Anyone here a maternity support worker??

Hi There
Is anyone here working as a maternity support worker or maternity healthcare support worker?
I am trying to find more details about the job from people with personal experience. Would you be able to tell me about you’re?
1) Daily responsible
2) Working patterns and working days ( do you have to work every weekend etc)

3) How long are your night shifts and how often.
4) Do you enjoy it, was it the best job decision you made?
5) What’s your highlights/favourite moments about the job

I am really concerned more about the hours to be truthful as I used to work as a community healthcare assistant. My working hours where almost 80 hours per week!!! I had to leave because of health reason caused by such long hours, so I do not want to put myself in that position again.
Any help would be great! :yes:

Thanks in advance :biggrin:

Reply 1

Ice_Queen

My mom is a HCA in a maternity unit. I'm not living with her anymore, but I will answer the questions as best I know.

1. Mom is a TIMS (teenage identified midwifery service) nurse. She has to go around pregnant teens' houses and prepare them for the birth and having a small child. When she is on the ward, she helps with the births and all the little jobs a 'normal' HCA would be doing. She also has to do clinic sometimes, which she hates! She's also a booking co-ordinator for something or other.

2. She is part-time, so she has to do a minimum of three (four?) shifts a week. Mom almost always does overtime though, as she doesn't have to look after me or Steph anymore. You are given your timetable in advance; you can 'request' to have certain days off, but I don't think you can request every weekend! You will be expected to do certain nights and weekends; the hospital never stops!

3. They're from ten until eight I think, although I can't remember, that seems rather long :s-smilie:

It depends on when you're timetabled.

4. She loves it. She was on the waiting list for ages. There is nothing she would rather be doing.

5. The babies! Some people like small children, she likes babies. She doesn't do much work with babies now she is on TIMS, but she says she loves TIMS as well, it's very worthwhile.

She definitely doesn't do 80 hours a week, but, like I said, she is part-time. Just ask the hospital :smile: