To ask for advice on a career change? Help me decide!

[GeorginaJoules]

I'm suppose to be applying for uni to start my degree as a midwife in 2020 but I'm having doubts.

Although I like the idea of the role, the practicalities scare me. I work alongside midwives currently and they're overstretched to the max, with a lot of pressure and a lot of questions to answer when things inevitably go tits up.

In addition to that, I do worry about my pension age and how I would manage on my feet so much nearing 70! Pension age will probably be over 70 when I finally reach retirement age

I'm currently working as a Healthcare Assistant and the 12 hour shifts are tough but I do like the fact I work 3 days and it's considered full time! It means more time with my young DC, it's great. It feels more part time, with a full time salary. Midwifery would be like that too, long days meaning less days you actually work.

The financial strain of a 3 year degree with little/no time to work alongside it also worries me.

My background is PA, corporate. I do miss certain aspects, and I like how flashy I felt a lot of the time. But it just wasn't for me. Something was 'missing'.

I'm now wondering is there any career choice I haven't considered? Could any helpful Mumsnetter help me out?

I would say my biggest skill and genuine personality trait is organisation. I'm a very clean and tidy person, naturally. It's something I really enjoy doing too, organising, arranging, etc etc.

Oh, I've just realised the one thing I've said I'm good at is what a lot of people say on applications/at interviews

It's not waffle, I promise.

Teaching

What qualifications do you hold?

Wave 0. Absolutely nothing, really.

Just my Access course which gets me into Uni for Midwifery.

You have an invaluable insight into the realities of the me role,the actual demands
What’s causing you to have doubts?Do you think youre able to undertake the ME degree
What’s your back up if you can’t get on mw course

So where does midwifery get you that your current role doesn’t? Is it the extra money?

YouCant Supporting woman in a far more 'hands on' sense.

Ensuring the safest delivery possible.

Being the voice of so many women at a time when they may feel like they're least able to speak.

The ability to really change someone's experience for the better, even just a little bit.

There are so many things. I choked up a little bit writing those

*women

make sure you have good mental resilience. Nhs is tough as sometimes there is lots of work and feels like there is not enough time to do things as thoroughly as you would like.

Name I completely agree, I've experienced/seen it first hand

what’s causing you to have misgivings?

Your reasons for doing it are exactly why you should be going for it, id want my midwife to be like you :)

Make sure you can deal with it if things don’t go well (many times it will be because childbirth is a dangerous time). But you need to be the kind not to ruminate and worry and second guess yourself.

What I will say is the change in roles & responsibilities is HUGE
As an HCA you’re unregistered no Registration to lose,no big sanctions
Whereas as a MW you’ve got a professional qual and registration to maintain
A lot of HCA say I do the same job as a Nurse/MW and that is just not the case. Yes you do similar tasks,work with client, but no you have not had the rigorous training and don’t have the skills judgement. That’s the point of the MW degree

It is incredibly tough op, I honestly don't think there's even words to express just how tough it is! It is so emotionally draining, you bring it home with you and are so emotionally and physically drained after a 13 hour shift (often with no breaks) that it is hard to be present for your kids when they want a chat when you get home. When I have two shifts in a row, I spend my day off literally doing nothing, I am so tired!

However it is the most rewarding job in the world imo, you are there for what is the best (or in some cases worst) moment of a person's life, I honestly cannot think of anything more privileged than that.

However you are having doubts, so maybe it isn't for you, which is fine - it isn't for everyone! When I was preparing to apply for my midwifery course, it took over my life, it was all I could think about. My desire to become a mw was so deep, a bit like when I was broody, a burning desire that I just couldn't ignore. It just had to happen! If I hadn't felt so strongly about it, I wouldn't have put myself or my family through it all to be honest. But unfortunately for me, I had the calling and couldn't move on from it! Good luck making your decision

Thank you for all the replies

Becoming an Accountant (aren't I full of ideas ), has also been an idea I've liked but not really looked deeply into.

I wouldn't have a clue where to start.

That’s not to say healthcare workers shouldn’t think carefully about each thing they do, it’s just that you have to be able to deal with uncertainty. You also need to be assertive enough to communicate with seniors (some of whom may be dismissive due high workload or personality or culture).

If you’re genuinely choosing between mw or accountant I’d suggest you’re confused

So I think you need to figure out whether you want a caring role or not. Just to narrow it down a bit haha. If you think you would be happy being an accountant then it is likely midwifery is not for you to be honest. When I was in the early stages of planning, my plan B's were things like social work, paramedic, children's nurse. I knew I needed to be in a caring role.

If this is more about a career change focussed on money then for sure accountancy would be a better option. You say you enjoyed your previous corporate role so this be a good option for you. Personally, I hated my previous corporate role, I was bored to tears!

If you’re passionate about it then go for it.
I think if you know you’re going to love the career then the rest will fall into place.

I work in nursing and work with 3 women in their 70’s who are absolutely passionate about nursing, they wouldn’t give up their careers for anything and are on flexi retirement at the moment. They tend to assess whether they’re going to stay in work on a 3 yearly basis (as their revaluation is due - they all qualified together at the hospital 50 years ago and have just renewed their registrations for another 3 years)
They do tend to get given the least needy/easy patients which is fine because there’s always young people joining who wanting to do all the hard core things and have the most high risk patients etc and middle of the road folk like me to supervise them in that.

Also, even if you go into midwifery you don’t have to stay clinical until your 70’s, as I’m sure you know, you can always move into the more corporate divisions and influence midwifery from a corporate stance. I have a friend who is an 8b midwife consultant and she makes sure she does a clinical shift a week so she can keep at ground level to understand the difficulties faced by midwives and then try and influence changes from her corporate role she’s in her 60’s now and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
I have to say she’s made some excellent changes where we work and is generally a really respected manager. So I think if you love the career you should go for it as there are many options for later years corporate / teaching / consultancy non of which are as ‘manual’

Just seen your other post, they’re too very different careers to be honest.

Maybe you should consider differing your place for a year while you try and take an accountancy taster course or something at college and see which one you like most?

ihate your username doesn't give off the best of impressions

You're right. I suppose if I really love the job then the rest will follow, as in fairness, lots of MW's say they feel insane for doing it but they couldn't imagine doing anything else at all.

I do like the sound of going on to further myself as a Consultant MW. I believe my previous corporate background serves me well there in small parts too, in addition to the clinical side I would gain as a qualified midwife.

The flexibility of nursing/midwifery seems good too. I don't know what it's like elsewhere but lots of nurses/mw are Bank staff and enjoy picking their days and the extra cash for Sunday's/unsociable hours/Bank holidays etc

Oh flip, midwifery really is not in the least bit flexible! I definitely think you need to rethink this op, sorry!

I was a hca and considered midwifery but as I was having doubts I decided against, the degree seems really tough and requires total commitment. Also I was worried about missing out on time with my daughter.

The flexibility of nursing/midwifery seems good too.

It is really inflexible. I’m not sure where you’ve got that from.