Has anyone retrained as a midwife or something else medical in their 40s?

[BrutusMcDogface]

I’m a teacher who is desperate to retrain.

I have four kids who might make retraining difficult!

Any experiences to share?

thank you 😊

Shallishanti I’m doing midwifery now from a nursing background and what you said resonates with me and I’ve definitely considered quitting. It is definitely a complete culture shock from nursing and my mentor atm is ultra critical and condescending to me which I’m finding difficult. The problem is as s nurse I know when she is doing things wrong. I had to tell her not to do something and she went mental at me. I think what makes it harder then nursing training is the care is often one to one which means you can’t escape a mentor that puts you down.

Not exactly medical as such...but I retrained (from teaching) to be a counsellor in my 40s...it was hard, I had 3 pre-teens/teens, worked throughout 3 days/week, had to do coursework and placement for 3 years. But I love it now and it suits me so much better than teaching.
Good luck with what you decide x

Unsure about midwifery, however there are quite a few degree apprenticeship roles coming through now. We have apprentices where I work, so money wise it is worth keeping your eye out for. Just type apprentice into NHS jobs every so often.

Thank you @quiteathome

I’m looking but there don’t seem to be any degree apprenticeships near me. I’m wondering if it’s the wrong time of year?

Midwife here, I had a 52 year old student just before covid hit. She's fully qualified now and looked after me post c section 8 months and I can honestly say she was the absolute best care provider I've had ❤️

Not midwife, but am about to embark on a degree course to retrain for a role in the NHS. I'm 43 and a single mum. I'm fortunate in that I won't have to relocate but the placements are going to be tricky to navigate, as I have minimal outside support. I'll be 46 when I'm done.

The way I see it, the days of a job for life are long gone - I've had several "careers" and could potentially be working for another 25 years. Better to retrain and upskill for that, than end up stuck in low-level jobs for the remainder of my working life.

@ClawdeenWolf would you mind telling me what you’re doing? I’ve signed up to allied health professional emails from the nhs.

pp who mentioned speech therapy; that definitely interests me and works with my current experience, but I can’t afford the degree as I’m not able to get another student loan.

Do they not do the student loans for speech therapy then? I was allowed a second for my AHP degree.

I think it will vary as to when they advertise apprenticeships. It might be worth emailing the HR department at your local trusts to find out.

Speech and Language therapy is definitely funded as a second degree

In terms of apprenticeships - my local NHS Trusts tend to always offer apprenticeships to existing staff only - I guess because they're a known quantity then and the investment made by the organisation can be more secure.

Ah @damekindness - that makes sense re: apprenticeships.

I’ll look into the funding for speech therapy, too. Thanks again 😊

@headstone that's quite funny- I was direct entry into midwifery and there was often an opinion expressed that this was bound to be inferior as we wouldn't have the proper nursing skills
I'm surprised tbh you found the culture so different from nursing, coming from (mostly) primary schools where I felt quite competent it was a shock to be told to get something from a trolley or cupboard and not have the first clue what I was looking for.

@BrutusMcDogface It's a nursing degree. I did an UG degree and qualified as a teacher but was made redundant a few years ago & fell into low-paid admin work. Applied for a place on the full-time degree course and will apply for a student loan - which I've been told I should get, despite having it previously. This will have a knock-on effect with my UC but not any more or less than my current income.

Great! Well done @ClawdeenWolf 😊

@BrutusMcDogface Thank you! I'm simultaneously excited and bricking it. 😂

Just a question for those going to uni full time to study one of the health courses. How do you find it? Are you able to work part-time alongside placements and uni, or is it too much? I'm so confused about whether to gain employment in the charity sector or go to uni full time for a health degree - however, this would mean having to give up a full-time wage. So torn and need help 😫

Hi OP

I'm mid 40s. Currently in second year of 2 year occupational therapy programme. I'm enjoying it but it definitely is a culture shock. I get funding for this and already have an unrelated degree from 20+ years ago!

I would say follow your heart. I chose OT because I thought it would be more age / family friendly (no shifts, etc) but part of me still thinks I should have gone with nursing which was my original intention.

