Retraining as a Midwife.... Need info on grants etc in Scotland.

[Toothache]

I've posted about this before. I would LOVE to be a Midwife, but when Iw as thinking about it at first I found out I was pg with dd, so it went on the back burner. Now I'm considering applying for entry in Sept 2006.

We want a bigger house though(as previous threads) so I'm weighing up whether to wait even longer until we get a bigger house.

How will it work though for childcare if I have to do night shifts during my training? Will I HAVE to do nightshifts as part of my training or is it flexible for those with children?

Also, in Scotland what kind of grants/bursery can I excpect? Will I get tax credits (for child care) whilst I'm a student?

We would really have to tighten our purse strings for 3 years, but I so want to do it. Is it fair to expect the whole family to live on a serious budget??

I am in turmoil, but just know that I really want to apply. DH is very supportive about this.

ANyone out there studying to be a midwife at the moment or recently qualified that can offer advice/info?

[Aimsmum]

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[Toothache]

Thanks Aimsmum - I have a degree already so I'm concerned that I won't qualify for certain grants/burseries.

[Smurfgirl]

If you already have a degree you are eligible for grants.

Are you a nurse now? Thats different again, its an 18 month course then I believe?

[Toothache]

Smurfgirl - Nope my degree was Marine Biology!

[Aimsmum]

Message withdrawn

[Toothache]

Stirling Uni - Aimsmum. It's very local to me. Thats where I did my 1st degree.

[SeaShells]

Don't know if this might help student midwives

[Toothache]

Seashells - That's just what I was looking for. Looks like I would be entitled to £6500 per year. Which is okay.

Dopes anyone know how 'fulltime' the course really is? I know that in my last degree I could still easily work part time as classes were only half days.

[Smurfgirl]

I believe its pretty full time toothache. Although I know student midwives do do some bank work.

[sweetkitty]

hi toothache go for it

I was going to pull out of my degree and do midwifery in first year but my tutor talked me out of it. I wish I had now. I did apply for teacher training this year but with everything thats going on right now I dropped out .

[nailpolish]

toothache, havent read any other posts but weekends and nightshift are not necessary for student nurses/midwives, apart from if its part of the course (it never is) or unless you want to.

if the ward sister gives you nshift or wkends, she will be wrong, she will just be needing you to make up the nos and thats wrong

students should only do shifts mon-fri, and i think most places now do 12 hr shifts, ie 8am til 8pm or vice versa for nights

from experience!

if you do do nshift tho (i work permanent nights) you will need childcare the next day til at least 3pm so you can catch up on kip

lots and lots of luck x

[nailpolish]

ps its great with 12 hr shifts cos you actually only work 3 days a wk to = full time, and giving you time to study/do a pt job

most students do bank auxilliary work in the hospitals

college time tho is pretty much full time, tho, mon to fri full days

when i trained it was 4 mths college time, 3 mths placement, but it might be different now

[Toothache]

Thanks everyone! Nailpolish thats great news. Luckily ds will be at school by then so it'll just be dd we'll have to arrange childcare for.

I'm so excited at the prospect of doing a job I rrrrrrrrreally would enjoy!

We will have to pay off our cc and save some more money from now until then to make it work. But we can do it.

[nailpolish]

toothache, for childcare can i recommend a childminder? i use a brill childminder nearby, she is great and much more flexible about childcare and early mornings etc than a nursery would be. and with shifts, you work different ones every week usually, so a nursery would be difficult as they like set days, a childminder doesnt usually mind as long as they have enough notice

i only speak from experience tho, different folk have different experiences

hth

again, good luck!

[SeaShells]

Good luck with it all Toothache, I'm also really hoping to get in to do midwifery in sept 2006. Wishing us both good luck

[Toothache]

Thanks all.