to give up midwifery?

[BurntoutAndBroken]

I simply don’t know what else I could do though? I’m a midwife. I love being a midwife. I love midwifery.
But I’m not sure how long I can carry on in the NHS.
What else could I do?

Can you go private? I’m a student nurse and there’s not a chance in hell I’ll be working for the nhs at it’s current state. I’ve been offered a job with a private medical group.

Midwife in a private hospital? Doula?

I’m a nurse but work in a side role now (think education or similar)

occupational health, lecturer, infection control nurse, specialist midwife?

I made the move to health visiting last year (was a midwife) as was also feeling burnt out and constantly worried about making a life or death mistake - hv training was really tough but love the job and so glad I did it. Would that be an option for you? Still nhs with all that entails but my stress levels much better now

Health visiting.
Loads of transferable skills and knowledge. Still stressful but in a different way to midwifery.
Making the move saved my mental health.

Thanks. Sorry will be back

Sir moose don't you feel that you owe the NHS abit of loyalty for training you? As a nurse I could never go to the private sector as the reason I became a nurse was because I believe in universal health care

I mean you pay to train to be a nurse. You don't owe them anything!

Do what half my colleagues have, become a health visitor.

I'm a midwife but now work abroad. I've thought of leaving several times but I know what you mean- for me no other job would compare. I am in a great 9-5 clinical role right now which is mostly low stress and I love it. Are you ward-based? Could you look for something in midwifery but with regular "office hours" instead? Research, preceptorship midwife, infant feeding specialist? Lecturer role at local uni?

If its not for you then don't do it. Could you be medical admin staff?

No I don’t. At all. I’m becoming a nurse to use my skills and knowledge in mental health to help people like me who have been let down time and time again by the nhs system that frankly is a shambles.

Wouldn't recommend it if you're after less stress! Lots of stress for about half the pay!

I have been in a similar situation recently and have changed jobs. Still in midwifery but in a different setting with less pressures. Is this something you could look in to rather than leaving completely? I know how tough it is at the moment so I do sympathise.

Private midwife

My DD and her friend both trained to work in the NHS/Healthcare, her friend chose midwifery, she spent a year in the NHS but now works in Australia doing the same job, more money, less stress and lower hours, now loves her work.

DD is making a similar move to Australia next year (she was offered the job whilst still at Uni ! ) ..... is this an option for you?

From what she tells me, the NHS has a real problem retaining staff.

This is so incredible sad to read. The NHS are crying out for midwife’s and I can see in the future a bigger issue then it is now.
I don’t blame you at all. I blame the big cats. NHS needs a serious overall and staff need to be valued or else all will leave.
good luck

I feel the same, but at the end of the day I can't imagine not being a midwife either

I can't take the financial risk to go self employed though (and I know I'd be awful at taking money if anyone gave me a sob story)

Doula?

I don’t have an answer but I hear you, this is something I’m wrestling with myself at the moment. I feel so passionately about my work as a midwife, but the NHS is falling apart and it’s so hard.

I feel the same, have been a nurse for close to 13 years and I'm actively looki

I feel the same way, although I'm a nurse. 13 years qualified and I just feel so undervalued and demoralised. My work life balance is poor and the pay in comparison to the huge responsibility I have at my level is just laughable. I'm trying to get an exit plan together but just feel so stuck because of the cost of living currently, I can't just leave.

I feel the same way. I’m looking in to health visiting but I know that’s stressful too. Just a different kind of stress

you could look at work in abortion clinics, sexual health, school nurses often taken on midwives too. Or could you go in to a different part of midwifery - change teams depending on where you’re working - Community? Early pregnancy ? Specialist midwife role like smoking cessation etc ..

The beyond midwifery group on Facebook is helpful. Many midwives feeling the same way / alternative jobs that are open to midwives.

You do now, but many current nurses would have had burseries or grants