RN student working w midwives?

[ceb83]

I'm currently in nursing school for my BSN but my ultimate goal is to become a CNM. My question to you is - what can I do as a student and RN to gain experience in midwifery? I'd love to be a birth assistant, but with school I have no extra time take more classes. Is there any type of work I could do? I'll be able to do my OB clinical with midwives - which I think is amazing and I couldn't be more excited.

Also, when I become an RN - do they work with midwives?

...also, I'd love to go directly into midwifery school. Thoughts?

Thanks so much, I look forward to your comments!

[doulalove]

As a nursing student, I shadowed a CNM at her home birth practice for a year and a half. I attended births, prenatal and postpartum visits with her when my school schedule allowed. I graduated in August, and am now preparing to apply to the midwifery program at Frontier. She's offered to be my preceptor. I have been quite nervous about the idea of going straight into midwifery without working as a L&D nurse first, but I do have about 5 years experience attending births as a doula, which I'm hoping will help!

I have been applying to L&D jobs, though, because I feel like I'll have more to offer the midwife when I'm ready to start my clinicals with her, and eventually join her practice. I feel like there's no substitute for the volume of births and situations you're presented with in the hospital when it comes to gaining experience, but there aren't too many L&D jobs out there for new grads, and I'm not going to let my lack of hospital experience stop me from applying to the midwifery program.

I think you could definitely contact some midwives in your area and talk about the possibility of shadowing them! It's a wonderful experience, and it turned into an eventual job offer for me. Good luck!!

[doulalove]

And, there is a CNM home birth practice in my area that does have an RN or 2 as birth assistants!