ms Staniforth is also pairing mentors with student midwives and new to practise midwives and creating relationships where they feel heard and supported in their role.

The reciprocal relationship not only promotes positive workplace culture but the MIM facilitator said it also boosts safety in the workplace because when they feel supported it leads to a better quality of care for women and their families.

Ms Staniforth said she still felt surprised and humbled by the award. She said she loved the role and the support she was providing to the region's midwives.

"I've been caring for women and their families for so many years, now I feel like it's my turn to support the midwives and to care for my midwifery colleagues," she said.

"I feel very chuffed when I see a little spark in a midwife's eye that she's learning and she's growing. It really gives me a lot of satisfaction to see midwives grow in this profession."

Ms Staniforth's citation said she was the "definition of leading through example".

"The truest way she has shown compassion and midwife-centred leadership with integrity is through the use of her skills and knowledge within the relationships she has created," it states.