Hello everyone! My name is Beth, and I’m a 3rd-Year Midwifery student at York. Life as a student midwife is always busy with placements and theory blocks within semesters, but a work-life balance is very manageable. In this blog post, I thought I’d explain what your life as a student midwife at York might look like…
Theory day
09:00 – Lectures begin
This ordinarily is on an element of midwifery practice, such as the antenatal booking appointment or the phycological processes of normal birth. This lecture is normally taken by the leading lecturer for the module.
But for specialist subjects, such as caring for women with severe mental health complications, an expert by profession or experience is brought in. They speak and interact with us about their expertise to allow us to gain a greater understanding of that particular topic.
10:30 – Coffee break
10:45 – Lecture continues
12:00 – Lunch!
13:00 – Come back for another lecture or attend a session in the Clinical Simulation Unit (CSU)
In the CSU, we learn the clinical skills that are linked to the theory that has been taught during the morning. For example, take the physiology of birth: we use dolls and pelvises, as well as models of pregnant women to simulate normal birth. This helps us understand our role as future midwives and the skills needed to help a woman birth her baby.
16:00 – Home, and have the evening to yourself
You can use this time for anything you want to do. This could include university work, exercise, or spending time with your friends or family.
It’s important to note that just because you are a student midwife, it does not mean you cannot get involved with university events or activities. We are guaranteed Wednesday afternoons to be free of formal teaching within theory blocks, and so it is easy to join sports or student societies.
Placement day
If you’re working within the community, this week will normally involve five eight-hour days. Within the hospital setting, this is normally three 12-hour days. Again, this gives you lots of time to gain work-life balance and do things you enjoy while working as a student midwife!
Community placement
08:30 – Arrive and get up to speed
Speak to the midwife you are working with about the women who have appointments that day, and set out what you would like to gain from your placement that day.
09:00 – Clinic begins
You care for the women who attend under the supervision of your midwife.
12:00 – Clinic finishes (lunchtime!)
12:30 – Begin home visits
These are normally for postnatal women who have recently been discharged after giving birth, or women who are five or more days postnatal. You care for these ladies and support them with feeding and listen to their concerns or questions. You answer and address them as best you can with the support of the midwife you are working with.
16:00 – Home, and free to spend your evening however you want!
Hospital placement
07:00 – Handover
07:30 – Patient allocation
You are allocated the women you will be looking after with the midwife. Then you speak to the midwife you are working with about what you would like to achieve that day, and discuss the care that the women need.
08:00 – Introductions to the women and care performed as individually needed
09:00 – Doctor’s ward round
Discuss with the multidisciplinary team about the care your women need, and if any doctor intervention is needed, or if they can have midwifery-led care.
09:30 – Care continues for mother and infant
12:00 – 2nd handover
This is so staff understand the workload of other midwives, and ensure the workload is equitable and the ward is safe.
12:30 – Lunch!
13:00 – Care continues, under the supervision of the midwife you are working with
19:45 – Handover to the night staff
20:00 – Home, free to spend the rest of your evening how you want!
Shift work also means that you have four days of a placement week to do anything you want. This allows you to have a student life and do what you enjoy.
I hope this was helpful to read. Good luck in your journey as a student midwife!
Read more student stories about being a student midwife at York.
Leave a Reply