Mental Health Midwife

Im currently in my second year of a mental health nursing degree. I am almost certain I want to be a mental health midwife or community mental health midwife, may be a stupid question but how do you become one? I very rarely see jobs for this role and when i do some say mental health nursing degree is essential with experience in midwifery and others say midwifery degree with mental health childrens experience.

So which way ? I am happy to do a 2 year MSc Midwifery but thats 5 years at uni with still no solid experience. Im 35 so started this career journey a few years too late.

Reply 1

PonchoKid

20

Original post by Lmfletcher19

Im currently in my second year of a mental health nursing degree. I am almost certain I want to be a mental health midwife or community mental health midwife, may be a stupid question but how do you become one? I very rarely see jobs for this role and when i do some say mental health nursing degree is essential with experience in midwifery and others say midwifery degree with mental health childrens experience.

So which way ? I am happy to do a 2 year MSc Midwifery but thats 5 years at uni with still no solid experience. Im 35 so started this career journey a few years too late.

Do you mean part of the mental health perinatal team? Or an actual midwife?

Reply 2

Lmfletcher19

OP

5

This is my confusion really im debating with. I dont know what roles will be out there once i graduate but i want to be in the best possible chance qualification wise, some job requirements want midwifery as the degree with experience of mental health in that area and then some say a nursing or midwifery degree with experience of working within a midwifery setting with children/babies/mums. On a nursing degree its very rare to be placed in a placement that comes anywhere near babies/children (unless on child nursing).

I think it will have to be one or the other so carry on nursing then complete a midwifery short masters , in total another three years at uni

or drop from nursing , pursue midwifery which again would be another three years but il be trained and have experience working directly in that setting.

I am just conficted which way i should be going, its a hard question to answer and even my uni doesnt know how to advice me, which i understand but surely there are career path examples out there somewhere lol

Reply 3

Kimvo111

4

I have applied for mental health nursing, I’m 37. What is it like? What are the hours like?

Reply 4

Lmfletcher19

OP

5

Original post by Kimvo111

I have applied for mental health nursing, I’m 37. What is it like? What are the hours like?

I think all unis are different in how they timetable their lectures/seminars and placements but you have to have done 2,300 hours of placement - thats the standard set by NMC. So for example my uni do 8 week placement blocks and you have to hit like 350 hours in those 8 weeks, so a 3-4 12 hour shifts a week covers it. Sadly if your ill, get covid, have childcare related issues etc you get no hall pass, you have to make those hours up so most students end up in a deficit and you have to play catch up. Some unis have you doing exams and lectures same time as placement, others split it so you can focus on one at a time. My uni sticks to the usual academic timetable so we get summers of and half terms, i know some unis do all year teaching/placement so you dont get summer of etc.

I personally for my uni arent happy with the teaching for mental health on my nursing degree. its very generalised , i went into my first placement with dementia patients not really knowing anything about it. I have done forensic with no prior knowledge, medications you learn yourself really whilst on placement which is ok but the nurses in charge still quiz you. Its hard, uni havent taught much in detail about medications or mental health tbh, you have all the same lectures and classes as adult and child, and then we have a few seminars a week for mental health but its lately its been about ptsd, anxiety etc. But every uni will be different, theres is set teaching schedule that's dipicted by NMC.

Reply 5

Kimvo111

4

Which uni are you at if you don’t mind me asking?

Reply 6

Lmfletcher19

OP

5

Original post by Kimvo111

Which uni are you at if you don’t mind me asking?

I am at York Uni. Im in my second year. The uni is great and im sure the degree will be great but i am struggling this year with the direction i want to go in.

Reply 7

Judy2024

7

Original post by Lmfletcher19

I think all unis are different in how they timetable their lectures/seminars and placements but you have to have done 2,300 hours of placement - thats the standard set by NMC. So for example my uni do 8 week placement blocks and you have to hit like 350 hours in those 8 weeks, so a 3-4 12 hour shifts a week covers it. Sadly if your ill, get covid, have childcare related issues etc you get no hall pass, you have to make those hours up so most students end up in a deficit and you have to play catch up. Some unis have you doing exams and lectures same time as placement, others split it so you can focus on one at a time. My uni sticks to the usual academic timetable so we get summers of and half terms, i know some unis do all year teaching/placement so you dont get summer of etc.

I personally for my uni arent happy with the teaching for mental health on my nursing degree. its very generalised , i went into my first placement with dementia patients not really knowing anything about it. I have done forensic with no prior knowledge, medications you learn yourself really whilst on placement which is ok but the nurses in charge still quiz you. Its hard, uni havent taught much in detail about medications or mental health tbh, you have all the same lectures and classes as adult and child, and then we have a few seminars a week for mental health but its lately its been about ptsd, anxiety etc. But every uni will be different, theres is set teaching schedule that's dipicted by NMC.

Thank you so much for your explanation. It’s very useful to me because I just got my offered today to study mental health nursing. I am 35yeas.