What would you do? Please help

[andromedax]

I am a first year student midwife, single parent (I'm a relationship but living apart).

Tomorrow my last placement is meant to begin, it is four weeks long. I missed two massive chunks of placement earlier last year and this year as I had COVID and then had sepsis so was very unwell.

I have no competencies signed off and there are a lot of them, they need to all be signed in this four weeks with a new mentor I've never met before. I've met with my tutors and they don't seem to think it's doable. They said it will be extremely full on and unlikely I'll pass.

They suggested leaving the course now and having time off until September and restarting year 1. I wouldn't have to do the academic side as I have completed that, just the placement.

I really don't want to do it, I don't want to push things back another year. I am 22 in December and I'm already behind of my peers, it means another year in my hometown, another year away from qualifying, another year before having another baby, a year apart from my partner.

I looked through my book with the competencies and there are literally so many to sign. The other girls have been getting them signed since October last year.

I have my uniform all ready, lunch ready etc. but I'm here thinking there's no point! I'm so unbelievably stressed in general at the moment.

WWYD? Go to placement tomorrow and prepare for an intense four weeks take the three month break, get your ducks in a row and start again in September?

I'd go and have a really open conversation with whoever is your mentor/trainers at the unit and ask them their opinion on if you pull out all the stops can you get through the list of competencies.

CN you put in extra hours/shifts with your family commitments for the next mth and power through? It would be disappointing to have to redo a year if there is a chance with a lot if work you csn get through it this month.

Are you on top of the academic aspect of your course? If so, could you ask your course leaders for an extension on getting the competencies signed off? Perhaps they would help you negotiate a longer placement or even an additional placement to start after this one? What contingencies or flexibility has your course provider put in place to account for covid? There must be other student midwives whose placements have been affected by illness, self-isolation etc. so I would hope the NMC might have something of use on their website.

Go along to start your placement tomorrow and make the most of the setting. If you pull all the stops out to make the placement the one that gets everything signed off, there's a chance it might be.
If you decide now to restart the course in September, I wonder if you'll always feel that you've sold yourself short by not giving yourself the opportunity to be successful this time.
As you've done part of your previous placement, there are probably competencies you've already demonstrated and that will be easily signed off by this placement e.g. communication skills, supporting patients or some such. Print out the competencies and be methodical about getting them signed off. After every shift, jot down anything you did that meets a particular competency and date it. Keep an eye on any competencies you are concerned may be tricky to demonstrate e.g. delivering triplets whilst doing a handstand, and maybe give a list to your mentor so they're aware you'd like to be involved in those specific cases.