Considering a career in Nursing/Midwifery... Help!

[anniemayd]

I'm deeply considering completing a diploma of nursing next year as I wish to become a midwife and plan to use a diploma as a pathway (I didn't get the results I needed in high school so I will need to do the diploma first if I wish to be a midwife). Midwifery is definitely my dream job but I am so worried that I won't be able to handle it. I do realise that it is a very full on job. Everyone is telling me to just jump in and give it ago but I don't want to let myself down if I can't handle it in the end!

I'm really just looking for some advice.

How did you know you could handle the job? My main concern is that I will be faced with very hard, emotional (traumatising even) situations that I wont be able to handle. Is it hard at first? Did you feel really squeamish at first?

I also have a problem with vomit/people vomiting that I am currently getting help with, will that be a really major issue?

And lastly, I'm really interested in hearing about your experiences, the good and bad. Especially when you first started and when you were studying even.

Thank you in advance, I look forward to reading your replies x

[RegularNurse]

I will respond with the assumption you are in the United States.

Becoming a nurse midwife is an attainable goal. In nursing everything is up for grabs for whoever wants it.

My only advice is to understand that this is at least a five year goal and you will be required to work as a staff nurse in some dimension through your BSN and MSN training. If body fluids truly revolt you, this will not be a fun period of your life.

[NICUismylife, ADN, BSN, RN]

I'm deeply considering completing a diploma of nursing next year

How far along are you in the process? It generally takes 4 years to complete the schooling just to become an RN (2 years of pre-reqs/gen-ed, and 2 years of nursing school). It's not something that you can just churn out in a year....Then you will probably work in L&D while you continue your education towards midwifery.

You also mention dealing with traumatizing experiences. I'm glad that you realize that childbirth doesn't always turn out as planned, and women do end up losing their child, or their uterus, or experiencing birth trauma. Knowing how to deal with these issues will be critical. Therapeutic communication is huge, especially with a grieving mother.

Good luck in your endeavor!

[michellelreck]

I too want to become a midwife. I just received my BSN in May, passed my NCLEX in mid-July in 75 questions :), and started 2 weeks ago in OB (which is post-partum, nursery, labor and delivery, and we also cross-train to pediatrics). I have loved every single minute of it. I did not work as a CNA or anything while in college (which I somewhat regret) so I feel like I need a few years of experience before I try to go back for my Master's degree.

Before I even started nursing school, I always wanted to be a labor and delivery nurse. When I was in my Maternity rotation, I saw a birth, but I just saw the differences between what we learned in nursing school about birth compared to how the OBGYN performed the delivery. It was at that point that I decided that I wanted to become a midwife.

To answer some of your questions, I knew I could handle it because there are always drawbacks to jobs, some are more serious than others. For me, it would mean doing something that I am so passionate about and doing my best to provide the best possible birthing experience for a woman. It will not be an easy job by any means, no matter which area of nursing you would get into. There will be a lot of good days and some very bad days, but you just have to remember why you wanted to get into the profession in the first place. There will be some patients that will stay in your mind forever.