Dr Louise Jenkins

Louise is an experienced leader, midwife and lecturer, with an interest in the impact of intervention and complexity on birth.

[email protected]

Background

Louise qualified as a midwife in 1997 from City University, and worked in a variety of midwifery roles in NHS practice. She joined ARU in March 2005 and has since held a range of roles including Deputy Head of School for Adult Nursing, Deputy Head of Department for Midwifery, Child and Community Nursing, Head of School for Nursing and Midwifery in Cambridge, and now as Head of School for Midwifery and Community Health.

Louise is also the Lead Midwife for Education for ARU. She has previously been the module leader for a number of midwifery modules, covering obstetric and medical complexities and emergencies in childbirth, at both undergraduate and Masters level. Louise is particularly interested in the promotion of normal birth for women with complex needs, and the impact of interventions on childbirth.

Between 2010 and 2012 Louise was seconded to the Postgraduate Medical Institute and was the Pathway Lead for Maternity for the North East & North Central London and Essex (NECLES) Health Innovation & Education Cluster (HIEC). This organisation aimed to diffuse innovation and best practice across the NECLES HIEC area, to improve care for women, their babies and families. A key work stream was to contribute to the reduction of Caesarean section rates.

Research interests

The history of midwifery, particularly the use of technology in midwifery. Louise's PhD was undertaken at the University of Leeds under an AHRC studentship, as a collaborative doctoral award with the Thackray Museum. Her thesis was titled Recovering the clinical history of the vectis: the role of standardised medical education and changing obstetric practice and considered why the vectis disappeared from public consciousness and the history books, while the forceps became the dominant technology in assisting at obstructed births. She completed her PhD in 2019.

Teaching

Louise supervises a number of students undertaking both undergraduate and postgraduate major projects.

Qualifications

• PhD, University of Leeds
• PG Diploma Learning & Teaching, Anglia Ruskin University
• MSc Midwifery, City University
• BSc (Hons) Midwifery & Registered Midwife , City University
• DipHE Adult Nursing & Registered Nurse (Adult), City University

Memberships, editorial boards

• Member of the Royal College of Midwives
• Committee Member of De Partu www.departu.org.uk
• Anglia Ruskin Senior Teaching Fellow
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange

• Clinical Lead, Health Foundation ‘Closing the Gap’ Award, 2010 – 2011

Selected recent publications

Edmonds, M. and Jenkins, L. (2021) 'Advance rotas for students: improving work-life balance and the placement experience', e-Nursing Standard, July 23.

Jenkins, L. (2018) 'Recognising the deteriorating woman'. In Lindsay, P., Peate, I. and Bagness, C. (Eds.) (2018) Midwifery Skills at a Glance. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.

Jenkins, L. (2018) 'MEOWS AVPU, GCS and SBA'. In: Lindsay, P., Peate, I. and Bagness, C. (2018) Midwifery Skills at a Glance. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell.

Jenkins, L. (2014) 'Managing Shoulder Dystocia: understanding and applying RCOG guidance', British Journal of Midwifery, 22(5), pp. 318-324.

Recent presentations and conferences

Jenkins, L. (2024) 'Defining clinical mentorship and student supervision', Mentorship Conference, Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka, 21 March.

Jenkins, L. (2022) 'Strategies for sustaining and enhancing health care education during Covid-19 pandemic', Innovation of nursing education in response to Covid-19 and beyond, virtual seminar, Anglia Ruskin University-Universitas Gadjah Mada, 24 February.

Jenkins, L. (2018) 'An overview of midwifery regulation in the UK and the role of the midwife', Masters Seminar Series, seminar presentation, Chelmsford.

Jenkins, L. (2017) 'Midwifery Education for medical practitioners as part of medical regulation in the Nineteenth century', De Partu Event, York, 26 May.

Jenkins, L. (2015) 'The use of the Wellcome archive to elucidate the use of the vectis.', De Partu Seminar, Wellcome Trust, London, 3 April.

Jenkins, L. (2015) 'Midwifery strategies to promote normal childbirth', Maternity conference, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China, 22 August.