Josephine Mellia
Summary
Versatile skills in problem-solving, adaptability, and a proactive approach drive the delivery of effective solutions. A strong background in leadership, project management, and achieving strategic objectives fosters a collaborative mindset that enhances teamwork and commitment to excellence. Proven ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently in fast-paced environments ensures consistent performance under pressure.
Overview
31
31
years of professional experience
Work History
Registered Midwife – Midwifery at Home
Western Health
02.2024 - Current
Associate Midwifery Unit Manager – Midwifery in the Home (MITH)
Mercy Health
02.2024 - 01.2025
- To be responsible for workforce planning and meeting the requirements of MITH home visits for mothers and babies. Form an integral part of a multidisciplinary team and be required to provide highly responsive and flexible service to clients and their families, while upholding a high level of professionalism and leadership.
- Confident in the assessment of mother and baby well-being and provide support to facilitate introduction of the newborn into the family unit.
- Provide support to families in their loss of an infant through professional guidance and appropriate referral.
- Actively promote and support breastfeeding.
- To develop and maintain relationships, information sharing and referral processes with health, family, and early years services.
- Ensure information is acted on in a timely manner to provide safe and supportive care to infants and their families, addressing any risk appropriately.
- Discharge planning involving family & community supports incorporating special needs into the plan.
- Documentation providing an accurate and objective account of the care received on domiciliary program.
- Provide contemporary, evidence-based midwifery care and demonstrating a commitment to promoting educational activities within the unit.
- Preceptor staff, clinical leadership and effective management skills.
- Educate, supervise, and delegate learning opportunities to student and graduate midwives. Assist with the assessment and completion of mandatory competencies.
Continuity Liaison and Support Midwife
Wyndham City Council
01.2023 - 08.2024
- To work in collaboration and partnership with a range of health and family support services including maternity hospitals, early parenting centres, Aboriginal services, and early years services to ensure that continuity is maintained in the transition of infants from the acute care sector to Council's services in the community.
- To facilitate a seamless continuum of care for maternity, newborn & paediatric services into community services.
- To develop and maintain relationships, information sharing and referral processes with health, family, and early years services to support access to Council's services for all infants within the municipality.
- Maintain a high standard of documentation of information within CDIS relating to the progress of infants who will be transferring to care within Council's services.
- Ensure information is acted on in a timely manner to provide safe and supportive care to infants and their families, addressing any risk appropriately.
- Liaise with Council services that will be providing care to the infant and family to ensure that information is provided in a timely manner to enable planning of care to minimise parental anxiety.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of referral and communication process regarding infants discharged from the acute sector.
- Liaise with EMCH Team Leader for additional support where families are identified as ‘at risk' by hospital staff.
- Work as part of a team with other employees in the Department, and contribute to the achievement of organisational, strategic and business plans for the achievement of financial, quality management and customer service targets.
- Maintain up to date knowledge of legislative and professional standards required in relation to the role.
- Conduct additional home visits if required to follow up concerns identified at the initial Home Visit including COVID visits to weigh babies.
Pre-admission Midwife
Epworth Freemasons
04.2023 - 01.2024
- To ensure parents have access to Epworth Maternity Services and are antenatally pre-admitted providing best possible care throughout their pregnancy journey. To confirm up to date medical and obstetric history to guide parents through their journey with appropriate referrals and assist the clinical team with up-to-date information on admission.
- Practice midwifery care ethically and compassionately.
- Perform efficient admission bookings in accordance with organisation KPI within IPM, CRM, BOS, ICOPE EPDS, Excel, Word, and Email systems.
- Always maintain patient confidentiality.
- Provide excellent, helpful service to patients and staff.
- Liaise with Obstetric Doctors and Birth Suite to book Inductions of Labour, Caesarean Sections, Termination of Pregnancies, External Cephalic Versions & Cervical Sutures.
- Enter appropriate data within suitable timeframes.
- Encourage patients and family members participation in all stages of care continuum.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Respect the culture, beliefs & values of women, their partners and work colleagues.
- Complete mandatory competencies in a timely manner.
