Working Life: I'm a community midwife — I love the variety of the job 

Fiona Walsh, clinical nurse manager and longest-serving community midwife

Fiona Walsh, clinical nurse manager and longest-serving community midwife.  Photograph Moya Nolan

“I took the scenic route to community midwifery, starting by enrolling in arts at university, before dropping out after a summer in the US. I then tried veterinary nursing and loved it, but the income in those days was meagre.

“After working for a time as a healthcare assistant in a private convalescent home, I followed my two sisters into nursing and did my general training in the Mater in Dublin, before heading to work in Britain, where I got a taste for midwifery.

“I did my midwifery training in West Sussex, and half of it was community-based. You are paired with a midwife, but even before finishing training, I did some home visits by myself. I didn’t leave school wanting to be a midwife, but life teaches you about what suits you along the way.

“The British community midwifery programme is very progressive, and by the time I finished, I felt quite confident. I applied for a community midwife post with the Coombe and relocated back to Dublin. I’m originally from Blackrock in Cork city.

“It took five years for the Coombe programme to get going. It started with just four of us doing post-natal visits, but it’s gone from strength to strength over the past 25 years. We now host clinics at seven locations in Dublin and Kildare.

“I love the variety of the job, and I especially love the continuity of care. I run booking clinics, ante-natal clinics, and post-natal home visits. As the longest-serving community midwife, I’ve grown used to meeting people I’ve looked after. I meet them every day, when I’m out walking my dogs or at the checkout in Lidl.

“A memory that stands out is the year of the big snow in 2018. Everyone was housebound, and we had to go out with the army for almost an entire week. It was challenging, but we got through it without any major emergencies.

“Being a community midwife has been a rollercoaster of a ride, but it’s been wonderful to see how the department has developed in terms of staffing and resources. The Coombe is marking the 25th anniversary of its community midwifery service this month. I’ll probably be retiring next spring, but the memories will stay with me forever.