Trainee Midwifery Nursing Associate

The maternity workforce is under significant pressures. Supporting a Trainee Nursing Associate (TNA)/Nursing Associate (NA) role in maternity services in Cheshire & Merseyside will address some of the workforce gaps and collective pressures being experienced by service users and providers across the system.

Case for change

• Some organisations have recently introduced nurses into their maternity services and these nurses are more often responsible for providing post-operative care. This role is banded at AFC Band 5. As seen in some organisations in other regions an NA could perform these tasks as a registered professional AFC Band 4 (this is cost saving). It also ensures maternity services are not further exacerbating the nursing shortage in other areas of an organisation.
• There is an added benefit for the future workforce with the possibility of further development and pipeline into nursing or midwifery.
• The support of an NA will free the registered midwife up to complete the tasks that only a registered midwife can undertake. Improving the experience of service users and providers.
• The NA will bring unique skills to enhance the maternity service and workforce bringing the breadth of knowledge across all four fields of nursing. With many service users presenting with complex mental health or learning disabilities, an NA would be well-placed to support the midwifery team in providing holistic care.

Anticipated benefits

• Develop infrastructure to support the role of TNA/NA in Maternity
• Engage with key stakeholders to gain buy-in to recruiting, onboarding and training NAs
• Improved service user and provider satisfaction due to enabling RMs more time to undertake midwifery-specific tasks
• Increased career development opportunities for current Maternity Support Workers (MSW)

Key milestones