Bentley Midwifery Manager Carli Beange with ECU's Professor Sara Bayes. Credit: East Metropolitan Health Service
Edith Cowan University's Midwife and Research Professor Sara Bayes is partnering with the Midwifery Birth Centre at Bentley Health Service to build research into opportunities and challenges facing midwives, maternity services and expectant mothers.
Under Professor Bayes' guidance, midwives will be encouraged to undertake their own research as well as play an active role in her investigations.
Holding a Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Midwifery, Professor Bayes hopes the partnership will help drive innovation in midwifery training and care, while creating better support for expectant mother, new babies and wider family members.
"My end focus is to improve maternity care and consumers' experience, while also optimising midwives' job satisfaction and their ability to work to the full extent of their scope," Professor Bayes explained.
"The Midwifery Birth Centre at Bentley has an excellent reputation. Midwives report a highly rewarding work environment, so I'll be investigating why that is and what lessons we can learn and apply in other maternity services to attract and retain more midwives."
Over the next three years, Professor Bayes will spend one day a week at the Midwifery Birth Centre, attend regular meetings and work closely with midwives to support midwifery led research and establish why the service at Bentley is so successful.
Her research will include midwifery clinical issues; maternal mental health; improving antenatal education; and improving quality of maternal care.
Bentley Midwifery Manager Carli Beange welcomed Professor Bayes at a recent event.
"Myself and the nine endorsed, clinical midwives who practise at the Centre look forward to supporting Sara's research and investigate clinical questions to continue the exceptional care we provide to women and their families."
