It's been a few days since I wrote anything. Not a whole lot to say and not a whole lot of free time to post either!
This post will be aimed at those who are considering education to become a nurse-midwife (CNM). First of all, you need to go to nursing school and become an RN (registered nurse). This can be anywhere from a 2 year program, up to a 4 year program. It all depends on if you go full-time or part-time, and if you choose a diploma program, associate's degree program (which is what I did), or a bachelor's degree program. A BSN program will give you more options for different midwifery programs, since many require a BSN to enter.
Frontier has a Bridge program, which I did, where if you have an associate's degree, you can do a bridge year to complete the undergraduate level coursework. You don't actually get a BSN, but you do "bridge" into the MSN level coursework. I'm currently in year 2 of the MSN level coursework, and am going part-time. If you go full-time, you can be done in 9 months less than the part-time program.
Be prepared to devote much (and I do mean MUCH) of your "free" time to studying and writing papers for school. I work full-time (4 shifts per week), and do school work almost every single day. My days "off" are not really days off, since I'm usually doing upwards of 6-8 hours of school work on those "off" days. And believe me when I say, this is sometimes not nearly enough hours in the day/week to get all of the studying done.
Be prepared to do a wholllllllllllle lot of reading in midwifery school. Now, I do love to read, but sometimes, the clinical readings are, well, dull and dry. But they are all important. Reading will become a huge part of your life. I take something with me wherever I go to fit school reading into my daily life. Note cards, spiral notebooks, even textbooks - they go with me everywhere. I squeeze in reading while waiting at the doctor's office, when out dining with the family (sometimes), sitting in the car, on vacation, at the beach, on my meal break at work, etc. You name it, I've probably read school related readings there. As you can tell, midwifery students will take any down time to study and read.
Be prepared to miss events in your children's lives. I hate this the most. They are only young once. I sometimes feel like I'm missing my youngest child grow up. So, there are times where I will put down the books, step away from the computer, and will spend quality time with her. I know she gets angry that I'm always studying. It is imperative to make special time just for her and I.
Time as a couple: what's that? Yes, it's hard to make time just for the special one in my life. But we find time here and there: watching a movie together, or watching House (yes, we LOVE House!).
Having a sit down dinner with the whole family at least 2-3 days per week is so important for recharging and being with the family. This is a MUST!
Finding balance for all of it: since this is my third year in school, I'm still trying to find the right balance. There are times when I feel like I never see my family -- between work and studying, I'm not "there" with them that often. But, we make the best of it all.
There is an end in sight! I should be graduating around March/April of 2013. If not sooner, if I can get all of my clinical hours and numbers in! (Wouldn't that be great!!)
20 comments:
What a timely post for me! I am thinking of going to midwifery school at a nearby university that has an MSN program. I'm not even a nurse yet and I have a lot of kids. However, my strategy, the slow one, is to start reading those midwifery books NOW. I certainly have an interest in them. I was going to get the reading list from the university courses and look into getting those books now and while I'm not yet in school, start reading and studying while I don't have the pressures of working full-time or writing papers yet. My motivation is high, so we'll see how this goes. I have been following your schooling and just finished a great book about the history of the Frontier Nursing Service. Truly remarkable! God bless your studying!
I have actually gone through the application twice for Frontier...then never submitted them. I want more than anything to practice midwifery...but between my health, work and kids...am so scared I will be pushing my limit. Another issue is finances...Frontier is expensive compared to other programs...but the online coursework would be ideal for me.
A nurse I work with just recently completed her MSN in midwifery and passed her boards. Yay! Except...now..she can't find a job. She even just applied in the UK! And her student loan payments are $1200/mth! Yikes!
So now one of our "floor nurses" is a CNM! Haha! Talk about butting heads with the drs!
I recently decided to be a nurse-midwife. I still have to become a nurse, and that will take 5 years going the slow way.
I do get nervous about how school will affect my family (two young kids). I do have more available time, but I'd have to cut back on social/volunteer/doula/childbirth teaching stuff.
If that seems like a long time, imagine how it's like to become an Ob-Gyn! 4 years of college; 4 years of medical school; 4 years of Ob-Gyn residency; and another 3 years if you decide to subspecialize to do a fellowship. If we can do it, you can do it!! Never look back and go for it! :)
I am currently in an ADN & a LM/CPM program. I will finish my RN this december & my LM the next. Then onto Frontier for my CNM. Thanks for the inspiration!
