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Nursing & Midwifery Courses

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  • 24-02-2010 2:16pm
    #1
    MoonDancer
    Registered Users Posts: 706 ✭✭✭


    I want to become a nurse midwife. I will have to do the nursing degree first and specialise in midwifery after. Does anyone know what the courses are like in terms of work placements & hours? The reason I'm asking is I'm a single mother of young children with no dad in the picture & I'm very worried about having to spend a lot of time away from the kids.
    Will I have to do night shifts?
    Will there be a lot of 12 or 13 hour shifts?
    What are the usual college hours?
    How do other single parents manage college time & work placement & child care?
    These are probably silly questions, but they are worrying me!
    Thanks in advance.


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    #2
    Vorsprung
    Registered Users Posts: 2,815 ✭✭✭Vorsprung


    You would have to do night shifts both while working and as a student. The length of shifts would depend on where you're working, but it's likely that there would be some 12 hour shifts involved.

    Don't know a huge amount about it, but there are a few others around who will know more.

    Have you given any thought to doing midwifery from the outset, without doing nursing first?


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    #3
    MoonDancer
    Registered Users Posts: 706 ✭✭✭MoonDancer


    I have thought about just doing midwifery, but that limits it to just that. I would like to get the nursing degree done & out of the way first. I thought of waiting until the kids are older, but I think it's wise to just go ahead and start a career for myself :)


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    #4
    Laura25
    Registered Users Posts: 14 ✭Laura25


    Hi Moondancer,
    I'm studying nursing at the moment.
    In first year there are 2 sets of placement, 4weeks, usually 12-13 hrs 3days a week tho could be spread over 4 or 5, must add up to 35-37hrs a week anyways, then another 7wk placement of the same. 2nd year is mostly placement, with a wide variety where you will get to experience different hospitals as well as nursing homes and public health nursing. As far as I'm aware there isnt night shifts til 4th year.
    I imagine it would be very challenging as a mother but in my class there are quite a few, 2 of the girls have 4 kids while another has 5.
    If you have the support i would strongly recommend it, best of luck.


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    #5
    MoonDancer
    Registered Users Posts: 706 ✭✭✭MoonDancer


    Thanks Laura, that doesn't sound too scary :)


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    #6
    QuiteInterestin
    Registered Users Posts: 623 ✭✭✭QuiteInterestin


    Hi, I'm not a nurse so I could be wrong but I think the route of doing a nursing degree first and then specilalising in midwifery is being phased out and been replaced with a pure degree in midwifery for applicants training from now on. Like I said I could be wrong but if it's midwifery you definatly want you might want to check out exactly how you can go about training as one as the post grad courses that exist at the moment for recent nursing graduates might not exist in 4 years time


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    #7
    MoonDancer
    Registered Users Posts: 706 ✭✭✭MoonDancer


    QuiteInterestin wrote: »
    Hi, I'm not a nurse so I could be wrong but I think the route of doing a nursing degree first and then specilalising in midwifery is being phased out and been replaced with a pure degree in midwifery for applicants training from now on. Like I said I could be wrong but if it's midwifery you definatly want you might want to check out exactly how you can go about training as one as the post grad courses that exist at the moment for recent nursing graduates might not exist in 4 years time

    Thanks for your reply, as far as I know you're right, you can do a 3 year midwifery course, but you see thats all you'll be qualified for. I have lots of options to branch out if I do nursing first. I must look into the post grad courses & hopefully they won't be gone in a few years. I will definitely go and speak to the college if they have an open day or something.


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    #8
    mumtoe&e
    Registered Users Posts: 220 ✭✭mumtoe&e


    hey i am a midwifery student, almost finished first year.. i have 2 children, and its tough!
    the shifts are 13 hrs, 7.30am-8.30pm 3 days per week!
    we in ucd do not do nights or weekends, but i believe the other colleges do....
    you have to be 100% determined, and organised to do this.. its not an easy course to do when you have kids on board.. i feel as though I have not seen my children since september.. but on a positive note, we finish now next week and have 4 mths off, plenty of time to make it up to the kids... if u have plenty of help, then go for it... i think you are right doing your nursing first and then the 18mth midwifery, u are leaving your options open... i only had interest in midwifery though, not nursing.. so i am direct entry into midwifery.. go for it i say.... just get a year supply of red bull into your house ;)


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