Helen Bedford
Professor of Midwifery

Profile

Biography

After an early career in clinical nursing and educational research, Helen qualified as a midwife and completed her PhD on the learning experiences of undergraduate nursing students and newly qualified practitioners.

Prior to entering Higher Education, Helen practised as a midwife in hospital and community settings in NHS Grampian. She was seconded as Project Midwife to develop the Scottish Woman-Held Maternity Record (SWHMR), which is used by women and health professionals throughout NHS Scotland.

Helen has extensive experience of delivering and leading midwifery education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She has undertaken programme leadership and curriculum development roles for pre-registration midwifery and MScs in midwifery and nursing. She has contributed to the NHS Education for Scotland (NES) funded Maternity Care Assistant preparation programme and has represented midwifery within cross institutional interprofessional education (IPE) initiatives.

Helen is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an experienced external examiner for midwifery. Helen is committed to her professional development and has represented the Faculty of Science on the University of York Learning and Teaching Forum Committee. As Lead Midwife for Education and Director of Midwifery Education Helen leads a collegiate midwifery team within the Department of Health Sciences, and represents midwifery education within and beyond the institution. In 2023 Helen was awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of Midwives.

Qualifications

PhD, University of East Anglia
Award in Coaching, Institute of Learning and Management
PGCert Higher Education Learning and Teaching (HELT) with Distinction, Robert Gordon University
NMC Registered Lecturer/Practice Educator
BSc (Hons) Midwifery Studies – First Class, University of Bradford
Registered Midwife
BSc (Hons) Nursing Sciences – First Class, University of Hull
Registered Nurse

Departmental roles

Directory of Midwifery Education
Lead Midwife for Education
Chair of the Director of Midwifery Education Forum
Member of Teaching and Scholarship Management Team
Member of the Pre-Registration Teaching Committee
Member of the Baby Friendly Initiative Senior Leadership Team

University roles

Coach within the coaching pool
Mentor within the mentorship pool

Teaching

Undergraduate

Module lead for Establishing Professional Self in Midwifery (Stage 1)
Module lead for Developing SProfessional Self in Midwifery (Stage 2)

Academic Assessor for undergraduate midwifery students in all programme Stages.

Research

Overview

Helen has experience of applied health and educational research, focusing on qualitative research methods. She has interests in midwifery and maternity care and professional education. She has experience of PhD and Masters supervision and PhD examination.

Helen is interested in supervising PhD projects in the following areas: midwifery/maternity care; midwifery/professional education, qualitative research.

Supervision

Helen Recchia

Supervision

Qualitative studies within midwifery education and midwifery/maternity care.

