Certain about midwifery, uncertain about nursing

[lilacs101]

Hi all,

I'm around 30 years old and making a career change into midwifery. I realized that I was very unhappy at a sedentary, desk-based job working on conceptual issues. I have always been very interested in women's issues and have always enjoyed science, love working with people, love working with my hands. When someone I knew had her first child with a midwife in attendance, I began reading everything I could find and talking to anyone who had any connection to maternal/neonatal health. My research phase lasted about six months, and by the end I was convinced that pursuing the CNM credential (versus CPM, or even CM) was right for me. This summer I began taking prerequisite classes for my state university's accelerated BSN program, and I hope to begin nursing school next summer.

I have two concerns.

1) I am not looking forward to nursing school. I've talked to a few alumnae of the program I hope to attend, and they have universally said that it was a miserable year. From what they've told me, a lot of nursing school is rote memorization combined with learning the "correct" answers (i.e. the answer your instructor wants you to give), plus a few fluff credits here and there. With the number of credits packed into a calendar year, I'm not surprised they were miserable. Still, I did my B.S. at what's considered a very good university (I'd rather not name it) and had the highest GPA in my program (tied with another person). I've got a 98.5% average in the A&P1 class I'm taking at the local community college. I've got a great work ethic, I test well, I'm organized, I learn well in a structured setting. I'm prepared to do an INSANE amount of work, but what I'm NOT prepared to do is to turn off my brain. :-( I'm nervous that I'm not really a good fit for nursing school.

2) More importantly... I don't want to be a nurse. The programs I'm considering for my MSN in Midwifery require at least a year working as a nurse before the program. I am DREADING that year! I know I would be very happy working gyn/ women's health/ reproductive health (Planned Parenthood would be a dream job), and I could probably tolerate L&D for a year. ;-)

Everything else... well, all I've read on this board is how impossible it is to get a job right out of school, and how everyone in the medical system looks down upon and abuses nurses, and how nurses are overworked, underpaid, and disrespected. I'm not interested in wiping someone's ass while they berate me. I'm not interested in listening to a physician talk to me like I'm subhuman because s/he went to med school and I didn't (I considered it about 10 years ago and decided that my ego was large enough as is ;-). In short, I've never met a nurse that loved his/her job. Oh, the horror stories I've heard! You nurses, all of you, are SAINTS, the POWERHOUSES of our medical system, I can't believe you all stick with your jobs. Why would anyone voluntarily choose this career? Unless... it were a stepping stone to something else?

Having freaked myself out about all of that...

CNMs out there, was it worth it? Do any of you identify as MIDWIVES instead of NURSE-MIDWIVES? If I tell my nursing school interviewers that I'm not going to be a nurse, don't see myself as a nurse, don't intend to work as a nurse, am I shooting myself in the foot? Was getting through nursing school and those first few years outside women's/ reproductive health worth it? What would you recommend to me? Words of wisdom? Help!!! I'm all ears (or eyes... or whatever :-).

Yours truly,

Lilacs

[mya612, BSN, RN]

BTW, look at Excelsior College for a BSN as well. Because you already ahve a Bachelor's degree you should be able to finish fairly quickly. It's approximately 8 nursing classes - half of which they have exams for. I calculated the price to be about $7600 not including books. Located in Albany, New York. No residency requirements, and completely online. NLNAC accredited. www.excelsior.edu

[planteater]

mya612- I plan to attend ECU as well, but I thought their website said that you have to spend 9 days on campus throughout the program for working with standardized patients and practicing physical assessments. This won't be a problem for us in NC, but I imagine it wouldn't be great for someone that lives far away. Are you already a nurse?

[Babayaga88345]

New York, New Jersy and Rhode Island have Certified Midwives that take the same board as CNMs but are not nurses. The USVI allows RNs who are CPMs (certified Professional Midwives) to have nurse midwifery credentials without passing the CNM/CM boards. There are options out there....feel free to contact me privately to discuss education and certification options. New Mexico licenses directenty midwives and gives them limited prescriptive privilege so that may be an accessible option to you. In Oregon any licensure ias a direct entry midwife is optional so the field is wide open and underqulified.

[mef06011]

Hi Lilacs,

I was exactly in your place about a year ago when I was deciding where to go for school. I come from a liberal arts (anthropology and women's studies) background and am very opposed to the medical model of care on most fronts. I was really nervous to start school (first year, or pre-specialty) at Seattle U, and was convinced I was going to absolutely suffer through the first year. We started this summer, and I have to say, I am having a BLAST! It's incredibly hard work, but I really had no idea what nursing philosophy really meant, and how different it really is from the medical model.

