Higher Education and midwifery

I developed a passion for midwifery during my own pregnancy. Midwifery is a career in which you could literally meet someone new everyday. Midwives offer care during and after the pregnancy to mothers, their partners and their families. After the pregnancy (postnatal care) the mother will be allocated a midwife that is located nearby. Part of the work that midwives do, include counselling, listening and also listening. Many mothers to be, especially first time mothers need advice and a lot of support. Aside from the practical caring skills, midwives need to be aware of the social and cultural context which childbirth takes place.

In the health care professions, midwifery has a unique position. The service the midwives offer is absolutely essential and also offers a variable career pathways.

It is an essential requirement that midwives have a desire to assist and help women and their families through all stages of pregnancy. The midwife will normally be the person in charge of of caring for pregnant women. They need to be capable of working on their own as well as within a team. The development of practical skills and excellent communication skills are also very important within the midwifery profession. It is a very rewarding career but it also allows for flexibility of working all over the UK and even overseas.

Task 2

Planned Dates

Action to be taken

Materials Needed

Achieved?

Date Achieved

What to do to achieve plan

Yes

No

18/03/11

Research midwifery and nursing

Use the internet to do research and books

X

18/03/11

19/03/11

Go to the library

Books from the library and ask where I can get careers advice

X

19/03/11

Visited the library and borrowed books on midwifery and nursing. I found out that I can go to Connections to get careers advice.

22/03/11

Go to Connections

Find out information of midwifery and get leaflets if available

X

22/03/11

Get relevant leaflets and take notes

23/03/11

Look on the UCAS website

Find out what information to include in personal statements

X

23/03/11

Write brief notes

23/03/11

Meet Sam after work

Bring pen and paper

X

23/03/11

Conduct on interview about midwifery

23/03/11

Plan what to write in personal statement

X

23/03/11

Type first draft of personal statement.

25/03/11

Complete then proof read all work and make any improvements if necessary

X

25/03/11

When satisfied, submit work to tutor

Task 3

TAQ 2- Personal Profile

Health

I consider myself to be very healthy. I eat healthily, attend the gym occasionally and sometimes go walking. I do not have any underlined health problems.

Interests

I have a passion for midwifery and nursing and generally love helping people to live a better quality of life. To be able to help someone is an amazing feeling and is very rewarding.

Hobbies

Aside from having an interests in the work of nursing and midwifery, I have hobbies and am interested in sports. My main hobbies are playing basketball. I play for my local team. I also occasionally go to the gym. Keeping fit is a very important thing in life, especially to pursue a career in the Health Professions.

Practical skills

I have the necessary attributes such as interpersonal, customer service skills, initiative, motivation and drive to take on tasks from beginning right through to completion. I am an excellent team player who is goal oriented, reliable and conscientious

Personal Qualities

I am highly conscientious, committed and diligent individual who is keen to develop my skills further.

Community Involvement

I have previously worked as a full time carer looking after my grandmother who at the time suffered from cancer. I volunteered to look after her to prevent her from going into a care home. In doing so would give me valuable experience in working for the health and social care sector.

My main duties were to cook all her meals, bath her, light housekeeping and generally keeping her company and improving her quality of life the best I could. To take her mind of the illness, I often took her out walking, and also ate out quite often. I also took her to Bingo-she enjoyed that a lot. Most importantly, I accompanied her to hospital appointments to provide that much needed support.

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From my experience of being a carer, this made realise my dream of wanting to work within the health and social care sector. It was during my own pregnancy with my son that I realised exactly what I wanted to do within that sector-I wanted to become a midwife. Speaking to my midwife sparked off my fascination with all aspects of pregnancy and did research on all stages of pregnancy and the work of midwives. From this I discovered what the vital role midwives play in caring for mother and baby leading up to the birth and the postnatal period. Taking the Access to Midwifery Diploma is the first stepping stone for me to make my dream of becoming a midwife a reality. This will allow me to take on further study at degree level and then to register as a midwife. After this I would like to build a successful career with the NHS.

TAQ 1

Before applying to any higher education institution, it is necessary to find out exactly what facilities they have available to students. Facilities include childcare, student unions, library, computer facilities, support with disability and/or dyslexia and much more. As well as the different facilities available, it is also necessary to also research more into the actual features of the course, for example if it give students the opportunity to study abroad and also the different modules to study in the course and how exactly how the course is assessed. I will be researching the midwifery course on offer at Kings College London, Kingston and Hertfordshire Universities.