I would say that if you have caring responsibilities part-time work is hard to fit in as well, especially during times when exams are coming or you have deadlines for assignments. A lot of the youngsters have part time work but when placements include evening, night or weekend shifts you are expected to prioritise those. Our placements are between 15 mins away and over three hours. Although you can state a preference you are expected to go where ever you end up being placed. Many students move to placement sites for the duration. So far my uni have been very helpful in placing me within a commutable distance of home.
The other point I would make is the utter lack of appreciation on the university's side of the fact that childcare cannot be magicked up at short notice. I generally receive a terms lecture schedule a couple of days before term is due to start and when wrap around care is so oversubscribed it would be a nightmare if I had to rely on it. The uni also tend to slot in additional events at short notice or rearrange things!

Thank you for this. This has well and truly opened my eyes. Back to the drawing board for me 🙂

@Soccermumamir, lots of healthcare students work alongside their studies. Mostly in healthcare support/ healthcare assistant roles on the bank/NHSP (the NHS temp staffing agency where you pick up shifts as and when). NHSP like healthcare students because they know what they are doing and are usually pretty conscientious and students like NHSP because they can earn money ad-hoc around their studies, practice and hone their fundamental and clinical skills communication skills, gain experience of clinical areas that they might like to work in post-registration (or learn which areas are definitely not for them). It's also a good opportunity to get to know people and build relationships in the job.

That said, healthcare courses are much more 'full time' than standard university degrees and if you do have caring responsibilities, working outside of the home might not be possible. There's a lot more contact time (time spent 'in class') than in non-healthcare courses but there is still an expectation that you will spend several hours a week outside of the classroom, pre-reading, doing assignments, group work etc.

Some universities are better than others at balancing the needs of mature students with caring responsibilities with the realities of meeting the NMC's (or relevant regulatory body's) requirements for registration. I would say that it is really worth seeking out a course with a large mature student intake and speak to students on the specific course about how they find it. The university with the right pastoral fit might not be the one flying highest in the league tables, but that doesn't really matter in nursing/midwifery.

As for placements, it depends on your university choice and where it is. Some universities are able to offer the variety of placements required for registration within a short distance, others need to cast the net wider. Rural uni's tend to have larger placement catchments for obvious reasons. These are the sorts of questions you should be asking at open days (which NHS Trusts do you place students in?).

I wouldn't advise starting a healthcare course without pretty bombproof childcare in place. Obviously there will be some issues along the way, nothing is totally bombproof, but going in as well prepared as you can possibly be on the childcare side of things is only going to benefit you.

If shift work is really a problem, look into some of the more 9-5 NHS specialities, e.g. speech & language therapy, occupational therapy, dietetics.

Yes, when I did my training it was with the knowledge that dh and my mum could do all school runs, wrap round care, etc if needed. You don't get any say in your shifts, you have to work what your supervisor is working/what you're allocated. You might not get your shifts until 2 weeks before.

Depending on the hospital and what their e rosta system is like it can be the same when you're qualified - you work what you're told without any flexibility. It is not a family friendly profession sadly.

Educational psychology!

@OlgaRhythm can I ask about your clinical placements please, how long are the blocks and how are the nights organised? I take it you’re studying diagnostic radiography? I seriously looked into radiography and contacted a few universities, I got the impression from them that no concession for parents would be made and I’d be unlikely to get placements near my home address. My kids are a bit older now - youngest starts secondary school this year so I’m thinking about it again. My DH works long hours so is no help at all with the DCs. I’m a midwife but not practicing now.

Hi @PointerPointerParty I think it varies by university. At mine, our first year placement was mid April to mid August, so a big chunk of the summer holidays. Theoretically we do not do nights, evening or weekend shifts in first year. Except mine did! I have been placed at my choice of site each year, although even that has meant an hour drive each way. I'm in my second year and generally my hours are 8.30-5 each day for 4 days a week. The second year placement is Jan to mid April. The third year placement is mid August to Christmas. I won't lie, if I didn't have my mother on hand to pick up the early starts I would be very stretched. My husband leaves the house at 6.45 am.
Feel free to ask any other questions or DM me if you prefer

Thanks @OlgaRhythm that’s very helpful! I’ve sent you a DM

Have you made any career decisions yet @BrutusMcDogface? I am in a similar position to you - teacher, family and want to retrain. I looked at SLT and OT and eventually decided against - couldn't justify the loss of salary for two years. I also wasn't sure if there would be similar issues of underfunding and pressure in the NHS.

Anyway, I decided this was the year after several years of considering leaving teaching. I looked more broadly than I had previously. I applied for (and got into) a civil service graduate scheme - decent pay whilst training. Not sure if you are only considering healthcare careers though.