Maitland midwife nominated in NSW Health awards

"It was quite an overwhelming sense of pride and privilege and a lot of nerves," the Maitland Registered Midwife said of helping a mother deliver her baby.

"You can learn as much as you want out of a text book but until you're actually in that setting it is a lot to comprehend."

Neisha is one of three nurses and midwives from the Hunter New England Local Health District nominated for the 2020 NSW Health Excellence in Nursing and Midwifery Awards.

Neisha is a finalist in the Aboriginal Nurse/Midwife of the Year category for "consistently maintaining the highest standards for all mothers and babies in the provision of quality, safe, compassionate and culturally appropriate healthcare."

She splits her time as a team leader on the birthing unit at Maitland Hospital and the Naae-Wanni Aboriginal Maternal Infant Health Service.

Learning of her nomination was "quite humbling" because despite three years of university and four years of hard work in her current role, Neisha considers herself still a junior.

Like many who are lucky to discover their perfect vocation, Neisha found midwifery when she wasn't really looking. After high school at Callaghan College she spent a few years studying psychology with a view to becoming a police officer.

In hindsight she realises that career wouldn't have suited her personality and when she confessed she wasn't enjoying her uni course, a friend suggested midwifery. Not knowing too much about hospitals and midwifery she was accepted into the highly sought after degree at Newcastle University and hasn't looked back.

"I really do love my job," she said.

"I get exposure every day to something new and exciting and it is quite challenging at times."

She said the drama and emotion portrayed in the popular television shows such as One Born Every Minute is pretty accurate.

"Sometimes you can just walk into the room and feel the excitement from the partner or the grandmother-to-be or the woman," she said.

"They are just fully immersed in the experience."

Neisha's family are originally from Armidale and are recognised in the Anaiwan tribe and the Awabakal community in Newcastle.

She says recognising the cultural differences for indigenous women giving birth is important.

"Going back say 1000 years ago it was culturally accepted to have every woman that was of significant relevance to your life, present at the birth," she said.

"So at any one time you could have your mother, grandmother, your great grandmother, your aunty and your sister there."

She said as important as providing a culturally safe and supportive birthing and post natal space for indigenous women, was understating the co-morbidity that comes with that indigenous status.

"For example we are more likely to have pre-term births and higher smoking rates and low birth weight babies," she said.

"So it's about providing that important ante natal care to reduce those post natal birth outcomes that we can likely experience."

Babies just keep coming - even in a global pandemic and Neisha and her colleagues have had to face new challenges to combat COVID-19.

This includes reducing the number of support people in the birthing environment and less face to face contact with the new mothers in post natal care.

"But they still come in, they still have a positive birth experience with all the wonderful staff I work with, they go on to post natal care and once again they get that wonderful care and support and go home a healthy mum and a healthy baby.

"Irregardless of Covid, that's the goal."

It often surprises people when they learn this young midwife has no plans to have children of her own.

"It's not so much about the newborns, I love supporting women and their families as they grow," she said.

"It's a life changing experience to be involved in such an intimate period of their life, particularly with first time mums.

"I am with them through what some women describe as an enlightening and sometimes quite scary period even if is only for that short 10-hour period."

Neisha works full-time shift work, is completing her Masters, casually teaches at the University of Newcastle and coaches a state league netball team.

With that much on her plate there's not a lot of spare time for herself, let alone for "little people".

"It's definitely not a no I guess for children, but not for now."

Her studies in clinical midwifery will mean she can pursue her passion of sharing her knowledge and supporting other midwives.

"I had some really important and quite significant education and support role models, that as a student, I aspired to be," she said.

"I want to support and I want to educate and I want to provide a positive educational experience for our new midwives, our new grads and senior staff members."

She also wants to show other indigenous students they can achieve what she has.

She loves to be recognised on the street - or the netball court .- by mothers of babies she has delivered.

"Having that continuity even if it is only for a short period of time you do build those deep and emotional relationships in that eight hour period."

She said she is lucky to work with such a great team.

"Not just in the birthing unit but across the maternity sector the whole child and family section I just work with such wonderful support staff and midwives and nurses who provide some of the most exceptional care and bring years and years worth of experience.

HNEH Director, Nursing and Midwifery Services, Elizabeth Grist said the awards recognise the contribution and dedication of nurses and midwives working in the

"These awards are an opportunity to honour nurses and midwives across NSW who go above and beyond and make a real difference not only within their teams but, most importantly, to the patients they care for," Ms Grist said.

Each Local Health District and Specialty Network nominated their nurses and midwives in six award categories.

This year, in line with COVID-19 safety measures, the awards ceremony will be virtual on November 26.

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