Kings College London has four campuses in total. However the campus that midwifery will be taught is Waterloo which is located just minutes away from Waterloo station. Kings College London has a lot to offer its students. The midwifery degree is for students who are not registered as nurses. Students are required to study five days a week:50% of the time learning is spent in the classroom and the remaining time is spent in an NHS Trust gaining the necessary practical skills to be able to work as a competent midwife. Kings College London has partnerships with world-class teaching hospitals like Kings College Hospital. They have links with health services and even policy makers. Their graduates has a 100% chance of gaining employment as they are the most sought after both nationally and internationally. This higher education institution is renowned for the quality of their research work and they have approachable and very supportive staff.

The BSc midwifery degree leads to being able to register and then work as a midwife. During the first year of study, students will be introduced to midwifery, midwifery practice and the sciences which underpin them. The modules that will be studied are midwifery practice 1, biology and midwifery practice 1, biology and midwifery practice 2, searching for midwifery evidence, foundations of midwifery, pharmacology for midwifery and social science and midwifery.

In the second year of study, students will begin to appraise the evidence base of current practice, explore complex midwifery and obstetric situations and study common medical disorders encountered in childbearing women. The modules that will be studied in this year are midwifery practice 2, public health and midwifery, research methods, midwifery and sexual health, medical issues and childbirth 1, medical issues and childbirth 2, needs assessment and care pathways.

In the third and final year, students will learn to manage emergency situations and developing further skills in promoting public health. The modules that will be studied will be midwifery emergencies, midwifery practice 3, management and education evidence for midwifery care, newborn assessment and lastly research based dissertation.

Aside from world class teaching and support, Kings College London has many other facilities to help its students. They have student unions, summer school for those students who need additional support. They offer opportunity to study part of the course abroad.

Kingston University has four campuses. However the midwifery programme will be taught at Kingston Hill campus which is located a short bus ride from Norbiton Rail. This campus has a 300 seat lecture room, new teaching spaces, learning resources centre and green spaces and meeting areas.

Their midwifery programme will prepare students to achieve the requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Council as well as the European Midwives’ Directive. Students are required to study a minimum of 50% practical based learning and a minimum of 40% theory based learning.

In the first year, students will study biological science, introduction to anatomy and physiology, communication and informing midwifery practice, introduction to social sciences, introduction to health promotion and introduction to midwifery practice and applied biological science.

In the second year, the modules that will be studied are psychosocial aspects of midwifery care, research methods, deficiencies in women’s health, midwifery profession and practice, biological basis of midwifery practice and the role of the midwife in public health.

In the final year of study will include evidence-based practice, complicated childbearing, interprofessional debates and management, comparative midwifery: national and international prospectives, scope of professional practice, empowering women and preparation for autonomous practice.

Students on this course has a 100% chance of gaining employed after successfully completing it.

Facilities on offer at Kingston University include childcare that caters for children between the ages of 2 and 5. They even have healthcare services which provides flu vaccinations, tetanus booster, or if one needs to give up smoking, then the university health centre is the first port of call. It also offers services in sexual health screening, sports injuries and complementary therapies include chiropody, homoeopathy, message therapy, osteopathy and reflexology. They can also help with accommodation.

Hertfordshire University is a single campus university with two sites, the midwifery degree will be taught at the Hatfield site which is just minutes away from Hatfield station. Modules that student will study in the first year are biological basis of midwifery, fundamentals of midwifery, health promotion and healthcare in midwifery, psychological and cultural issues influencing childbirth and skills developing for midwifery practice. In the second year modules of study will include altered health states, high risk pregnancy 2, integrating midwifery practice, reflections on midwifery practice, research methods in midwifery, skills development for midwifery 2A, skills development for midwifery 2B, skills for parent education and the sick newborn infant. Lastly in the third year, clinical governance in midwifery practice, high risk pregnancy, integrating midwifery practice 1, integrating midwifery practice 2, professional issues in midwifery and skills development for midwifery practice 3 will be studied.

Hertfordshire University has excellent learning facilities with over 1300 computers, 24 hour access to software, study spaces for both individuals and groups, help desk, skills sessions and self help guides. They also have great social facilities, arts, sports and spiritual facilities. They even have a campus pharmacy. They do not however, have childcare on offer but here are suitable childcare providers quite close to the university campus.

A study was conducted to establish what facilities higher education institutions has to offer its students. Generally, all the above higher education institutions provide excellent facilities to aid students in completing their chosen course successfully. Students who studied midwifery at Kings College London and Kingston found employment soon after completing the course. Universities provide a summer school for those student who need additional help with their studies. Support on finances and accommodation is provided. Some institutions also provide state of the art sports facilities, healthcare, skills centre and also supplies self help guides.

