Midwifery + Mental Health thoughts

[rm13]

I'm a nursing student expected to graduate in May 2014 with my BSN. I've been looking into master's programs. My passion is midwifery, but I'm also very passionate about mental health, especially perinatal mental health. I found a school in Washington where you can get a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and specialize in perinatal mental health. I want to be a midwife, but I also want to have enough knowledge to take care of my patients with mental health issues surrounding pregnancy. I feel like mental health is largely ignored in the medical world where we focus on physical illness, and it doesn't really do much good. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Or is there anyone with the same passion for these two things that I have? I found one nurse online who majored in both of these things, but it doesn't seem to be very popular. I just think PPD and postpartum psychosis and really bad, and I've heard many stories where people are not treated. Some made it out ok but others committed suicide or killed their child. I just think there needs to be help for these women, for these problems and also for any other mental health issues that may arise in this huge time of change in their lives. Thoughts???

[Fiat40]

I graduate in May with my ADN. These are my 2 favorites areas as well. Not so much intertwined as you are talking about. I have worked as a Mental Health Technician in a psych hospital and I have worked as a Med. Assistant for an OB/GYN clinic for both doctors and midwives. I am sure your focus would be very useful to any practice as a Midwife, most of the providers each have their "thing" that they are good at or particularly schooled in. Good Luck to you!

[RunBabyRN]

I've known for 10+ years that I want to be a midwife, but I never thought I'd be so interested in psych until I did that rotation. I can see why you want to do both! I would have to imagine you could do two separate master's programs (correct me if I'm wrong, folks!). As a BSN-prepared nurse (and I assume as an ADN prepared nurse), you learn a lot about psych, and it's definitely applicable in women's health. There are always cross-overs. I'm looking at a holistic nutrition program to be able to treat conditions with nutrition as much as possible once I'm in women's health. But the psychosocial stuff is SO important to me as well, and I'm looking at a potential position as a psych nurse at least for now.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

You may to talk to some CNMs to find out about their practice and how they incorporate psychosocial issues into patient care. You may be pleasantly surprised to discover that this is a normal standard of patient care for CNMs. I came across an article some time ago (unable to locate the citation at the moment) which revealed that the CNMs were much more attuned to the mental health of new mothers and better at recognizing PPD than the OB/GYNs.

I know that we (nurses) are sometimes too holistic in our viewpoints and tend to try to cure world hunger rather than focusing on only the immediate issues. ANP scopes of practice are clearly defined - with appropriate referrals to qualified practitioners when they encounter an issue that is outside their SOP. This is particularly important in OB, which is the most litigious specialty area.