Grace Murray’s journey began at the age of 14 when she decided to pursue a career in Midwifery. She carefully selected her GCSE options to align with her dream, Grace then embarked on a path that led her from school to college and then to university. At just 21, she qualified as a midwife and has been in this role ever since.

Throughout her career, Grace embraced numerous opportunities, each enriching her experience and deepening her commitment to midwifery. One of her favourite roles was working in triage, where she could quickly build relationships with patients and provide them with a positive experience. Her natural ability to connect with people made her a perfect fit for this role, allowing her to offer immediate support and comfort.

Transitioning to Digital

Grace transitioned to her current position as a Digital Midwife in 2020, While her core mission of helping people remains unchanged, the digital aspect of her role allows her to extend her reach and support a larger community. This expanded influence is what brings her the greatest job satisfaction, knowing that she can make a difference on a much larger scale.

Creating Life Changing Opportunities

Grace was directed to the Good Things Foundation, where she applied for a grant through the National Databank and was successful. Before South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust launched BadgerNet, Grace set up an initiative thinking that she could distribute SIM cards and devices, which would be sufficient. However, she soon realised that many of the women lacked the necessary skills and language proficiency to operate the devices.

Grace noted that it was still incredibly challenging to communicate how to use the BadgerNet app to non-English speakers. Despite these challenges, the initiative has been very successful since it went live in April. By June 2023, Grace had managed to distribute approximately 40 SIM cards and phones to women in need.

The initiative has been well-received, as it helped to support women and also relieved the midwives, who now feel more comfortable discussing phone access with women. Previously, they would have avoided the topic due to uncertainty about how to help, potentially reverting to paper notes.

To help visualise the impact, Grace wrote a case study about a homeless woman with a difficult obstetric history. Within the story, a woman had experienced a stillbirth, premature births and was pregnant again while homeless. During her pregnancy, she went to prison. Upon release, she re-engaged with a community midwife who provided her with a phone and SIM card. This enabled her to apply for housing, communicate with her social worker and midwife, and access the advice line.

The woman expressed immense gratitude for being able to communicate with various services. She mentioned that she could now use Google to find bus routes to appointments, something she had not considered before.

Looking to the Future

When asked about her future, Grace explained that she is open to wherever the wind takes her. She never envisioned herself stepping away from clinical work to embrace a digital role and did not she anticipate her growing passion for equity and inclusion. For now, she remains content with her current position, ready to seize new opportunities as they arise.

Grace’s dedication and adaptability make her an inspiring figure in the field of midwifery. Her journey is a testament to the impact that one dedicated individual can have, both on a personal and a community level.

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