Michelle Simmons

Clinical service and consultancy.

• Lactation referrals and consultation for women with with complex infant feeding and lactation issues across maternity services and the Westmead campus
• Consultation with multidisciplinary staff from each area of the hospital re: infant feeding issues
• Development of patient factsheets for the Westmead WNH website in collaboration with consumers
• Quality projects: i.e. Keeping baby home, where the introduction of a feed chart assisted in reducing readmissions for weight loss due to poor feeding by 80% in 12 months.

Clinical Leadership.

• Facilitating practice change whilst ensuring and promoting evidence based practice and WSLHD/NSW Health policy.
• Managing several WSLHD PCPs, procedures and guidelines pertaining to infant feeding and postnatal care.
• Chair of the NSW Midwifery consultants group
• Chair of the WSLHD BFHI reference group-has midwifery and CFHN representation to support WSLHD facilities in working towards a successful BFHI accreditation.
• Management and governance of risk
• Collaborated with staff from MHL to create a learning module on Comprehensive assessment of the well newborn. Also developed a guideline and competency assessment for staff to be assessed to be able to perform a discharge assessment on a neonate on the maternity ward.

Education.

• Facilitate Breastfeeding information sessions for women birthing in WSLHD
• Facilitate the infant feeding education of multidisciplinary staff to promote evidence based practice and practice change.
• Facilitate sessions and assist in the co-ordination of the WSLHD 2 day Breastfeeding Workshop and the Breastfeeding SCORPIO, Train the Trainer , 2 day workshop
• Facilitate education sessions at Westmead Hospital for Neonatal medical staff and medical students on infant feeding and Hypoglycaemia

Clinical Services planning management.

• Work collaboratively with all members of the multi-disciplinary team in supporting primary health care models and women centred care.
• Establishment of antenatal lactation clinics and postnatal breastfeeding support clinics at Westmead
• EMR referral system utilised by clinicians hospital wide

Research.

• 2024 Investigating midwives and nurses reporting of ‘infant feeding at hospital discharge’: an online survey across NSW Australia. International Breastfeeding Journal.
• 2022. The BLIiNG study - Breastfeeding length and intensity in gestational diabetes and metabolic effects in a subsequent pregnancy: A cohort study.- co-investigator
• 2022). Acceptability and utility of an opportunistic adaption of digital health intervention research during the covid-19 pandemic for service delivery to optimise postnatal care: smartmums to healthymums@ Westmead- co-investigator
• Currently completing a BoM-Honours(WSU)- Research proposal, Preparing for Baby Friendly Health Initiative (BFHI) accreditation in Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD)

• Facilitating lectures and tutorials pertaining to infant feeding, lactation, breastfeeding for Bachelor of Midwifery and Graduate Diploma of Midwifery students

• Provide expert midwifery and nursing leadership and coordination within a midwifery and nursing environment.
• Applied relevant legislation, guidelines and standards to midwifery and nursing practice
• Intergrated strategic direction for quality improvement in the clinical setting while establishing quality frameworks
• Used information and reporting systems relevant to the Midwifery Nurse manager position
• Networking and collaboration with all members of the multidisciplinary team as well as executive and workforce staff for the day to day functioning of the clinical environment.
• Supported staff in the delivery of safe clinical care
• Informed the planning of stage 1 of the functional brief for the stage 2 of the clinical maternity services building

Clinical service and consultancy.

• Antenatal and postnatal consultation and referral of women with complex infant feeding issues.
• Consultation with multidisciplinary staff from each area of the hospital re: infant feeding issues
• Development of patient information brochures and booklets through the WSLHD infant feeding committee in conjunction with consumers

Clinical Leadership.

• Facilitating practice change whilst ensuring and promoting evidence based practice and WSLHD/NSW Health policy.
• Creating and reviewing WSLHD policies and procedures pertaining to infant feeding and postnatal care.
• Represent the Australian College of Neonatal Nurses on the National BFHI advisory committee
• Secretary for the NSW BFHI reference group- aim is to support, promote and protect breastfeeding and assist WSLHD facilities in working towards a successful BFHI accreditation.
• Management and governance of risk

Education.

• Facilitate Breastfeeding information sessions and support postnatal sessions
• Facilitate the infant feeding education of multidisciplinary staff to promote evidence based practice.
• Facilitate sessions and assist in the co-ordination of the SWAHS three day Breastfeeding Workshop and the Advanced Breastfeeding course(over 6 months- involves lecturing and the marking of assignments)
• Facilitate education sessions at Blacktown Hospital and at UWS Campbletown for medical students on infant feeding.
• Facilitate family partnership training courses within WSLHN.

Clinical Services planning management.

• Work collaboratively with all members of the multi-disciplinary team in supporting primary health care models and women centred care.
• Work collaboratively with all members of the multi-disciplinary team to achieve a successful BFHI accreditation across both hospitals
• Establishment of Tongue-tie clinic at Blacktown hospital inpatient/outpatient service
• Working in partnership with consumers to facilitate breastfeeding support sessions via the Buffet Breakfast on Maternity ward.

Research.

· Evaluate Tongue tie clinic focusing on improvements in breastfeeding outcomes and trends in fraenulum position

· Case presentation- paper submitted to the ACM NSW Branch annual conference, October 2014. Planning to publish paper

• Re-evaluate consumers and midwives satisfaction with the buffet breakfast on maternity ward- Abstract submitted and accepted at the UWS International Nurture and Nutrition conference November, 2014