Did you go straight through?

[HeartsOpenWide, RN]

While talking to my CNM during my pap smear, I told her that I was going to school to be a nurse so I could be a CNM. She told me this was great because most of the CNMs out there do not start until they are in their 40's (nurses for some time before moving on) Are you a CNM that knew that she wanted to be a CNM before she even went through nursing school? Did you ever feel intimidated by your fellow midwifery students that had already been nurses for years? Or did you feel that you had an advantage having not spent some much time being trained to follow some one elses orders and learn that you would now be in charge (of course under a MD) I have heard that it is better to spend less time as a nurse before you become a midwife...do you find this to be true?

[bagladyrn, RN]

From a nurse's perspective - I generally find CNM's who have experience as L&D nurses to be more "down-to-earth" and more effective, a bit less prone to the "flakey" ideas (before anyone jumps, I'm talking about the one who sat on the foot of the bed moaning and wailing in time with the pt, the one who delivered a surprise breech because she didn't do or allow SVE's on her pts., etc.). They also seem to understand the nurses role better and aren't as likely to try to exclude the nurse from the room and process or relegate her to the "aide" role ("get the bedpan, change these sheets, don't dare try to interact with the patient directly").

This is just my personal experience after 18 yrs of OB, working with many midwives in many different settings. I love working with them in general and the occasional "flake" at least does make for good stories with my fellow OB nurses.

[CEG]

I am in a graduate entry program right now. I plan to take about 5 years to finish my master's before I start to practice as a CNM. So I will have 5 years experience. For me personally, I cannot learn only in scale, the experience will be how become proficient.