Endorsed Private Practice Midwife
MAMA Services (Midwives and Mothers Australia)
09.2021 - 03.2023
- To support women throughout the continuum of pregnancy, labour, birth and up to 6 weeks postpartum. Providing up to date, evidence based, and women centered care. Advocating for women and supporting them in their birthing decisions within the realm of ACM Guidelines for Referral & Consultation.
- Practice midwifery care ethically and compassionately.
- Advanced clinical Midwifery knowledge and clinical expertise.
- Collaborative interdisciplinary teamwork.
- Clinical leadership and effective management skills.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Work within scope of Midwifery practice and understand when to refer and consult with medical staff.
- Recognising maternal &/or fetal deterioration and respond quickly and efficiently in emergency situations to ensure favourable outcomes.
- Continuous professional development, safe medication prescribing & administration and registration with AHPRA.
- Educate, supervise and delegate learning opportunities to student and graduate midwives. Assist with the assessment and completion of mandatory competencies.
A/Midwifery Unit Manager (Birth Suite & Maternity Assessment Centre - MAC)
The Northern Hospital
06.2021 - 09.2021
- To promote and evaluate the delivery of excellent patient and family centered care, while providing clinical leadership, operational management and strategic direction. Leadership that effectively engages staff in the provision of safe and evidence-based care.
- Support and promote Midwifery led care through Birth Suite & MAC.
- Recruitment, retention, and development of staff.
- Advanced clinical Midwifery knowledge and clinical expertise.
- Clinical leadership and effective management skills.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Manage rosters, Annual Leave and EFT planners.
- Quality and Clinical Governance with risk assessed and managed throughout Birth Suite & MAC.
- Support Unit's budget development and financial management.
- Collaborative interdisciplinary teamwork within units.
- Relocation of MAC Unit closer to Birth Suite & organisational tasks associated.
- Assessment & Preparation of Birth Suite & MAC for Accreditation in accordance with The National Safety and Quality Health Service standards.
Associate Midwifery Unit Manager & Access Co-Ordinator
Joan Kirner Women & Children's Hospital
02.2019 - 06.2021
- To lead, support and educate staff in relation to current Midwifery evidence-based practice. Follow and understand Western Health policies and procedures and working within the Best Care framework to deliver positive outcomes for women, their families, and staff members. Managing rosters, skill mix and EFT within JKWC's hospital. Coordinating bed allocation and ensure flow throughout the service in a timely manner.
- Advanced clinical Midwifery knowledge and clinical expertise.
- Clinical leadership and effective management skills.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Work within scope of Midwifery practice and understand when to refer and consult with medical staff.
- Co-ordinate and direct patient flow through departments as required.
- Always display respect for medical staff; however, possess the ability to voice concern or question the management of care by a medical officer and escalate if required using evidence-based information to support my actions.
- Recognising maternal &/or fetal deterioration and respond quickly and efficiently in emergency situations to ensure favourable outcomes.
- Continuous professional development, safe medication administration, registration with AHPRA and Level 3 RANZCOG FSEP result.
- Educate, supervise, and delegate learning opportunities to student and graduate midwives. Assist with the assessment and completion of mandatory competencies.
- Acknowledge gaps in knowledge or practice of staff members and effectively communicate this with Unit Managers and Education team to support staff members achieve a better understanding and consolidate skills into practice effectively through education plans and extra clinical support as required.
- Manage rosters for JKWC's (Birthing, MAC and Maternity units).
- Coordinate bed allocation throughout JKWC's and ensure flow in a timely manner.
- Identify weakness in roster allocation and rectify with even distribution of skill mix.
- Work autonomously, however liaise with Unit Manager's, AMUM / ANUM's, IOL Midwife and Sunshine AHA Coordinator to ensure smooth running of day-to-day operations of JKWC's Hospital.
- Recognise possibility of bed block and suggest solutions and prioritise patient acuity and the prospect of bumping non-urgent procedures and surgeries.
Registered Midwife
Joan Kirner Women & Children's Hospital
06.2018 - 06.2019
- To work autonomously and collaborate within a multi-disciplinary team, while practicing in a safe and competent manner to ensure best outcomes for women and their infants.
- Practice midwifery care ethically and compassionately.
- Always work within scope of midwifery practice and understand when to escalate and collaborate with senior &/or medical staff.
