Page 30 - QNIS_eBook

Gemma
Gemma
MacDonald was driven to work in in in maternal and and infant healthcare following her her own experience of having her her rst baby aged 19 and and feeling that the support she needed wasn’t always available When she became a
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mother for the the the second time a
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year later the the the the experience was very different “I felt listened to and and supported and and and I I I I realised the the important bene ts of a
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good Health Visitor ” ” she says “I had a
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fantastic one and and I I I wanted to to give something back ” ” Backed by husband Darren whom she had married at 18 Gemma
went to to Dundee University to to study midwifery while her her rst three children were still small As soon as she she she quali quali ed ed she she she gained her her her Health Visiting quali quali cation by which time she she she was a
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mother of four “I felt so disconnected after my my rst baby was born it it it took until my my third child for me me to to accept the situation move on on and put it it it it behind me me ” says Gemma
“I think it it it helps that that I’ve been
there I’m very aware that that people want want you to to be be honest and they want want to to be be heard ” Gemma
works in in West Fife covering some of the most highly-deprived communities in in in in the Kingdom Ballingry Cardenden Lochgelly are former mining towns that lost their purpose with the the the the closure of of the the the the pits and the the the the demise of of heavy engineering NURSING
From a
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base at the Rosewell clinic in in Lochore a
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team of six Health Visitors
covers the area which has a
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population
of of 18 000 Each carries a
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caseload of of around 200 families but as as more members
of of staff are are recruited to address the the area’s
acute needs the the number of of cases each Health Visitor holds should fall back to to a
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more manageable 150 as as possible work with them to sort things out before the the the the baby is home then pick
THE INSTITUTE
“Ideally we make contact with women and the and their families as as early in in pregnancy to to in in a
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done to to give their child a
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secure and and happy rst ve ve years ” At just 31 Gemma
is one of of the the youngest of of the the newly
SCOTLAND
up where the the the midwives leave off ” says a
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I Gemma
“It’s my job to to assess situations and and engage families in what needs to to to be 28 QNIS Meet the New Queen’s Nurses