Publications

Selected publications

Bedford, H & Lindsey, C with MacKellar, B (2023) Midwifery education: finding joy and nurturing hope , Forum, Issue 51 (Summer) pp. 12-13
Bedford, H (2022) Podcasts: supporting digital learning. British Journal of Midwifery. 30 (6) pp. 354-355
Pinar, S, Bedford, H, Ersser, S and McMillan, D (2022) Women's experiences of perinatal depression: Symptoms, barriers and enablers to disclosure and effects on daily life and interaction within the family. Midwifery. 122 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2022.103389
Semra, S; Ersser, S; McMillan, D & Bedford, H (2022) A brief report informing the adaptation of a behavioural activation intervention for delivery by non-mental health specialists for the treatment of perinatal depression. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy (Cambridge University Press) https://www.doi.org/10.1017/S1352465822000315
Bedford, H (2021) Investing in leadership - reflections on the Leadership in Action (LiA) programme, Forum, Issue 48 (Summer) pp. 8-10
McEwan, J & Bedford, H (2021) Developing an app to support sensitive enquiry and discussion about female genital mutilation Journal of Health Visiting, 9 (4) https://doi.org/10.12968/johv.2021.9.4.164
McEwan, J & Bedford, H (2021) Digital health innovation to support sensitive enquiry about female genital mutilation. British Journal of Midwifery, 29 (5) pp 252-259
Bedford, H and Lindsey, C (2018) Global Midwifery - celebrating journeys: an event to inspire learning and internationalisation. The Practising Midwife/all4Maternity, June
Bedford, H and Lavelle, R (2018) Sharing your innovation via a York Learning and Teaching Forum workshop. Forum, Issue 43 (Spring) pp. 14-15
Bedford, H; McCaughan, D and Wright, J (2018) Internationalisation within an undergraduate pre-registration midwifery curriculum in the UK: engagement with students as a basis for action in HEA Action-research: sector case studies. pp 932-98. York: Higher Education Academy/Available from: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/hea-action-research-sector-case-studies
Bedford, H C and Chamanga, P (2017) Commonwealth Professional Fellowships. African Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health. October-December 11 (4) pp. 199-204
Bedford, H (2017) Engaging in the York Professional Academic Development (YPAD) scheme: recognition and reflection. Forum, Issue 42 (Summer) pp. 18-19
Vanderpot, L E, Swinton, J and Bedford, H (2017) The unforeseen relationship between spirituality and psychiatric medication: A hermeneutic phenomenological study. Journal of Spirituality in Mental Health, 20 (1) pp, 14-26 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19349637.2017.1297692.
McEwan, J and Bedford, H (2017) Leading by example. Community Practitioner, 90 (4) pp. 20-21
Bedford, H and Lavelle, R (2016) Developing midwifery students' communication skills - student work and assessment to promote professional engagement. Forum, Issue 41 (Autumn) pp. 11-12
Rennie, AM; Gibb, S; Hourston, A; Bedford, H; McNicol J. (2009). The development of maternity care assistants in Scotland, The Practicing Midwife. 12. (8) pp. 14-19
(2005) Scottish Woman Held Maternity Record (SWHMR) and Guidance for Health Professionals. The current version of the SWHMR can be accessed at: http://www.healthcareimprovementscotland.org/programmes/reproductive,_maternal__child/woman_held_maternity_record.aspx
Bedford, H and Chalmers, J (2003) A New Vision for Maternity Records in Scotland: The Scottish Woman-Held Maternity Record (SWHMR) Project and the electronic Scottish Woman-Held Maternity Record (eSWHMR) Project. The Journal of Health Record Information & Management (UK) 44 (2), pp. 21-24
Bedford, H (2000) Learning Nursing and Being Different: A Study of Pre-registration Undergraduate Degrees in Nursing (unpublished PhD thesis). Norwich: University of East Anglia
Phillips, T, Schostak, J, Bedford, H and Leamon, J (1996) The Evaluation of Pre-registration Undergraduate Degrees in Nursing and Midwifery (The TYDE Project). London: English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
Phillips, T, Bedford, H, Robinson, J and Schostak, J (1994) Education, Dialogue and Assessment: Creating Partnership for Improving Practice. London: English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting
Phillips, T, Schostak, J, Bedford, H and Robinson, J (1993) The Assessment of Competencies in Nursing and Midwifery Education and Training (The ACE Project). London: English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting

External activities

Memberships

Fellow of the Royal Colleage of Midwives
Member of the UK Lead Midwife for Education (LME) Strategic Reference Group
Mentor for the RCM Turning the Tide Mentorship platform
Member of the Association of Radical Midwives
(2022-23) Midwifery Trustee for the Iolanthe Midwifery Trust
(2015-18) Academic Mentor and Independent Academic Member Mary Seacole Awards Steering Committee

External examiner roles

External panel member for the midwifery period review at the University of Huddersfield (Jan 2022)
Programme and Module External Examiner for midwifery at the University of Hertfordshire (October 2015 - September 2019)
External panel member for the revalidation of PG Cert Learning and Teaching in Higher Education at the University of Cumbria (September 2015)
External Examiner for Midwifery at Northumbria University (2011 - 2016)