The best part of the course is the practical learning as this allows students to gain hands on experience in the workplace.

Bibliography

http://www.kcl.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/index/name/midwifery_studies_with_registration/alpha/MNO/header_search/

http://www.kcl.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/structure/name/midwifery_studies_with_registration/alpha/MNO/header_search/

http://www.kcl.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/structure/name/midwifery_studies_with_registration/alpha/MNO/header_search/

http://www.kingston.ac.uk/aboutkingstonuniversity/location/campuses/kingstonhill/

http://www.kingston.ac.uk/undergraduate-course/midwifery-2011/

http://www.herts.ac.uk/courses/Midwifery_structure.cfm

Task 4

A midwife’s job is not only to deliver babies, they are also the main contact during a pregnancy as well as providing post natal care. By giving much needed information, the midwife will be assisting the mother to be in making choices in regards to the options available. The responsibility of a midwife is wide ranging. They undertake clinical examinations, provides health information and in key in supporting the expectant mother through her pregnancy.

Midwives can work in a variety of different settings. They can work in hospitals, birth centres and many choose to work independently. If they work in a hospital, they will work in the maternity unit. In the UK, the National Health Service employs the majority of midwives.

To become a midwife, you need to gain a pre-registration degree in midwifery. This allows you to register as a midwife.

In order to study at degree level in a higher education institution, you first need to meet their entry requirements. There are no national minimum entry requirements, however students generally need to achieve at least five GCSEs at grade C or above including English, Maths and Science. Students also need to achieve 2 A Levels (including a Science) or equivalent.

Once you are able to register as a midwife, you can work in many different settings including the NHS. After gaining enough experience, you can look to gain develop your career further, which may mean further study or training.

Second choice University of

Kingston-Midwifery

Task 5

Becoming a midwife-midwifery

route

Access to Nursing, Midwifery

and the Health Professions

(one year course)

Successfully completing

the Access course means that

a degree in midwifery can be

taken

Third choice University of

Hertfordshire-Midwifery

Forth choice University of

Greenwich-Midwifery

OR

Fifth choice University of

Middlesex-Midwifery

Becoming a midwife through the

nursing route

Access to Nursing, Midwifery

and the Health Professions

(one year course)

Successfully completing the

Access course that means a

degree in Adult Nursing can be

taken

Adult nursing can be taken in

Kings College London, Kingston,

Hertfordshire, Greenwich and

Middlesex

After completing the degree, you

can now register as a midwife

and begin working

The shortened degree programme

can be studied at Kings College

London. Kingston, Hertfordshire,

Greenwich and Middlesex

Return to education to study a

shortened midwifery degree

that last for 18 months. This

degree is only for registered

nurses

Gain work experience as a

registered nurse

I chose to do the above diagram because it is the most clear way of showing the routes into midwifery available. It goes through step by step until the goal of becoming a registered midwife is achieved.

In order to become a registered midwife, you need to have the relevant qualifications. There are two different routes available. Enter higher education institutions to study a degree in midwifery or first take an adult nursing degree, gain experience as a nurse, return to education to study a shortened midwifery degree specifically for registered nurses. Then you will be able to work as a midwife.

In order to study a degree in nursing or midwifery, you first need to meet entry requirements of the institution you wish to attend. Universities traditionally requires prospective student to have completed A levels and have GCSEs. However for those applicants who do not have traditional qualifications, they can complete an Access course that is related to the degree that you wish to study.

I would like to study at Kings College London, Kingston, Hertfordshire, Greenwich or Middlesex. The entry requirements to study the midwifery degree at Kings College London for students completing the Access is course is 60 credits with 45 at level 3. Students need to achieve a minimum of 15 merits and 20 distinctions. This entry requirement is the same for those students wishing to do an adult nursing degree. Students who would like to study midwifery at Kingston University needs to achieve 45 level 3 credits with at least 30 merits. The same applies to entering their adult nursing degree. For those who would like to study at Hertfordshire on the midwifery course, you need to achieve 45 credits at level 3 with a minimum of 12 merits and 12 distinctions. Those who would like to study the adult nursing need to achieve 24 merits. To study midwifery at Greenwich, you again need to achieve 45 level 3 credits with at least six months experience working the health and social care sector. The same applied to the adult nursing course. Lastly, for those who would like to study at Middlesex on the midwifery programme, must gain 45 level 3 credits and must contain GCSE English and Maths equivalent and the diploma must have been achieved within the last five years. The same applies to those who wish to study the adult nursing programme.