Australian student nurse Maternity placements.

[DiasWindu]

G'day Everyone.

I am currently an EN and a Medic with 15 years experience in the military. I am currently studying my bachelors in the hope of getting an E3 and registering in the US in a couple of years. I am aware of the requirements for the Paeds, Maternity and Mental Health time both clinical and theoretical. I will have no issues with the Paeds and Mental health, but the Maternity is causing me a huge headache.

I have looked at Deakin, and spoken to the VA registration board, and they have said that for it to count in VA, that it needs to be done via an approved nursing school, and include clinical practice hours. I sent them a link to the Deakin professional development page as posted by Ghillbert in another thread, and their assistant director said it doesn't look to be an approved school of nursing to them, nor does the Maternity unit offered seem to have clinical component.

I can pick up an extra unit through CQU in maternity potentially, however there are no clinical hours as part of it. I have spoken to my Universities Clinical Co-ordinator, as well as the clinical co-ordinators at Mater, Greenslopes, and Royal Brisbane Hospital, and all tell me that you can only do maternity clinicals if you are a Midwifery student.

I, in no uncertain terms, do NOT want to be a midwife, nor do I want to waste a year to two years, and thousand of dollars doing a specialty I have no interest in. Especially when I have 15 years experience in Trauma and Pre-hospital care, so would prefer to do Emergency as a specialty.

Is there anyone around who has had this same issue? Perhaps someone who has tried for registration in CA and found an option to make up the missing hours without using Deakin?

Any assistance or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time.

(edit) I think I should have posted this under registration, so please move it if its incorrectly placed.