I was so impressed, and pleasantly surprised to learn about the role of nurses as advocates for their patients and being supportive of holistic and alternative therapies while incorporating the whole family. I'm totally behind Nate with the sentiments above, and I have found that even when we were studying heavy pharmacology and pathophysiology, it was so nice to have my other midwifery students with me to deconstruct some of the more "medical" things we were learning.

I went through this whole process of choosing an ABSN program vs. a direct entry, and for me direct entry was the right option, and Seattle U's cost was just about the same as an ABSN plus a masters (actually, I think it's a little cheaper when you factor in cost of living in the shorter amount of time the whole program of study will take). Seattle is also really focused on social justice and vulnerable populations, and the atmosphere is great, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask!

[caryt123]

Nate and mef06011 (and anyone else :)) - I would LOVE to hear more about your decision to pursue a direct-entry MSN program. I have a BS in an unrelated field - journalism. I have spent the last year taking A&P, Micro, Chem, Stats, etc. as prerequisites to most BSN programs. How did you decide between a bachelor's and a master's? I know I want to be an RN. But there is much appeal in knocking out all the schooling at once, instead of school, working as an RN, then back to school. I am single now, with no children, and I think it would be easier to get my schooling done before I have a family. I'm 28, should I get out there and start working as an RN as soon as possible then decide on an advanced practice field?

Does anyone who completes the MSN program ever work as an RN then in a year or few years begin working in the advanced practice field they studied? I happened upon Vanderbilt's program, which inspired ideas of skipping the BSN and going straight for an MSN. I am interested in the CNM route, possibly adding FNP. Any advice on how you made your decisions would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks!

Cary

[ICU, RN, BSN, B.S.]

Hi all,

I'm around 30 years old and making a career change into midwifery. I realized that I was very unhappy at a sedentary, desk-based job working on conceptual issues. I have always been very interested in women's issues and have always enjoyed science, love working with people, love working with my hands. When someone I knew had her first child with a midwife in attendance, I began reading everything I could find and talking to anyone who had any connection to maternal/neonatal health. My research phase lasted about six months, and by the end I was convinced that pursuing the CNM credential (versus CPM, or even CM) was right for me. This summer I began taking prerequisite classes for my state university's accelerated BSN program, and I hope to begin nursing school next summer.

I have two concerns.

1) I am not looking forward to nursing school. I've talked to a few alumnae of the program I hope to attend, and they have universally said that it was a miserable year. From what they've told me, a lot of nursing school is rote memorization combined with learning the "correct" answers (i.e. the answer your instructor wants you to give), plus a few fluff credits here and there. With the number of credits packed into a calendar year, I'm not surprised they were miserable. Still, I did my B.S. at what's considered a very good university (I'd rather not name it) and had the highest GPA in my program (tied with another person). I've got a 98.5% average in the A&P1 class I'm taking at the local community college. I've got a great work ethic, I test well, I'm organized, I learn well in a structured setting. I'm prepared to do an INSANE amount of work, but what I'm NOT prepared to do is to turn off my brain. :-( I'm nervous that I'm not really a good fit for nursing school.

You actually do the opposite....you don't turn off your brain. If you do that , you will fail out of nursing school. It's not about memorizing and giving the right answers. You need to KNOW this stuff not just for your exams, and clinicals, but when you get out of nursing school and have peoples lives in your hands. You need to LEARN it; not MEMORIZE it.

[mya612, BSN, RN]

WhitneyA,

No, don't have my RN yet. Certified Paramedic in NC and plan to do Excelsior's ADN program. Found that it would be a lot faster and about the same price as some of the local college programs because I already have a degree. I will do their BSN program with them because the local colleges that do RN-BSN require you take some classes I don't agree with - like PE for example. I'm close to 40, in relatively good shape and try to work out regularly. I'm not taking a gym class.

Didn't know about the 9 day thing. I'll take a closer look at their website. Thanks for the info.

[Jessss]

Great post, I have some of the same concerns as well as others. I am also changing careers later in life. I am working on my prereqs now and hope to figure the rest out later. I just moved to Corning NY and am attending Elmira. Still trying to figure out how things work here, where I moved from there was alot more support for holistic care. Sounds like you might be local? Would love to to talk sometime!