Hi all
Great to get so much good advice and encouragement )
Studyingmumma - I really reckon it would be good for you to dig deep and finish the nursing, you're not that far off and remember you can always try and get work related to babies and women (gyni, neonatal wards, paediatrics etc). The other great thing about nursing is that it's so flexible - you can do short postgrad courses while you're working as a nurse and get into lactation consulting, child health nursing, community/family nursing, acute care etc etc etc, as well as midwifery of course. So much more flexible in the long term than straight midwifery (and although it seems unlikely now maybe in 20 years you would get sick of midwifery and want to move into one of those other areas for a change???). Also, I've heard there are offcampus postgrad mid courses through places like Deakin which are much shorter than in SA. Still, not an easy decision to make in any case. It's been really hard for me just deciding to get out of science (which I still enjoy and already have so many contacts in) even though I'm so keen on becoming a midwife.

MotherGoose - thanks so much for the tips on placements. I'm sure it's very similar in nursing and midwifery. I know what you mean about me being harder work than the local nursing and post grad mid students. Certainly the main public hospital in Hobart basically don't have the resources and worry about the work involved in having a non-nurse in the labour ward as it's just not something that's done here in Tas. Work is going to be hard to come by as well but if worse comes to worse I can get as much credit as possible for the midwifery degree and study nursing later. I also live in hope that things will change and become a bit more progressive here over the few years it takes me to complete the degree.
I think I will do as you say and at least ring the hospitals (when I spoke to them last year I was very vague as I hadn't got into UniSA and didn't know much about the course). If they prefer to talk to the Uni then I'll leave the negotiations to them. Do you think it's better to wait till I'm enrolled and have more information on the pracs and just approach each placement block (there are two weeks of antenatal in first semester and then I'll be defering for 12 months) as a completely separate set of negotiations?? Ie When I first ring and tell them I'm doing the UniSA mid course do I just ask about the first 2 week placement rather than detailing other placements later in the course? Is it common to reach an arrangement where you do most of your pracs at the same hospital?? I know that the small private hospitals in Hobart already have arrangements with the big main public hospital where their students can do pracs there which the small hospital just can't cater for (eg neo natal intensive care). This would even be the case if the public hospital had said no when approached separately. As I'm in a small place there just aren't heaps of hospitals to choose from - I may only find one that is happy to have me!
You mentioned that you know there are some Tasmanians at UniSA - any tips for how to get in touch with them??
I will make sure I'm in a super polite, friendly and informed mood before I ring anyone!!
Thanks again
Nina