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Considering Bachelor of Midwifery

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Author Considering Bachelor of Midwifery

Becmat

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  • Joined: Jan 2011
  • Location: Adelaide
  • Posts: 22

Wed Jan 26, 2011 3:01 pm

Hello
Ive only recently joined Nurse Central to try and get some advice and info. Everyone seems pretty helpful.

Im thinking of doing a Bachelor or Nursing but have never been to Uni and it all seems very scary. Im hoping someone who has been in a simular position or knows what options i have can offer some advice.

I currently work full time 8am-4pm mon-fri and would like to do the course externally.
If i was to do this, how often would i have to attend classes/workshops at Uni and are these flexible? eg. nights/weekends?

My partner and i are thinking about babies in the next couple of years so if i started full time then had a baby, could i defer for a period of time and then go back part time? Is that a possibility? Would working full time and studying nursing Full time be too much or is it possible?

During the course how many placements do you do and how many times per year do you have them?
I would have to try and get this time off work as unpaid leave (4 weeks - i could use my annual leave)

Once you are a RN, is it 18 months full time to become a Midwife? Thats something i would love to do also but more than willing to do that down the track.

Any info would be great.
Im hanging out for the nursing expo in June, has anyone been? Was it helpful?
Also, is it hard to get into Bach of Nursing externally at UniSA? I would be a mature age entry.

Thanks in advance

jules74

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  • Joined: Jan 2008
  • Location:
  • Posts: 135

Jan 27, 2011, 06:15 pm

hi, you should also have a look at charles darwin uni as they also do an external Bach of Nsg. there are a few threads going at the moment where people are discussing various things about CDU external as people have just been offered places for 2011. you should have a look at them bcos it might give you some info and food for thought.

im about to start the CDU external course this year, im an EN so im not starting in first yr, but the rules in general will be the same. so i know a little bit about it- but not heaps like some others who are already studying thru there. what i do know is that you can basically do full time or part time and any point, ie you can change from semester to semester- as long as you finish within 6 years. so you can bounce back and forth between f/t & p/t depending on what works for you at the time (ie babies!)- and part time can mean as little as one subject a semester. i have been asking these questions of someone at CDU via email as im in a similar situation to you- i'd like to start a famiy this year sometime, plus i need to work 4-5 days a week too, so my ability to be f/t or p/t might change as i go thru this year and/ or the next couple of years. and yes you can defer the course, you can defer before you even start, and you can defer once your doing it too. i think its standard for all courses though that you can only defer once during the course.

clinicals seem to be between 20-30 days duration, and i think in total you do might do 5 or 6 clinical placements...im not exactly sure bcos im not doing first year so i havent looked at that. and for every full time year, you have to do a clinical teaching block- which i think is maybe a preparation for actual clinicals- bcos obviously some nursing things you really need to see done face to face. those i believe are a week long and sounds like mostly you have to go to alice springs or casuarina to do them.

to do midwifery you then do a graduate diploma in midwifery, which is 1 yr- but im pretty sure you cant just go straight into it right after you finish your nursing degree. i could be wrong, but im sure i read on a uni website sometime that you need to have worked as an RN for at least a year or more.

hope that helps a little?? its a big decision but you have so many options now and it is so flexible to be able to study this way that anything is possible. a good friend of mine is studying via CDU and she has 2 little kids and is planning another and she is studying all the way thru it. so it can be done, where theres a will theres a way i'd say!

cheers,
jules

Becmat

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  • Joined: Jan 2011
  • Location: Adelaide
  • Posts: 22

Jan 27, 2011, 10:41 pm

Hi Jules
Thank for your reply.
Im now thinking of just starting out with a Diploma in Nursing and then work my way up from there.
At least then the Bach of Nursing would only be 2 years FT.

The bit im finding hard at the moment is... being able to have time off in my current job to be able to do the placements. I think there will only be 11 weeks throughout the 18mnths. From what ive been told!

Do you enjoy being an EN? How long have you been doing that for and what areas have you worked in?

I think Uni SA also do external in both midwifery and nursing but i would still have to attend workshops and obviously placement.

Because you are in the industry, is your employer alot more lenient with time off for study/placement because you are just bettering your skills/knowledge in the same industry? If that makes sense.

jules74

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  • Joined: Jan 2008
  • Location:
  • Posts: 135

Jan 28, 2011, 06:41 pm

hi, ive only just finished my EN course in Nov 2010 so i havent worked as an EN yet, but i am starting a grad program position (job) in Feb in a hospital. im basically going to be feeling my way as i go over the next couple of years, im starting off with CDU p/t, and then i'll switch to f/t second semester if i feel it's all working well. with the new job i can be part time so i will start as full time bcos its all new, and then switch to p/t after a couple of months (they have said that is ok), and probably work a day or two each week in my current job as its flexible and casual (and will pay more than working as an EN) and ive worked there a long time so they will try & help me out where needed.

for me doing the EN course was a good decision, im happy i did it this way. so if thats what you decide to do its a good decision in my opinion.

jules

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