What job can I do instead? Devastated

[treetea]

I have been working towards a midwifery degree since 2019 and I now cannot continue due to a health issue that doesn't affect me day-to-day, but that they feel makes me unsafe to practice.

It is my dream, I have never wanted to do anything else. I was going to use the degree to set up my own business.

I am now at a loss? I have a 4 year old DS and live alone with him.

I am generally quite intelligent, but not a fan of mathematics.

I'd ideally like something with high (ish) earning potential, but I'd settle for less if I loved it.

I don't want to be in healthcare anymore.

I just can't see myself starting from scratch, I'm absolutely gutted.

If OP is deemed unfit to practice as a midwife, she is unlikely to be fit to practice in other health professions such as OT. Without more information on her precise situation, it's not possible to say either way.

Have you spoken to the university about transferring to or being awarded a different degree? Also you should be able to use credits for transfer to other institutions if yours isn't helpful. Any degree is helpful even if you stay away from healthcare in future.

Exactly

but steadfastly being ignored by posters

Making hyperbolic statements about "Britain going dark", does not make you right. There is a big pressure for HEIs to produce as many nurses and midwives as possible, so the attrition rates are heavily scrutised. Students are generally given a lot of support to stay on the course and Universities are very aware of their legal duty to provide reseaonable adjustments both in the classroom and on placement.

I take it there's been discussions around reasonable adjustments for your condition?

Yup! The number of posters telling to just carry on (she’s been told she can’t)
become a HV or nurse (also can’t)
become an OT etc
become a teacher (if she is unsafe to work as a midwife, would she be safe to be in charge of a class of 30 six year olds?)

when we have no idea of the medical situation that makes it unsafe for her to continue as a midwife?

What is actually wrong, @treetea?

You might get useful advice if you tell us that.

That sounds really really hard.

A few things:

1. In the short term, maybe a Breastfeeding support worker, nursery staff (some nurseries let you train towards qualification on the job), care worker.
2. In the longer term, but ask about it now, why don’t you talk to the course tutors about being able to come back and complete your training?

Thinking of you.

I would probably switch to social work, tbh. Many of the things that are fitness to practice issues in nursing/midwifery are less of a problem in social work. For example, epilepsy/uncontrolled fainting that would be incredibly dangerous in a ward setting can be managed with reasonable adjustments in an office. This does depend on the type of health problem though; some health problems make people unsuitable for any profession with vulnerable people.

My spidey senses tells me that the OP means “deemed unfit” as in she has failed the course.

Unlikely to be a physical disability given the OP started a thread about how to redecorate her lounge and to get starting on completely repainting it

and not a chance with discrimination laws as they are that she’d have been kicked out for mental health issues

@Dustyourselfoff
Probably not, that’s not the language that is usually used. Speaking as a nurse, it’s more likely to be something like epilepsy, with rare enough seizures that they don’t affect the OP day to day but are unpredictable enough in a ward setting to be dangerous. This can be incredibly frustrating, as the person involved doesn’t feel “ill” but it still can’t be safely managed.

As for MH issues, I know of a nurse who was kicked off the register for trying to complete suicide using the insulin supply on the ward they were working on. Extreme maybe, but MH issues alone can sometimes be enough to fail fitness to practice.

That will be why there has been a big push to emphasise training on placements, why those placements usually involve working on the job rather than training, and why there is bugger all interest in placement quality or experiences on them other than ‘tough, your problem, suck up to the existing staff more’ then.

Social workers need driving licences for a start, which epilepsy would affect. They spend most of their time on the road or visiting clients.

Nursing or midwifery students are supernumerary, and universities look closely at placement quality and suitability. You don't know what you're talking about.

@Spookysnake that can be managed through reasonable adjustments. I know of a social worker who has taxis paid for through access to work meaning that they don’t have to drive from client to client. There are also entirely office based social work jobs.

This was me, several years ago now but I did end up qualifying - I had to go on intermission due to a horrible experience on placement and 2 relatives passing away in a very short space of time and I just couldn’t cope mentally. I qualified in 2017 and had my daughter shortly after. I had 11 months off with her and then started working as an NQM, 9 months later I was signed off sick and never went back. Looking back at the time I was devastated like you but now I would never go back. I am now a practitioner supporting women who have had their children removed - I work for a charity and work part time, very flexible too and fits around my two children. Is there a ‘Pause’ practice near you? They are dotted about across the country - pay isn’t too bad either. I don’t work for Pause but they are most popular service that run across the country. Good luck for the future, don’t ever feel like you’ve failed. Midwifery and that degree broke me. I’ll never forget when a maternity support worker comforted me in the sluice when I had a break down and told me ‘I was too nice to be there’ - says it all really!!

That's positive; thank you for clarifying 😊.

If you get your degree, have you thought about training in Public Health?
Very competitive to get on the training scheme, but well paid at the end of it.
Public health consultants and specialists | Health Careers

As someone who works in Fitness to Practise, the overwhelming number of health cases are mental health and/or drug and alcohol misuse. Clearly I have no idea if that is the OP's situation.

The decision the university is making isn't is she able - with reasonable adjustments - to be a student. It's does the medical condition post a risk to patient safety. If the answer is yes then, very unfortunately, it is likely that the OP will also not be fit for other healthcare roles such as nursing or social work.

OP - I would suggest a discussion with your university about options going forward. It may be possible for you to take a leave of absence in order to stabilise your health condition and return to the course in future. If that is not realistic, then discuss with them whether it is possible to transfer to a non-clinical degree course. I agree with those who say that, at this stage, a degree - any degree - will open up options for you in the future.

Finally, it would be worth seeing if you can access support through the RCN, your indemnifier if you have one (not sure on the position for that on student nurses), or student services so you have someone independent to bounce ideas off.

I'm sorry. It is an utterly miserable position to be in.

Why should the NHS pay to train you and then you leave to set up your own business?

That's a tad snarky. Think we all benefit from the economic growth created from the small business sector? Other sorts of graduate move into self-employment. If it generates tax receipts, and potentially in the future employment opps for others, we all benefit?

You need to be a qualified nurse/midwife to then do further study to become a health visitor.

All local authority vacancies near me that are car user essential have the provision that exceptions will be made if you can’t meet requirement due to disability.

What was the business you were hoping to start up? Perhaps someone can suggest similar alternatives or other ways around it?