Editorial duties

Reviewer for a range of midwifery journals

Invited talks and conferences

Workshop 'Death cafes: key opportunities for learning within midwifery education and midwifery care' 33rd International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) Triennial Congress, Bali, 12th June 2023 with co-presenter Lucy Criddle & co-authors Beth Hardy, Polly Sykes and Drew Atherton.
Presentation ‘Midwifery education at the University of York: finding joy and nurturing hope’ Faculty of Science Pedagogy and Practice event, University of York, 12th Jan 2023, with co-presenters Carole Lindsey & Beth Mackellar.
Invited contributor to ‘How effective leadership support sustainable change in the implementation of Baby Friendly’ 24 Nov 2022, Baby Friendly Annual Conference (online).
Invited keynote presentation 'Midwifery education in the UK: a time of opportunity and challenge' 2nd International Anatolian Midwives Association Congress ‘Start life with a midwife’, 20th May 2022, Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, Turkey (online)
Invited presentation for The Girls Network 'A beginners guide to midwifery' 29th March 2022, with co-presenting Mid 20 and Mid 21 student midwives (online)
Presentation: 'Developing the 'Future Midwife' curriculum at the University of York: opportunity, challenge & resilience' Faculty of Science pedagogy and practice event, 13th Jan 2022, University of York, with co-presenter Helen Recchia (online)
Online poster 'Reflecting on learning during the Covid-19 pandemic: a celebration of midwifery resilience' 2nd July 2021, Annual Learning & Teaching Conference, University of York, with Bex Hudson-Tandy and collaborators.
Presentation: 'Leadership in action: Enhancing skills for progression with a teaching and scholarship role' 2021 NFT & CATE Annual Symposium, 21st April 2021 (online)
Paper: 'Designing, implementing and evaluating an IPE day for midwifery and social work undergraduates: meaningful interprofessional opportunities to meet, engage and learn' 3rd-5th Sept 2019, NET Conference, University of Keele, with co-authors Alison Smalley, Katie Graham and Carole Lindsey
Workshop: 'Creating partnerships for interprofessional education (IPE): lecturer and student perspectives on an innovative learning event' Annual Learning & Teaching Conference, 29th June 2019, University of York, with co-presenters Katie Graham, Carole Lindsey and Alison Smalley
Poster: 'Connecting with compassion: Interprofessional Education (IPE) for undergraduate midwifery and social work students' 11th June 2019, Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Education Conference, Bath, with co-authors Katie Graham, Carole Lindsey and Alison Smalley
Presentation: Guest speaker for the Springboard Programme, 13th February and 1st October 2019, University of York
Paper: 'Using action research and scholarship for impact: A case study of internationalisation within UK midwifery education' 5th-6th July 2018, Second International Midwifery Education Conference, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth
Poster ‘The Mary Seacole Awards: opportunities for midwifery leadership and professional development to enhance Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) health agendas' 5th - 6th July 2018, Second International Midwifery Education Conference, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth with co-authors Gergana Nikolova and Janet Fyle
Paper: ‘Amazing but daunting’: Enhancing students’ communication skills via ‘safe’ simulation with professional actors and 360 degree feedback' 1st Nov 2017, Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Annual Conference, Manchester Central, Manchester with co-presenters Rachel Lavelle and Suzanne Stamoulos
Poster: ‘The Mary Seacole Awards: opportunities for midwifery leadership and professional development to enhance Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) health agendas' 31st Oct - 1st Nov 2017, Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Annual Conference, Manchester Central, Manchester with co-authors Gergana Nikolova and Janet Fyle
Paper: 'Internationalisation within a UK pre-registration midwifery curriculum: students' voices' 7th June 2017, 'Global Midwifery - celebrating journeys' University of York, York.
Workshop: 'Exploring 360 degree feedback to develop undergraduates' communication skills' 21st March 2017, York Learning and Teaching Forum workshop, University of York with co-facilitator Rachel Lavelle
Paper: 'Internationalisation within a UK pre-registration midwifery curriculum: students' views on the nature, value and potential for learning', 2nd December 2016, European Midwives Association (EMA) Conference, Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre, London.
Paper: 'No passport? No problem! Enhancing international engagement and evidencing learning within midwifery education via a self-reflective audit tool' 5th May 2016. Virtual International Day of the Midwife Conference (online)
Paper: 'Embracing opportunities to enhance internationalisation within nursing: promoting and evidencing learning via a self-reflective audit tool' 15th March 2016. Royal College of Nursing Education Forum International Conference and Exhibition, Telford International Centre, Telford
Poster: ‘Early Clinical Careers Fellowships (ECCF): nurturing midwifery leadership in Scotland' 3rd July 2015, ‘Innovation in midwifery education…what works?’ Conference, Bournemouth University, with co-authors Sarah Humphrey, Nicola Mackay and Katie Winters
Poster: ‘Realising a global midwifery community: Evidencing professional learning to promote internationalisation agendas within Higher Education’. 3rd July 2015, ‘Innovation in midwifery education…what works?’ Conference, Bournemouth University
Paper: ‘Enhancing creativity in midwifery education: developing a practical philosophy of care’. 13th - 14th November 2012, Royal College of Midwives Annual Conference, Brighton, (co-presenter with Dr Annie Lau, Robert Gordon University)
Paper: ‘The Scottish Woman-Held Maternity (SWHMR) project’. 30th September 2005, Celebrating Achievements in Enhancing Patient Care Conference, Robert Gordon University
Co-organiser: ‘Midwives Promoting Normality’ Conference. 8th September 2005, Robert Gordon University

Helen Bedford Professor of Midwifery