Denise and her blog
Driving Forwards - Transition From Student To Midwife
Congratulations to all our newly qualified midwives!
You did it! After all the effort, stress and challenges you may have experienced along the way, you should be proud of yourselves. Some of you may have been lucky enough to find a midwifery post; others may still be waiting for that elusive job – but you ARE now a midwife.
The transition from student to midwife is exciting even though it can be nerve wracking. I well remember how I felt when I stepped on to the labour ward the day after qualifying – proud yet nervous, frightened even. You have a different role, a different title and colleagues view you differently. There are greater responsibilities, greater challenges and greater fears now the buck stops with you. And yet, there can be awe-inspiring moments of emotion, success and knowing you are doing the right thing.
Stepping over that line from student to midwife is a bit like driving a car. You’ve passed your test and have the certificate allowing you to practice. But now you have to really learn to drive: to consolidate your learning to increase your confidence and competence in midwifery. You know how to drive but you now need to be able to drive safely without thinking about it; you can then concentrate on becoming confident at driving in the dark, looking for directions and dodging all the other cars on the road.
For NQMs, this means first consolidating your basic skills and knowledge and then learning to add in the other aspects that contribute to becoming a wonderful, caring, compassionate, confident midwife whilst still adhering to the “rules of the road” in terms of safety, such as the NMC Code and local clinical guidelines.
If you feel more senior midwives are ignoring or bullying you, think of them as road users who push cars around and endanger others with their fast, aggressive or incompetent driving.
If you are overwhelmed by all the rules and regulations, local and national guidelines and institutional requirements, learn your “highway code” – the NMC Code is your friend, not your enemy – but don’t be prepared to challenge the system if you think something is incorrect, unsafe or inappropriate.
It is absolutely normal to feel anxious, overwhelmed, lacking in confidence and fearful of doing something wrong. Every single midwife before you has felt like this as they step over the threshold into their midwifery career – and those who tell you otherwise are hiding the truth. So how can you help yourself and others to deal with this transition phase?
Tips to cope as a NQM:
- Review each day – think about what you have learned today and what caused you difficulty; identify at least one success from the day – such as a thank you from the parents or a student whose questions you were able to answer. Value the small things and don’t get put off by those issues that seem insurmountable – they are not.
- Don’t beat yourself up when things don’t go right or feel difficult – if you miscalculated a woman’s cervical dilatation on VE, it doesn’t matter, there’ll be others from which you can improve your skill.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help or for someone to explain something – even if you feel silly or embarrassed; this could be a midwife who you get on well with or an obstetrician
- Don’t feel intimidated – remember ALL midwives and doctors have been in your position – some may have forgotten what it felt like, but be prepared to stand up and ask or challenge those more experienced
- Keep a diary about how you feel each day – you will be surprised when you look back after a few weeks or months how differently you feel.
- Find someone you can confide in – a midwife you trust, another NQM or a friend unconnected to midwifery
- Make sure you have at least one day where you do something for YOU – not just family commitments, shopping or sleeping – go for a nice walk or swimming, have coffee with a friend, treat yourself to a spa treatment
- if things really challenge you, learn self-hypnosis or, in extreme cases, seek counselling – but remember, prevention is better than cure, so try not to let your sense of inadequacy, anxiety or demoralisation get out of hand – deal with it earlier rather than later
- Most of all - believe in yourself! You have spent over three years working towards your goal of becoming a midwife; you have passed the exams, you’ve got the certificate – and you CAN do this.
SPECIAL 60% DISCOUNT FOR NEWLY QUALIFIED MIDWIVES!
We’re offering a six-month ten-day online Certificate in Midwifery Complementary Therapies, specifically for NQMs and senior students at almost 60% reduction on the normal price! You’ll study several complementary therapies relevant to midwifery: aromatherapy, self-hypnosis, moxibustion, acupressure for postdates pregnancy, natural remedies and more. There are five set study days and five option online study days plus optional extra monthly webinars, self-hypnosis and relaxation sessions and access to our online members’ resource site of articles, videos etc. £1250 including VAT (normally £2964) - £250 non-returnable deposit to be paid by 31st December 2026 plus ten payments of £100 per month. 10% surcharge for payments from a non-UK bank account. Why not ask for the fees as a Christmas present?!
Previous articles
Driving Forwards - Transition From Student To Midwife
Traditional Medicine Approval
Caesarean Birth Is Not A Lifestyle Choice!
Birth Of My Son
Paternalism in Maternity Care: The “Just In Case Syndrome”
Transitioning Role From Midwife To Grandmother
Midwifery, Aromatherapy and Natural Birth Under Attack Again
About Midwifery
Quality Of Education In Midwifery Complementary Therapies
Safe Maternity Care
