Help for aspiring midwife

[happystar]

I'm a 17 year old student in my last year of high school in Australia. For most of my years at high school, nursing was probably the only career i had wanted to follow when i graduate. However, i want to be aware of the pros and cons of nursing. My area of interest is in doing midwifery. Can anyone tell me (in detail) what being a midwife involves? I really want to be sure i'm totally prepare to becoming a midwife. One of my biggest fears of being a nurse/midwife is my inability to cope in case of an emergency (another major fear is that i'll drop a baby). May sound silly, but that's probably the only thing holding me back (except for my dad, he thinks being a nurse is degrading. Wait until i prove him wrong!) BTW, can anyone tell me about the salary with midwifery? Is it true that they generally get paid more than the average RN? And if there are any nurses here from Melbourne, Victoria. Can anyone recommend a good uni?

btw. i've posted this already in the midwifery forum but no one answered, so i'm hoping someone will answer this post.

[fergus51]

I'll wait until an Aussie answers because I am a labor and delivery rn, not a midwife. But I will tell you I actually had dreams about dropping babies as a student and it never happened. As for emergencies, you'd be surprised what you can do when you have to, and I would hope you would be working at a place which provides you with a lot of support until you have some experience as a midwife. Good luck!

[SmilingBluEyes]

i am not an aussie either; but if you were in the USA i would recommend you become an RN (with a bachelor's degree) first, do some years in obstetric and newborn nursing and THEN go back and go to midwifery school. it would be the best route I could think of if you wanted to become a Certified Nurse Midwife.

Now in Australia, I don't know; do midwives go into this directly? (direct-entry midwifery)? In the USA, this is illegal in some states, but I cannot speak for other countries. Find out what is legal for you to do!

you might find a midwife to ask what route he/she went to do this. That would be a good way to learn firsthand what you need to do. I wish you the best!

[obtnt]

I just want to clarify something happystar. I have friends from England and there they use the term midwife to describe a OB RN. Is this what you are asking about, or what we mean with the term here in America. I just thought it might change someone's response. Either way, you GO GIRL!!! The posts so far are perfect!!! Stay in touch with this site, it will help you more than you can imagine. Always be open to learning and experiencing new and challenging experiences as you proceed with your goals.