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Is a midwife a good job/ interesting job?
Im currently looking for careers and seems like midwife is fun but don"t know the other perspective behind closed doors. #job #nurse #nursing #career
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Tonya’s Answer
Thank you for your question and all the best as you search for good and interesting careers.
Yes, being a midwife is good, interesting, rewarding, exciting, and at times sad. To tell you a little story. Before I became a midwife, I was a nursing student pursuing my Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. During one of my patient care experiences, I had the opportunity to work with a labor and delivery nurse who said she loved what she does because she has the opportunity to see miracles everyday. And, when I saw my first birth as a nursing student and then as a midwifery student, I had the same thought. There are also other fascinating and exciting aspects such as caring for women and their families (midwife means with woman) as well as the community. Midwives care for a diverse population of people, remain up to date on midwifery, advocacy for health, wellness, and the community, healthcare practices, and education of patients and the community. In addition to births, midwives provide primary care such as providing annual physicals for patients.
The behind the scene depends on the type of work setting which sets the stage for the work hours and type of work. Some positions including being on call, which means the midwife can be called at anytime (day and night) to be with the family to provide care for the safe delivery of the baby/babies. At the same time, the midwife may also work in a setting caring for patients during the day and then be with the family in the evening for the birth. The midwife would have days off, however, working days and nights can be a challenging schedule. At the same time, there are midwives who work in an office/clinic setting seeing patients. The work hours maybe more structured. The care the midwife provides and the settings can vary by each state.
Another behind the scenes is advocating for families and the community. Midwives advocate for the rights of families and communities from many different backgrounds, diversities, and settings. In this situation we are looking for what is called health equity.
You will also see midwives teaching, whether in a college/university, in a healthcare setting, another country, or reservations (and even more settings). For example, midwives may teach medical students, nursing students, or others learning to care for patients.
The sad side is, every birth and healthcare situation does not turn out as planned. These times are challenging. Midwives are there for those times as well.
The websites below are resources to learn more.
References:
American College of Nurse-Midwives (2021). Home. https://www.midwife.org/
American College of Nurse-Midwives (2011). Definition of Midwifery and Scope of Practice of Certified Nurse-Midwives and Certified Midwives. https://www.midwife.org/acnm/files/ACNMLibraryData/UPLOADFILENAME/000000000266/Definition%20of%20Midwifery%20and%20Scope%20of%20Practice%20of%20CNMs%20and%20CMs%20Feb%202012.pdf
Midwives Alliance North America (2021). Home.
https://mana.org/about-midwives/what-is-a-midwife
International Confederation of Midwives (2021). Home. https://www.internationalmidwives.org/
World Health Organization (2020). Year of the Nurse and the Midwife 2020.
https://www.who.int/campaigns/annual-theme/year-of-the-nurse-and-the-midwife-2020
Yes, being a midwife is good, interesting, rewarding, exciting, and at times sad. To tell you a little story. Before I became a midwife, I was a nursing student pursuing my Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. During one of my patient care experiences, I had the opportunity to work with a labor and delivery nurse who said she loved what she does because she has the opportunity to see miracles everyday. And, when I saw my first birth as a nursing student and then as a midwifery student, I had the same thought. There are also other fascinating and exciting aspects such as caring for women and their families (midwife means with woman) as well as the community. Midwives care for a diverse population of people, remain up to date on midwifery, advocacy for health, wellness, and the community, healthcare practices, and education of patients and the community. In addition to births, midwives provide primary care such as providing annual physicals for patients.
The behind the scene depends on the type of work setting which sets the stage for the work hours and type of work. Some positions including being on call, which means the midwife can be called at anytime (day and night) to be with the family to provide care for the safe delivery of the baby/babies. At the same time, the midwife may also work in a setting caring for patients during the day and then be with the family in the evening for the birth. The midwife would have days off, however, working days and nights can be a challenging schedule. At the same time, there are midwives who work in an office/clinic setting seeing patients. The work hours maybe more structured. The care the midwife provides and the settings can vary by each state.
Another behind the scenes is advocating for families and the community. Midwives advocate for the rights of families and communities from many different backgrounds, diversities, and settings. In this situation we are looking for what is called health equity.
