Rachel Pitson
Midwife at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
About Rachel
Rachel Pitson is a Midwife at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH NHS), combining clinical practice with a growing portfolio of research and service improvement focused on women’s birth experiences.
Full Name: Rachel Pitson
Current Role: Midwife
Organisation: OUH NHS
Email: rachel.pitson@ouh.nhs.uk
Research Topic: Induction of labour, birth experiences
NHS R&D Programme: ICA Internship
Year of Cohort:
Achievements and Research Impact
Since the internship, Rachel has presented at the OUH NMAHPPs Showcase Event, winning Best Oral Presentation in her group, and at the Maternity and Midwifery Festival in London. She has also commenced a Masters in Applied Healthcare Research, further strengthening her research skills and impact.
Publications:
Rachel authored “Experiences of Induction of Labour for ‘post-dates’: a review of the literature with a view to redesigning a service information leaflet.” This literature review explored service-user experiences of induction of labour for post-maturity and identified four key themes: information and expectations; loss of ownership and control; practicalities and needs; and prioritising the baby above all else. The work highlighted negative experiences linked to lack of information and control, and the importance of evidence-based decision aids to support informed choices. Her work is accessible via her ResearchGate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rachel-Pitson-2
Reflections on the NHS R&D NW Programme
Rachel describes the ICA Internship as a great opportunity to start her research journey and highly recommends it to others. The programme gave her confidence, a platform to present her work, and momentum to progress into postgraduate study.
Professional Goals
Rachel’s short- and long-term goals are to complete her Masters and a Professional Doctorate, with a project focused on improving birth experiences and reducing birth trauma.
Congratulations to Rachel Pitson for award-winning presentations, publication of her induction of labour review, and her commitment to improving women’s birth experiences through research-informed midwifery practice.
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