Korero Hauora Health Talk - Taranaki District Health Board

Becoming a Midwife in TaranakiBy Grace Maha, Undergraduate Midwifery Student. AUT Satellite Campus at Taranaki DHB.After nearly three years withmy nose buried in textbooksand my kete full of referencematerial and medicalequipment stuck to my arm, Iam nearing the end of my timeas a student midwife.In December of 2008, Icommenced my journey byenrolling in a human biosciencepaper. In doing so I thought itwould give me a nice smoothtransition into the world oftertiary study as it was a worldthat I was totally unfamiliar with.In 2009, I completed eightpapers in total ranging fromhuman development to MaoriHealth. After the first full yearof study, it became apparentthat science was not really mything and I started to wonderwhether I should have donea nursing degree first. Thisbecame even more of a worrywhen I failed the appliedscience for health professionalspaper in the summer. I knewthat midwifery was still what Iwanted to do and that caringfor “sick” people was notsomething I could see myselfdoing so I ‘soldiered on’.In 2010, I completed anothereight papers and started tofeel a real conviction in whatI was doing. I started to feelmore relaxed about whereI was headed and how myknowledge and skill base wasstarting to grow. This year wasquite demanding in terms oftravelling away to Wellingtonfor block courses whilst tryingto juggle family, work and studycommitments. The financialstrain as an extramural studentwas and still is significant,eased only by the unconditionalsupport of my amazing motherand whanau. They were goingto help me to get throughthis anyway they could. Frombuying me groceries andslipping me $20 for petrol tomake a birth, to looking aftermy son when ever I needed tobe elsewhere.2011, the worst year of my life.With state finals just aroundthe corner (March 2012) andfive papers to complete, Icannot believe what this yearhas thrown at me and howon earth I’ve managed to getthrough it all in once piece.My beautiful mother passedaway in May and my worldfell apart. If it was not for herdream of seeing me completethis journey and become a fullyqualified registered midwife,I doubt that I would be whereI am now. The year has beena complete struggle andknocked me every which way,affecting my confidence and insome ways my belief in myselfthat I am ready to make thattransition from a student to a‘real midwife’.It is a quiet day on the labourward, week one of seven weeksremaining of my hospitalplacement and on reflectingon the last three years I wouldsay the best part of my journeythus far has been the constantexposure to the practical sideof midwifery. From day one wehave been hands on, learningthe basic skills that a midwifemust possess such as takingblood pressure and abdominalpalpations and so on.On the other side of thecoin, the negative for mewould have to be the senseof isolation I have felt as anextramural student. Althoughtutors and other students havebeen accessible by email andphone, not being able to talkface to face or sit with anotherstudent and study has beenhard. I guess that’s all partand parcel of extramural studybut something I did not fullyunderstand when I started.All in all, it has been an amazingjourney full of ups and downs asis life. I would most definitelyencourage anyone who isinterested in midwifery, or anycareer in the health sector, totake the plunge and get in toit and I would be more thanwilling to chat with anyone orsupport them in anyway I can.2011 Korero Hauora - Health Talk28