Midwifery: A Career As A Career In Nursing

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The first career we will be looking at is Midwifery. If you have no previous experience working in healthcare, you will have to do a three or four year degree course that leads to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). The training covers biological sciences, applied sociology, psychology and professional practice. Study hours tend to be split equally between theory at a university and hands-on clinical practice. During the practical part of the course you will have direct contact with women and their families in hospitals, community clinics and in their homes. Entry requirements for midwifery degree courses are usually a minimum of two A levels, preferably in science subjects, or an equivalent access to higher education…show more content…
Midwives need to advise women, explain the options and help them make informed choices about their care. You'll need to be able to provide reassurance and counselling and must also be a good listener and respond to what women are saying. Women who have babies come from all sorts of backgrounds and life stages, so you'll be supporting a diverse range of women during one of the most emotionally charged times in their lives. You'll need to be able to stay calm and alert in times of stress, and enable women to feel confident and in control. It is also important to gain as much knowledge as needed about anatomy and physiology in the job. Working as a midwife you'll need to have an in-depth understanding of fetal and child development. The majority of pregnancies and births are normal and increasing numbers of women are opting for natural and home births with the minimum of medical intervention. However, midwives need to recognise when the mother or her baby is at risk and know when to intervene to promote their health and…show more content…
This route involves joining the ambulance service as an ambulance care assistant. When you have gained experience and promotion to ambulance technician, you may be able to apply through open competition for a place on paramedic training. The range of paramedic science courses at university varies in terms of entry requirements but as a minimum, applicants should hold 5 GCSEs at grade ‘C’ or above, including Maths and English, plus 2 A-Levels or the equivalent in a related subject (e.g. NVQ level 3 or BTEC National). Ambulance services use vehicles of different gross weights and staff will be required to hold a driving licence with the appropriate classifications. The full-time university courses take between two and four years (depending on which course you take). The degrees combine a mixture of work experience on ambulance and hospital placements with theoretical studies. Other requirements include a clean, current, full driving licence held for a minimum of one year and preferably experience of driving larger vehicles and carrying passengers, satisfactory clearance of a standard criminal records check and passing a fitness test, occupational health
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