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Young JHC graduate follows family tradition of midwifery

May 05, 2023

Graduate Midwife Jen Meakins is continuing in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother in becoming a midwife with a passion for the profound and transformative event of childbearing.

She is three months into the Ramsay Health Care Graduate Pathway Program at Joondalup Health Campus (JHC), which she says was an easy choice for her having completed her clinical practice at the hospital with such a supportive team.

Under supervision and in a supported environment, Jen is currently helping care for women post birth with breastfeeding education, looking after neonates, managing women’s complex comorbidities and caring for women after pregnancy loss.

Midwifery to me is a uniquely privileged position, in working alongside and to have a pivotal impact on women and their families throughout all stages of pregnancy and birth,” Jen said.

“Growing up, I saw the passion my mother and grandmother had, which sparked my fascination with conception and expectant mothers and their health I wanted to be a part of this special process,” she said.

Jen’s move into midwifery followed a five year career as a clinical nurse working in the community setting, and she has high hopes of inspiring others into the occupation.

I currently hold a Master’s degree and I would eventually like to complete a PhD in research and lecture at university to help other student midwives,” Jen continued.

Jen said her favourite thing about Ramsay is the work environment, the midwifery service and that the graduate intake is smaller than some of the larger tertiary hospitals, which enables greater support as a Graduate Midwife.

“My experience so far has been amazing. I have hit the ground running and immersed myself into the area of midwifery in which I have further developed many clinical skills of midwifery, particularly escalating care of women and neonates as well as breastfeeding troubleshooting,” she said.

“The Graduate Coordinators and Clinical Midwifery staff have all been amazingly supportive and addressed any areas of concern that I had.”