Q's about the bachelor Of Midwifery Undergraduate degree

[~mamaspice~]

Hi Girls,

I need to decide whether I will do Nursing then a masters degree in Midwifery (and be qualified as a RN & RM) or whether I will just do a bachelor of midwifery (and be a qualified RM only).

I know that in many ways it would be advantageous to do both, but I do not have any real interest in other facets of nursing besides midwifery.

If I were just to do a midwifery degree am I qualified to practice in all facets of the job? EG: can I still administer medications, work in the special care nursery and tend to women in the postnatal ward etc????

[SamanthaP]

As an RM you are qualified to care for women from conception through to 6 weeks postnatal. This includes working in SCN, administering medication and obviously post natal wards. Currently in SA we are working towards getting RM's prescribing rights, as the midwives in NZ have. You need to decide if you want to be a nurse or a midwife, then decide from there.

[bon]

QUT and Uni of QLD now offer a double degree in Nursing and Midwifery - might be an option if you can't decide which way you want to go. I am thinking of transfering out of my nursing degree down the track to do that.

[~mamaspice~]

SamanthaP, thanks for the reply. I was just worried that there might be some restrictions and that it might affect my chances of getting a job when there are people out there who have both degrees, especially seeing as the BMid is pretty new in QLD. But i guess the country is screaming for nurses and midwives isn't it!

Hi Bon, Yes I did know that UQ and QUT have the dual degrees. I'll have to find out whether the main focus is on midwifery though as if there is a huge nursing component I'm not sure I'd like it. I got accepted into the BMid at ACU for this year but I could not accept it as their timetable was not very good and it mean't I would have had to attend Uni every day of the week , which just isn't doable when I live on the Coast and have a little bubba. Would LOVE to get into the BMid through UQ as you are based in a hospital straight away. You have problem based learning at the hospital on Mondays then you do two 8 hour shifts per week in the antenatal clinic, postnatal ward or birth suites (birth suites from second semester onwards) where you are buddied up with one of the midwives as your "mentor". Then there is one day a week of non compulsory lectures at the uni (which I wouldn't go to as you can just download them off the net). What are you currently studying?

[bon]

Charli'smumma - because its a double degree there is equal focus on nursing and midwifery, because at the end you effectively have 2 degrees - 1 in nursing and 1 in midwifery. If you don't really have in interest in nursing I wouldn't bother with it - just do a midwifery degree. I am currently doing a Bachelor of Nursing with Central Queensland Uni via distance. I am really liking it so far, although its only my first year and I am part time. CQU don't offer a BMid, just postgrad midwifery. I have an equal interest in nursing and midwifery which is why I would like to do the double degree. Right now though it is only offered in full time, which means travelling to Brisbane every day and I don't want to, and can't really afford to, have my kids in daycare full time. So distance ed is perfect right now!

[~mamaspice~]

Hi Bon.

Did you apply for nursing at CQU through QTAC?
My OP wasn't quite good enough to get into the midwifery at UQ so I was thinking of doing 4 nursing subjects to get my OP up to get into UQ. Otherwise I should be able to get into ACU again. I just like UQ's course structure much better.

I know what you mean about the travelling thing though. The closest uni to me is Griffith but they don't have an undergraduate mid degree yet. Although they are thinking about it but probably not until the new tertiary hospital is built here on the coast in 2012 and I don't want to wait that long