You will also see midwives teaching, whether in a college/university, in a healthcare setting, another country, or reservations (and even more settings). For example, midwives may teach medical students, nursing students, or others learning to care for patients.
The sad side is, every birth and healthcare situation does not turn out as planned. These times are challenging. Midwives are there for those times as well.
The websites below are resources to learn more.
References:
American College of Nurse-Midwives (2021). Home. https://www.midwife.org/
American College of Nurse-Midwives (2011). Definition of Midwifery and Scope of Practice of Certified Nurse-Midwives and Certified Midwives. https://www.midwife.org/acnm/files/ACNMLibraryData/UPLOADFILENAME/000000000266/Definition%20of%20Midwifery%20and%20Scope%20of%20Practice%20of%20CNMs%20and%20CMs%20Feb%202012.pdf
Midwives Alliance North America (2021). Home.
https://mana.org/about-midwives/what-is-a-midwife
International Confederation of Midwives (2021). Home. https://www.internationalmidwives.org/
World Health Organization (2020). Year of the Nurse and the Midwife 2020.
https://www.who.int/campaigns/annual-theme/year-of-the-nurse-and-the-midwife-2020
Updated
Allen’s Answer
Hello, Rosemary, wow, I like this question. However, the short answer is there's no absolute good or absolute interesting job, it always depends on your personality fits for it or not. Before sharing, quick background of myself—Asian, male, mid age, family with wife and 9 years old daughter.
I have been working for IT industry since last century, and I like my industry and companies I have contributed for. I have been in different roles in different companies, starting from field engineer, international sales, product planner, business program manager and technical program manager. I enjoyed each single phase of work. I earned reputation from my manager, had great team with coworkers, and achieved goals in different phases. But when I feel I should think about my next step, I would always consider taking a new journey. Review myself, talk with my manager, family, and friends. Collect their inputs, and share with them what I am thinking, and then make decision and move toward it.
Midwife, I never worked for it, but I think midwife would be participating a new born life’s first second in this world. Frankly, I like that for at least 1 second. And then starting from the 2nd second in his/her life in this new world, midwife would start working a lot of professional medical work to ensure his/her health. It's not an easy job. I think midwife would need a lot patience, detailing, and caring personality. I think I would like this job because of my personality. However, I also think in the U.S., there would be very low percentage new born infant couldn’t pass the first night. And that could happen in your career life sometimes. That would make your whole day covered by dark cloud. You will have both good and bad site all the time.
Any career would give you achievement, but could beat your life. So, if your personality fits midwife and you are learning nursing or medical knowledge, give it a try. And when you are part of it, never refuse for learning from new areas related, ie., pharmacist, doctor, or even hospital management in your whole career life. You would realize you are bigger/stronger/better than what you know.
I have been working for IT industry since last century, and I like my industry and companies I have contributed for. I have been in different roles in different companies, starting from field engineer, international sales, product planner, business program manager and technical program manager. I enjoyed each single phase of work. I earned reputation from my manager, had great team with coworkers, and achieved goals in different phases. But when I feel I should think about my next step, I would always consider taking a new journey. Review myself, talk with my manager, family, and friends. Collect their inputs, and share with them what I am thinking, and then make decision and move toward it.
Midwife, I never worked for it, but I think midwife would be participating a new born life’s first second in this world. Frankly, I like that for at least 1 second. And then starting from the 2nd second in his/her life in this new world, midwife would start working a lot of professional medical work to ensure his/her health. It's not an easy job. I think midwife would need a lot patience, detailing, and caring personality. I think I would like this job because of my personality. However, I also think in the U.S., there would be very low percentage new born infant couldn’t pass the first night. And that could happen in your career life sometimes. That would make your whole day covered by dark cloud. You will have both good and bad site all the time.
Any career would give you achievement, but could beat your life. So, if your personality fits midwife and you are learning nursing or medical knowledge, give it a try. And when you are part of it, never refuse for learning from new areas related, ie., pharmacist, doctor, or even hospital management in your whole career life. You would realize you are bigger/stronger/better than what you know.
Thank you!!
Rosemary