A day in the Life of Staff Midwife - Stephanie Ryan

My name is Stephanie Ryan. I am a staff midwife working at University Maternity Hospital Limerick. I have been a midwife here for 5 years. I am from Kildare but attended college in Limerick and I have never left!

At the moment I have very few hobbies as I am studying to attain a Masters in Midwifery Practice at UCD. My free time is spent studying or at the gym.

A typical working day for me starts in the Maternity Emergency Unit (MEU). We are a very busy unit. As part of my role as a midwife in MEU, I perform a full clinical assessment of each woman. I assess plan and implement care while working simultaneously between admitting elective admissions and assessing emergency presentations. The early pregnancy assessment unit are also facilitated in MEU. Additionally, MEU offers an over-the-phone advice service to women.

What I enjoy about my work is that every shift in the emergency unit is different, challenging, and rewarding. As midwives in MEU we get the opportunity to utilise and enhance our midwifery skills on each shift as we meet a wide variety of obstetric cases. The most enjoyable aspect of my role is the opportunity to care for women at such a crucial stage in their lives, it is an honour and privilege.

My favourite part of my working day is coming on shift to my lovely colleagues in MEU. We have an amazing team of midwives whom all encourage and support each other. Which is paramount to the efficiency of the unit.

My most memorable moment to date is the advancement of my midwifery career in the recent promotion to CMM1. I am very grateful and look forward to the new experiences and challenges ahead.