Marketing Analysis

The writer will discuss the midwife's role of the in risk management. Collins New English Dictionary (1997), defines risk as the possibility of incurring misfortune or loss. Therefore clinical risk management is a major concern for the midwife. Clinical risk management is an integral part of good midwifery practice. Risk management should be under taking in a proactive way so action can be taken to prevent injury or loss. In this assignment, the writer will firstly discuss risk and safety. The writer will then discuss accountability and professional competence will then be reviewed. The importance of maintaining good and accurate record keeping for health professionals will be reviewed. In addition, the use of proactive risk management strategies such as clinical audit and clinical incidence reporting in reducing risk will finally be discussed.

Risk management

Risk is the chance of certain negative consequences arising from an action or inaction of just the environment (Tingle, 1995). In health care settings, the patients are vulnerable individuals who need risks to be minimised. Risk management is a dynamic process that evaluates and improves how care is provided on a day to day basis (Wilson and Symon, 2002). The midwife's primary role in risk managements is to improve the quality of care provided to women and their babies; a secondary function is to reduce medico-legal risk (Vincent, 1995). Risk management means identifying and managing the potential risk to each woman and every unborn and newborn infant (National Association Healthcare Quality, 1998). Since the safety of women is the overriding feature of maternity care, it is important that the midwife have a good understanding of risk management. Controlling risks in the area of midwifery is a challenge for both medical and midwifery practitioners. Although pregnancy is normally an uncomplicated process, many factors can affect the likelihood of the mother giving birth to a normal healthy baby. Safety of the women is paramount in all aspects of maternity care, the midwife needs to actively participate in implementing safe practices and act to prevent adverse outcomes. These safe practices are maintaining good record keeping, clinical auditing and being accountable for one's practice. Risk management needs to be part of every midwife's care of the women. Safety is a fundamental principle of patient and client care and it is a critical component of quality management and risk reduction (Health Service Executive, 2005).

Accountability

It is a statutory responsibility of all midwives to be accountable for their practice. Accountability is the fulfilment of a formal obligation to disclose to referent others the purposes, principles, procedures, relationships, results, income and expenditures for which one has authority (Lewis and Batey, 1982). A system of accountability exists to ensure that standards, set by the professional body are upheld and implemented (McCarthy, 1994). The midwife needs to ensure that she works within their scope of practice and does not perform a task that could negatively affect the mother or baby. In determining her scope of practice, the midwife must make a judgement as to whether she is competent to carry out a particular role or function. The midwife must take measures to develop and maintain the competence necessary for professional practice (ABA, 2000). Competence is the ability of the registered midwife to practice safely and effectively fulfilling her professional responsibility within their scope of practice (An Bord Altranais, 2000). To reduce incidences of clinical risk the midwife has a statutory duty to her regulatory body, the public and employer that she maintains and improves her professional competence and knowledge and that she acknowledges any limitations in these areas that could risk the health and wellbeing of the mother and baby. Continuing professional development is required in order to maintain and enhance professional standards and to provide the highest quality of health care (ABA, 2000). The midwife has a role in ensuring she is up to date with local policies and guidelines in the clinical environment. This will ensure that the midwife will effectively be able to identify risk and manage it successfully.

Documentation

The keeping of clear comprehensive records is part of the duty of care owed to the patient (Diamond, 2006). Midwives also have a statutory duty to maintain good record keeping (ABA, 2002). The quality of records