Re: RE B MID

[Nikki Macfarlane]

While direct entry Midwifery has been in existence for a lot longer in the UK than in Australia, I do remember several years whien i was still living there talking to midwives about how they felt towards direct entry Midwives. In the group I had spokent o there was a general feeling that without the nursing background they would not be any good since they lacked a fundamental understanding of pathophysiology. However, that attitude has slowly been changing and the profession is now much more readily accepted.   I am doing my Bachelor of Nursing Science at the moment (finally more than half way through!) and there is the same concerns there. Doing the degree in University is perceived by many as not being as good as doing hospital based training since we do not learn as much "on the job" stuff - however, we learn other aspects that were more difficult to learn in the hospital envirnment. One of the things I particularly like is we work with a wide variety of clinicians in a wide variety of settings. There is a lot of focus on questioning why we do what we do and using reflective practice. There is also a lot of focus on research. Each method of learning has its own advantages and disadvantages. On top of doing a degree nursing course I am doing it part time by correspondence/distance learning. There are a large number of nurses trained through the more traditional systems who are horrified. "How on earth can you learn enough by distance?" However, i do exactly the same number of clinical placement weeks as a nurse studying on campus.   Whenever there is change in a profession, especially in the way that profession is taught, there are alwaysgoing to be some who find that change frightening or threatening. Does it really matter what other midwives think of Direct Entry Midwifery? What is important is that you feel you are doing the job you want to do, feel appropriately trained and qualified for it and confident in the skills you develop. Those midwives who feel uncomfortable with this new system will gradually become more accepting - it is just because it is still new.   Nikki Macfarlane Singapore www.parentlink.org   ----- Original Message ----- From: barbara glare & chris bright To: Ozmidwifery Sent: Monday, February 04, 2002 1:51 AM Subject: Re: RE B MID Dear Macha and Tina,   I was shocked when a friend of mine who is a midwife reacted vehemently and negatively to the idea of B Mid.  I think her words were "It will undermine everything we have worked for - I would never agree to work with a direct entry midwife in a hospital"  When I picked myself up off the floor and asked her about it, it turned out that she really had no idea at all about what it was.  After I explained, she was a bit calmer about it.    Love