Yea! Thanks for the post! Like these other ladies, I too have just started the path to become a CNM. Just started my first pre-req class for nursing school this week- biology. It will take me 3 years to complete my BSN (had prior college credits), and will hopefully go to Frontier after that. Thanks for sharing your life and know you have a lot of people cheering for you!
Best of luck to you!
I would probably go for it if I were even 10 years younger. Unfortunately, I am closer to retirement than anything else!
I wish you all the best and you sound like you would be an excellent Midwife!! :)
After Jessica's comment, I was looking at other programs. At $400ish/credit, is Frontier really more expensive? Compared to what? Other programs I was comparing to were $600-$700/credit. The only comparable program was Stony Brook (but there's no bridge to the master's).
I take that back about Stony Brook - it has a RN to BSN degree & their tuition is $570/credit (non-resident).
I should be finishing my RN with my BSN in December. Planning to start the MSN in midwifery hopefully in January. Planning to go the part time route so I can work at the same time. Sounds like there are a lot of passionate future midwives coming along!
Has anyone heard of this course? My friend in Canada is taking this US course, then a bridge course. Here is the site-hope it's ok to post! http://www.newlifehomebirth.com/midwifetobe2.htm
@ Samantha, This program is to become a home-birth midwife, though. But your friend's plan is to be a CNM?
I love hearing about other women who are aspiring to become nurses and nurse-midwives!
No she only wants to do home births. Interested what others think of this course.
Thanks for this post! I am in nursing school now and it's really intense. I went into a second degree in nursing program so that I could become a midwife, but now I"m looking forward to taking a break and working for awhile to get experience and better my skills. And make some money/pay off some loans!
My biggest fear about midwifery is not the schooling (although I know it's tough, I've gotten used to the sacrifices in nursing school!) -- my biggest fear is the job market. There just simply aren't a lot of opportunities in my area for CNMs and I'm not able to change locations for now. Do you think it's worth it to still go for it sooner rather than later (there's an affordable state school that I could attend)? I wonder if it's worth it to go ahead and get the training, even if I have to work as an RN while I"m looking for opportunities?
Need professional advice, stat!
@ LaurenB, I talked to a CNM in a nearby community about this. She was a L&D nurse for years at that hospital. She had a completely supportive OB arranged before she asked for privileges at the hospital. It took a full year of the initial
"application" then several appeals, but she did get her privileges. So that's what I'm expecting. Hopefully it does work - I've heard there's a retired OB on the hospital board that is anti-midwife.
So maybe you could put some feelers out to the OBs - see if it looks like someone would support you & see how open the hospital board is. Opening a birth center/offering homebirth could be an option too.
Thanks Laura! I guess, unfortunately, it does just come down to how supportive the OB's are. In my state (NC), CNM's have to have OB's sign off even for independent practices in birth centers and homebirth. I gather this is why there are no CNMS doing homebirth within a 3 hour radius of where I live! I would eventually LOVE to offer homebirth, but I also know that I will need training and experience before I feel comfortable going it on my own - and I'm so frustrated that I'm not able to get that experience here. I like most everything else about where I live and can't change my partner's job situation and leave -- but I am really REALLY hoping a door will open in the next 5-10years so I can be the midwife I want to be and one the community here so desperately needs.
Hopefully when I"m a nurse I can do more networking and putting out of feelers to see where I can crack that door open. So hard to be patient! In the mean time I'm so stuck on whether to go ahead and get my MSN or wait...
@ Samantha, It looks pretty comprehensive. I like the book list. And it's cheap...wow!
I have been reading your blog for a while. Thank you for it. :)
This post scares me a little, I keep rereading it to be sure I know what I am hoping to get myself into. I just hope that slow and steady will get me through it, as it seems to be for you.
I have a long long way to go still. LOL I don't know why I am even thinking about masters level classes ... I should be worrying about NCLEX next week instead, don't you think?
Thank you so much for this post! I have been thinking about becoming a midwife...but not sure about what option to take. I have BS in chem already, so wasn't hepped up about the thought of getting another BS degree, I didn't realize that the AS was an option.
But then the issue with going this path is that I want to do homebirths, and that just isn't supported in my area. In fact, a CNM in my area who wanted to attend homebirths recently gave up her certification in order to do it because she couldn't get an official back up OB--the hospitals have told the OB's that if they back up a homebirth midwife they will loose their hospital priviledges. Sigh.
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