Hi Liz, I was responding to someone else's posts that they had spoken to mid students who felt that they were not being taught about intervention-free birth. I was saying that I have been taught & do feel confident (as a beginning practitioner!) with intervention-free birth after 3 years at uni & the requirement to be the primary accoucher for 40 non-instrumental births. Since grad dip midwives have 12 months @ uni are are required to primary accoucher 20 births, I wonder if it is more difficult to feel confident w/ intervention-free birth w/ this training.
I'm not at all saying good or bad, them or us. Just wondering out loud. I definitely don't think that I'd feel as confident after only 12 months, but maybe if I had done general nursing first I would. Hope that makes sense. Jen 3rd year BMid, Melbourne --- Liz Newnham <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi Jen, > I was curious to ask what you meant by "I wonder if > it is more difficult for them". Wonder if what is > more difficult? > Liz > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Jen Semple > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 2004 11:00 AM > Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Students, training and > other things was Re: uterine rupture 1998 > > > As a current Bachelor of Midwifery (aka direct > entry)student, I can tell you a little bit about my > course. > > I think everybody here agrees that there is no > such thing as the perfect woman, the perfect > midwife, or the perfect midwifery course. That > said, I can promise you all that we have learnt > about working in partnersip with women, what is > normal birth, and how the role of the midwife > changes from autonomous practitioner to "member of > the team" once labour is augmented. > > One of the things that we struggle with most is > the "theory-practice gap"... the evidence & what we > are being taught at uni & then the lack of > opportunity to practice in that way at present (ie > we get taught about hands off or hands poised & most > of us have yet to be supervised by a midwife with a > birthing woman who doesn't firmly enourage us to > keep a hand on the head &/or peri). Also > caseload... to meet the ACMI standard, we have all > completed (or are about to complete) 30 follow > throughs. For many of us, that would be our > preferred model of practice next year & at present, > there is not one hospital in metropolitan Melbourne > where we could pratice in that model. > > I'm not saying that all is perfect at my uni (& > can't speak for all unis), but I am certain that my > lecturers are knowledgable of what is normal & > passionate how to keep things that way. > > The ACMI requirement is that we are the primary > accouchuer (aka catching or delivering the baby) for > 40 non-instrumental births. This is a lot of > births! Many are struggling to attain this figure & > many have done so in less than ideal circumstances. > It is argued that this number should be reduced or > that students should be able to "count" births that > became instrumental, but the student remained the > woman's midwife. > > While the midwife's role in an instrumental birth, > augmented labour, etc is just as important as in a > "normal" labour or birth, it is very different. > The midwife is no longer the autunomous practitioner > & the student is no longer gaining experience with > "normalcy". > > Abby, I think the high standards that ACMI has set > for us help ensure that we do know normal. Granted, > this is still the hospital setting, but until > community midwifery is more widely available to > women & midwives, the reality is that the majority > of student midwives cannot gain experience in this > setting. > > I cannot speak for the education of Graduate > Diploma midwives (who are already nurses)... as > their midwifery program is only 12 months (& their > requirement is 20 births), I wonder if it is more > difficult for them? > > Anyway, I hope my current perspective as a student > is helpful. > > Jen > 3rd year BMid, Melbourne > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > Find local movie times and trailers on Yahoo! > Movies. > Find local movie times and trailers on Yahoo! Movies. http://au.movies.yahoo.com -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
