What it's like to train Emma Willis to deliver babies
Emma Willis takes up a new role on the maternity ward in series four of Delivering Babies
UKTV
- Laura Rutkowski
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Series four of Delivering Babies sees Emma Willis working in a new role on a new maternity ward at Watford General Hospital. She hopes to qualify as a maternity support worker (MSW), one level up from her previous job as a maternity care assistant (MCA). Willis is being trained by MSW project lead midwife Ozlem Uslu, known as Oz…
CHILDHOOD DREAM
I had wanted to be a midwife ever since I was a young girl — to be with women, be their advocate and their voice, and help them through the journey of pregnancy. I was a driving instructor, married with two kids, and then I quit to study at the University of Hertfordshire full-time. I trained at Watford and qualified as a midwife in 2012.
PUTTING SKILLS TO THE TEST
We went over the skills Emma had already learnt, like taking blood pressure, temperature and pulse, and baby obs [observations]. We decided what she needed refresher lessons on, and once she was supervised and showed she could do it competently, I signed her off. She’s a doer — she loves taking blood! New skills included removing a catheter, IV cannula removal, urinalysis, and checking blood sugar levels.
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CONFIDENCE BOOST
Emma completed a competency pack every week, doing a lot of theory and feedback. I treated her like everyone else. She would do long days (121 /2 hours) and short days (71 /2 hours). I’m more about coaching, not teaching. I promote positivity, but I can be quite strict! Emma gets a bit nervous, and initially it took her a while to settle in. She always wanted to practice more before I assessed her. I just needed to boost her confidence, because I knew she was competent.
CELEBRITY ALERT
Some people wanted to keep that birthing experience private, but most people were up for being filmed, especially if they were having a C-section. In fact, some couples were really upset they couldn’t be in the show, because of the gestation of their pregnancy. When Emma and I walked around the ward, people would go, “Is that Emma Willis?”
A WATFORD WIN
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I am so happy we got involved in this [series]. I want Watford to thrive. Hopefully people watch the show and realise Watford has opportunities and think, “Emma Willis went there — I might work there,” or, “I could have my baby there”. I’d welcome Emma back to Watford today! I’m very proud of my MCAs and MSWs — I call them my angels.
Authors
Laura Rutkowski
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