[birthmamaew]

So, I am finishing up my last bit of externship in L and D and a couple of the staff nurses there have made it their personal mission in life to dissuade me form starting my combo CNM/WHNP in the fall because:#1- people don't use midwives anyway, #2- you are going to wind up working as a staff nurse because there are no jobs, and my personal favorite#3- it's stupid and a waste of money to go to midwifery school.
Wow. Obviously I know that these are not valid arguments. I am just getting a little worn down from hearing them all day and could uses some good vibes.
Thanks.

[canoehead]

We use midwives where I work.

[ChristineN]

Wow. I'm shocked that fellow nurses would make such comments. I agree, it's not true. I hope to become a CNM and while I sometimes do wonder how easy it'll be to find work, I realize that more and more hospitals, clinics, and doctors offices are using them.

[epiphany]

We have don't have anti midwife attitude, but we have an anti birth center attitude. I work in the only bc in hospital in our city, and the nurses do anything to close down the bc's. There is joy and elation when it's closed even for the day. They do anything they can to push the mother into getting an epidural, so that she can moved out to the L&D, by protocol. The poor midwives suffer in silence. As long as they tow the line and don't impose any of their philosophy and attitude towards the birth, and don't demand anything special, they are accepted.

I don't have much experience with other hospitals but from what I see, I wouldn't be happy as a midwife in a hospital.

[Selke]

Originally Posted by birthmamaew

So, I am finishing up my last bit of externship in L and D and a couple of the staff nurses there have made it their personal mission in life to dissuade me form starting my combo CNM/WHNP in the fall because:#1- people don't use midwives anyway, #2- you are going to wind up working as a staff nurse because there are no jobs, and my personal favorite#3- it's stupid and a waste of money to go to midwifery school.
Wow. Obviously I know that these are not valid arguments. I am just getting a little worn down from hearing them all day and could uses some good vibes.
Thanks.

I'm so sorry you're experiencing this. Welcome to nursing, sad to say. This is one form of horizontal violence or bullying amongst nurses. There are many, or a lot (I can't quanitfy the percentage) of nurses who express these attitudes towards any nurse who wants to advance her career, move into management, get an advanced degree, teach, become a CNM or APRN, even get an MPH or god forbid, a PhD. It is a nasty form of anti-intellectualism and horizontal class/gender violence meant to keep you in line and in your place because you are a threat to them.

You say this is an externship. Have you brought the behavior of these nurses up with your instructors at school? With your preceptor? I think this is significant enough for you to speak with the manager of the unit. These nurses have no business putting their crap onto students or other nurses. I bet these nurses have a reputation on the unit for causing trouble and not getting along with other staff.

They have a serious problem, not you. You are just fine. This is a toxic place, but there are other places and nurses like them. Your intelligence and motivation and ambition are demonstrating their own failures so they are striking at you to bring you down to their level, cripple you, control you. I hope you are learning things that you need to know right now, so that the experience is not a total waste. This, too, will soon end and will become the past and you'll move on to much greater things, while they sit back there, moldering and backbiting their days away, stuck in the same job until retirement, while you have become a wonderful midwife.

[midwife2b]

Originally Posted by birthmamaew

So, I am finishing up my last bit of externship in L and D and a couple of the staff nurses there have made it their personal mission in life to dissuade me form starting my combo CNM/WHNP in the fall because:#1- people don't use midwives anyway, #2- you are going to wind up working as a staff nurse because there are no jobs, and my personal favorite#3- it's stupid and a waste of money to go to midwifery school.
Wow. Obviously I know that these are not valid arguments. I am just getting a little worn down from hearing them all day and could uses some good vibes.
Thanks.

It's TOUGH to be different; to look at situations differently than most do. Change is different and not always accepted.
There are jobs, there will always be jobs. They don't all include birthing babies, but you will definately be employable.
Stick to your dream! I have my dream job and you will have yours also.

[mitchsmom]

:#1- people don't use midwives anyway, #2- you are going to wind up working as a staff nurse because there are no jobs, and my personal favorite#3- it's stupid and a waste of money to go to midwifery school.

#1... last time I checked, midwives attended approximately 10% of the births in the U.S.
#2... there are jobs. Have you looked at midwifejobs.com? Have they? Tell them to check it out.
#3... this sounds like when children are arguing and they get to the point where they don't have anything else to say and they go "Oh YEAH, well you're stupid!!!!!" LOLOL

My guess is a) they don't know much about midwives; &/or b) they are jealous/ are insecure. It sounds like you already know this. I am just graduating with my BSN and starting an LDRP job in a couple of weeks & hopefully will continue on for CNM in a year or two... I think that it's awesome that you're going for it & I don't think you'll ever regret having more education!!!!!!! Best wishes!

[StudentNurseAbby]

Every woman I've known in the past 2 years that has given birth has used a midwife. There are 3 doctors and 3 midwives at our hospital and there was recently an open midwifery postion.

That's crazy. I can't believe people still believe those things. That's really unfortunate.

[Owain Glyndwr]

Originally Posted by mitchsmom

#1... last time I checked, midwives attended approximately 10% of the births in the U.S

Just out of interest, is that an upward trend, downward or stable?

My wife is a midwife here in the UK and has been for some years (as well as being a RN for years before that). We will be moving from the UK to AZ in a few months time. Whilst she is more than happy to work as a RN for the next 6-12 months in L&D (she has passed NCLEX and is registered in AZ) to get an understanding of the US system, she is very keen on becoming a CNM.

Any advice out there? Best way of approaching things?

Cheers

OG

[StaRNew]

you should check out www.midwife.org. They will tell you the various ways and schools that offer ways to become a CNM. Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!