Case study: Shaping treatments of the future - Nicola's story

All third-year Midwifery students can experience first-hand what it’s like to be a Research Midwife at University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire. And Nicola Flint, Senior Research Midwife/Tommy’s Midwife, believes this is an effective way to encourage other colleagues to get involved.

She has been a Research Midwife since 2013, becoming Senior Research Midwife in 2019, and manages a team of Research Midwives, Research Nurses, Assistant Research Practitioners, Clinical Trials Assistants and a Research Assistant. The team covers Women’s Reproductive Health research, including Obstetrics, Gynaecology, Infertility and Recurrent Miscarriage.

Nicola said: “We work on all types of studies from drug trials, new devices, observational and questionnaires. Although we are a large team, we often rely on the clinical teams for support.

“This year we have been fortunate to include a Research Placement on the third year Midwifery Students’ timetable. This means all third-year students are now able to come and work with us, learn about the studies we are running and experience first-hand what it’s like to be a Research Midwife.

“We are always looking for new ways to showcase the amazing work we do and are hopeful that this will cascade through the students to staff, when they are on the wards.

“As a Tommy’s Centre for recurrent miscarriage, we accept referrals from all over the UK for recurrent miscarriage investigations and support. As the Tommy’s Midwife I lead two clinics a week offering Early Pregnancy Ultrasound support and we pride ourselves in giving telephone support to our patients five days a week.

“Research shapes tests and treatments for the future – what the clinical teams do, day in day out, is down to studies and trials done previously. Research increases our knowledge and can lead to life changing treatments, improving health and care for generations to come. I am proud to be a Research Midwife – changing the lives of Women, their families and babies.”

Studies currently being worked on are:

DIvO – Digital Imaging versus Ophthalmosocopy Study, in which we are the lead recruiting site at over 2000 recruits in just over six months

Miness20-28 – Mothers working to prevent early stillbirth study 20-28

GBS3 – Routine testing for Group B Streptococcus

iGBS3 – Development of a serocorrelate of protection against invasive Group B Streptococcus disease

PAO Study – Pregnancy Associated Osteoporosis

ROTATE – Rotation of the fetal head at full cervical dilation – Randomised controlled trial of manual versus instrumental rotation

STOPPIT3 – Antenatal Corticosteroids for Planned Birth in Twins

IMPRESS – Improving Miscarriage Prevention Research

FERN – Intervention or Expectant Management for Early Onset Selective Fetal Growth Restriction in Monochorionic Twin Pregnancy

ADAPT-1 – Assessment of Conventional Dosing in Women undergoing ART with Follitropin Delta Treatment

LOCI – Letrozole or Clomifene, with or without metformin, for ovulation induction in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

EndoWAR – Exploring Disease mechanisms of endometriosis

STOP-OHSS – Shaping and Trialling Outpatient Protocols for Ovarian HyperStimulation Syndrome

Egg Sharing – Establishing a Programme of Egg Sharing to Research

REACH – Heat-stable carbetocin for the treatment of postpartum haemorrhage