- Support and advocate women's choice with safe, up to date, evidence-based knowledge, and practice.
- Always display respect for medical staff; however, possess the ability to voice concern or question the management of care by a medical officer and escalate if required using evidence-based information to support my actions.
- Recognising maternal &/or fetal deterioration and respond quickly and efficiently in emergency situations to ensure favourable outcomes.
- Provide evidence-based practice within the Special Care Nursery to minimise duration of stay and support parents through a difficult time of varying emotions and situations that may arise with their unwell or premature neonate.
- Continuous professional development, safe medication administration and registration with AHPRA.
- Educate, supervise, and delegate learning opportunities to student and graduate midwives. Assist with the assessment and completion of mandatory competencies.
- Always work within scope of midwifery practice within the Antenatal Clinic. To work autonomously, however understand when to escalate and collaborate with senior &/or medical staff using ACM Guidelines for Escalation & Referral, in collaboration with Western Health policy and procedure.
- Complete mandatory competencies in a timely manner.
Registered Midwife
St. Vincent's Private Hospital
03.2015 - 06.2018
Registered Midwife
Werribee Mercy Hospital
01.2015 - 06.2018
Senior Hairdresser / Salon Co-Ordinator
Linear Hair Werribee Plaza
01.2008 - 12.2010
Technical Academy Co-Ordinator & Colour Technician
L'Oreal
01.2004 - 12.2008
Owner / Manager
Bladz Edge Hair & Beauty
01.2001 - 12.2004
EFTPOS Operator & Training Officer
ANZ Bank
01.1995 - 12.2001
Education
Bachelor of Midwifery -
Victoria University
12-2014
Prescribing for Midwives Course -
Griffith University
06.2022
Graduate Midwifery Year -
St. Vincent's Private
12-2015
Victorian Certificate of Education -
St.Albans Secondary College
Victoria12-1993
Skills
- Collaborative practice
- Patient-focused care
- Relationship building
- Multitasking
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Excellent communication
- Organizational skills
- Patient safety
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Clinical assessment
- Emergency management
- Professional demeanor
- Emotional intelligence
- Problem-solving aptitude
- Time management abilities
Timeline
Registered Midwife – Midwifery at Home
Western Health
02.2024 - Current
Associate Midwifery Unit Manager – Midwifery in the Home (MITH)
Mercy Health
02.2024 - 01.2025
Pre-admission Midwife
Epworth Freemasons
04.2023 - 01.2024
Continuity Liaison and Support Midwife
Wyndham City Council
01.2023 - 08.2024
Endorsed Private Practice Midwife
MAMA Services (Midwives and Mothers Australia)
09.2021 - 03.2023
A/Midwifery Unit Manager (Birth Suite & Maternity Assessment Centre - MAC)
The Northern Hospital
06.2021 - 09.2021
Associate Midwifery Unit Manager & Access Co-Ordinator
Joan Kirner Women & Children's Hospital
02.2019 - 06.2021
Registered Midwife
Joan Kirner Women & Children's Hospital
06.2018 - 06.2019
Registered Midwife
St. Vincent's Private Hospital
03.2015 - 06.2018
Registered Midwife
Werribee Mercy Hospital
01.2015 - 06.2018
Senior Hairdresser / Salon Co-Ordinator
Linear Hair Werribee Plaza
01.2008 - 12.2010
Technical Academy Co-Ordinator & Colour Technician
L'Oreal
01.2004 - 12.2008
Owner / Manager
Bladz Edge Hair & Beauty
01.2001 - 12.2004
EFTPOS Operator & Training Officer
ANZ Bank
01.1995 - 12.2001
Bachelor of Midwifery -
Victoria University
Prescribing for Midwives Course -
Griffith University
Graduate Midwifery Year -
St. Vincent's Private
Victorian Certificate of Education -
St.Albans Secondary College
Professional Development
- 2015- 2025 RANZCOG – Fetal Surveillance Education Program, Level 3 practitioner
- 20/05/2025 PROMPT – Obstetric Emergencies
- 29/4/2022 Perineal Suturing Course (MAMA Services)
- 01/08/2021 Midwifery Management Skills for Future Leaders
- 06/2014 Voluntary Midwifery Placement – Tanzania