Midwifery or aged care!

[Ella]

Ok I have been doing my RN since 2007 (took 18 months off in the middle). I worked in an aged care hospital for 1 year and whilst I loved helping the patients and I was happy to start with I have to be honest with you and say that is the reason I took 18 months off. Working there for a year was enough to make me not want to be a nurse anymore.
It is such hard work and can be really really demoralising. One of my biggest problems was fellow staff as it is an industry filled with nurses who are older and very set in their ways (eg: not wanting to use correct lifting techniques for patients even though I was 5 months pregnant).
Midwifery is where I'm headed now. I feel that its a sustainable industry and one that seems open to new perpectives and methods of care unlike aged care. Which makes it much better for me.
Time wise: you can get a cert 3 in Aged care through TAFE and it will take you 6 months. you will then be able to work as an AIN in any aged care institution. Keep in mind however that as an AIN (this is what I was working as) most of your time will be spent feeding, toileting and showering patients if you are in a hospital or nursing home.
Midwifery: you can do a bachelor of midwifery and it will take you 3 years full time. The other alternative is what I have done which is a bachelor of nursing then an 18 month postgrad masters in midwifery.

Either way it will be tricky with kids as I have found, but I also believe that having children gives you a drive and dedication that most people without kids find very hard to maintain.

Money wise: midwifery you can get HECS HELP for. This is where the government pays your fees for you then once you are earning over the threshold ($35,000 I think) a percentage of your weekly wage is taken to pay back the loan, keep in mind though that this is not a huge amount eg: if you are earning $35,000 it is 4% and goes up slightly from there.
Cert 3 in Aged care: I think they offer HELP for this but am not sure, I know a few years ago when my DF did it you had to pay as you went (sorry don't know amount)

Hope this helps. Again its all my opinion so other people might have found it really different.

[Eenee]

I worked in an aged care hospital for 1 year and whilst I loved helping the patients and I was happy to start with I have to be honest with you and say that is the reason I took 18 months off. Working there for a year was enough to make me not want to be a nurse anymore.
It is such hard work and can be really really demoralising. One of my biggest problems was fellow staff as it is an industry filled with nurses who are older and very set in their ways (eg: not wanting to use correct lifting techniques for patients even though I was 5 months pregnant).

Oh my goodness totally explains me! I so don't want to be a nurse anymore because of the same reason, lets hope DH will let me have a big break after Bub is born also.

ZF: I say go with your heart, what you feel you really want to do. Are you already a nurse already? If not you have two options for mid- either 3yrs just to be a middy or 3yrs to become a nurse then one year to do mid. From what I understand. It's hard to choose what you want to do when it involves study and sacrifices. I'm sure you'll be great at whatever you choose to do.

[Bumperstump Cummerbund]

I was previously in aged care, posting from my phone at the moment so I'll come back and answer later

[tattoo_mama]

eeep you girls have me scared now!
i was choosing between EN and aged care at TAFE, chose aged care caus the course is alot shorter and i struggle to stick with things for a long time. so aged care is 6 months full time and $600, whereas midwifery at uni is 3 yrs full time and thousands of dollars, so that made my choice.

[~Hestia~]

First of all, well done on going back to school!
I have been a nurse for over 10 years, mostly spent in aged care. Before I became a SAHM I'd worked in a facility for about 3 years that I really enjoyed.
Aged care is understaffed & very physical work, you're on your feet all day running against the clock. I never had time to just sit with a resident or take them out for a walk. Of course every place is different but ratios are ratios! In order for the facility to get funding there are mountains of paperwork that needs to be done on a daily basis. We would always have the attitude that resident's care comes first - but if we didn't do the paperwork too our NUM would not be impressed!
On the other hand I have made some lifelong friends & always enjoyed the teamwork that came with aged care nursing. I have such good time management skills now that's really come in handy since becomig a mother LOL! Some of the residents I've known have been amazing, if I had the time I could sit with them all day. There was always a certain satisfaction that came with knowing I'd made my residents happy & comfortable that day.
There are pros & cons to any job but aged care definitely needs more caring individuals like yourself! Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[Glamourcide]

Ahh, perfect thread! Just subbing because I'm intending on getting into midwifery (no doubt in my mind, that's all I want to do, not any other area of nursing) starting next year with the STEPS course and then 2012 begin actual courses... I had assumed that there would be HECS/HELP to pay fees, are there any out-of-pocket costs? Can you do *just* midwifery or do you have to do nursing and then midwifery?
Best of luck Zarava, I think you'd make a fabulous nurse as well, I'm getting into midwifery for similar reasons - to support women and their individual choices, and because I looooooovvvvvvvvve babies but DH doesn't want any more (I don't think we have room for them anyway), so I figure I can get paid to be around pregnant ladies/new mums and it'll work out good for everyone

[Glamourcide]

Whoops, double post! Don't know how *that* happened, I was being patient and didn't click-click-click or anything!