Ayah Mohamed Bashir - Shortlisted for Student Midwife of the Year!
Where are you from, and which course did you choose to study?
I am originally from Libya, North Africa, however, I was born in Brighton. I then moved to London when I was eighteen to complete my first degree in International Business and Finance. I stayed on in London and started my own family. After my third child, I was made redundant from my job in HR during COVID, when I found the opportunity to finally follow my dream of becoming a midwife. In September 2022, I began my midwifery degree here at London South Bank University (LSBU) and have loved every minute of it.
Tell us about being shortlisted for Student Midwife of the Year Award
During my second year as Student Midwife, I cared for a woman who had concealed her pregnancy from all her friends and family (everyone!) apart from her specialist midwife, to deliver via caesarean section and have the baby adopted. Things did not go according to plan, and she went into labour spontaneously, with no time for the caesarean. Soon after delivery, the mother began to bond with her baby; however, as the plan was not to keep her baby boy, she had nothing for him. No clothes, no nappies, no blankets. As the student midwife caring for her, I was tasked with finding spare clothes and essentials for the baby from donations we had received over time. The father of the baby was informed and was coming in to meet his new son, so I was trying to find a little outfit for him to make the first meeting as dignified as possible for all involved.
The story goes on; however, the happy ending is that both parents went home with their baby, fully supported by their families. From this case, I had the idea of making “Baby Packs” with essentials for baby for the first few hours of life, making sure that every baby delivered with us at my host trust, has a dignified start to life and for parents to feel no shame in what is one of the most vulnerable times in their life. The packs are for everyone, not just those identified as “vulnerable” or in need. From this project, my personal tutor at LSBU nominated me for the Student Nursing Times Awards under the category of Student Midwife of the Year. Although I did not go on to win the award, it was a beautiful afternoon celebrating so many inspiring people within nursing and midwifery, and it was an absolute honour to have been shortlisted for the award, out of over six hundred nominees.
Why did you choose to study this subject area? Why did you decide on LSBU?
I have always heard the phrase “midwifery is not a job, it’s a calling,” and I could not agree more. During a gap in my studies in 2011, I spent time volunteering in a refugee camp in Tunisia, housing women and children who had fled the civil war in Libya. At this time, I helped with interpretation from English to Arabic for doctors supporting pregnant women. This role was miles away from what I had been used to, studying business and finance. However, it came so naturally, supporting women and helping to have their voice heard in a time that was so crucial for them. This planted the seed to investigate midwifery further. The end of my career in business during COVID opened the path for me. I did an Access course in nursing and midwifery to get back into education after so long, where I achieved an overall distinction. One of the senior lecturers always spoke highly of LSBU, expressing that students' experience is always rated highly, so I looked into this further. LSBU offered a range of hospital placements that were ranked “Good” or “Outstanding” in the Care Quality Commission (CQC) report, but they were also convenient for me in terms of location to and from school drop off.
Putting my experience to good use
This course is extremely challenging. It is not a traditional course with the usual summer breaks. We are required to work 2,300 hours within our placement trust, as well as 50% of the course being theory-based at university. The teaching material is heavy, with a range of exams, OSCE, Essays and Presentations; however, it all fits together in the end. Everything we are taught in theory suddenly makes sense in the clinical area. I could not imagine learning everything we are required to know without the 2,300 hours of placement. On paper, it all seems impossible, but once you are in it, and if you really want this, it is all worth it in the end. I am surrounded by a cohort of like-minded people who all share similar experiences. We are a very supportive cohort and know we can always lean on each other when we need to.
Can you tell us about your lecturers and teaching experience?
The lecturers you have within midwifery are different from your traditional lecturers. I can compare my previous experience at university, where there is a clear hierarchy, and you may not feel that you can have a casual conversation with them or go to them for support. The midwifery team at LSBU are nothing short of amazing. Every single lecturer, individually and collaboratively, is supportive and empathetic. They have always gone above and beyond to be available for us, whether it be an academic query or a personal issue. We have our personal tutors who are our main port of call, but we also have the wider midwifery team that we can reach out to. What makes it even more special is that every single one of our lecturers has also been a student midwife and can relate to us on many levels, so it is always beneficial to go to them with any queries, as the majority of the time, they would have experienced something similar. We are very lucky as student midwives to be surrounded by so many supportive and encouraging professionals.
Have you done a work placement or any work experience?
Every Student Midwife is allocated a host trust, where they complete your required number of practice hours. You stay within that trust for the full three years, rather than rotating to different hospitals. However, this year, the Nursing and Midwifery Council introduced a new requirement for student midwives to experience management in a different hospital setting, so we were the first cohort to spend three weeks in an alternative trust. I am solely based at Homerton University Hospital, where I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience. Our Clinical Practice Facilitators are extremely welcoming and supportive, regularly check in with us to make sure things are going well and are always ready to listen when things may not be going well. I did my three-week Leadership placement at Newham University Hospital and could not have asked for a better three weeks.
What kind of career would you like to move into?
The first stage is to apply and be accepted onto a preceptorship programme to begin my career as a newly qualified midwife. As this is a highly competitive stage, I will be applying to many different trusts across London. Although securing a preceptorship role is the current priority, eventually I would love to go into a safeguarding role, specialising in supporting vulnerable women and birthing people during their pregnancy and beyond.
Have you taken part in any extracurricular activities such as societies, sports or and social clubs while being a student at LSBU?
The Midwifery degree itself is extremely demanding, leaving very little time to do anything that does not revolve around midwifery, and being a mother to three children also keeps my hands full. However, while on placement, I have been fortunate to take part in various training sessions as well as supporting first and second-year student midwives with clinical skills and documentation.
What advice would you give to people thinking about studying at LSBU?
To anyone considering studying Midwifery at LSBU, I would say go for it! As a mature student, having experienced life as a student at a different London University, I would highly recommend LSBU as a place to gain your Midwifery degree. The team do not just “teach” you everything you need to know, but really make sure you understand why we do what we do. Our lecturers encompass everything the Nursing and Midwifery Council code requires from midwives. You will be well supported in every aspect of life as a student here. The facilities are great when it comes to practising clinical skills, the library services are amazing, there is always someone available, whether it is to read over your work and support with grammar and spelling, or even to help you figure out what the assignment is asking of you. We are so well supported in every aspect of student life.