Cat Becomes A Nurse/Midwife, or, A helpless student meanders qualification-wards

[The Cat In The Hat]

I begin this journal with an overwhelming sense of relief, gratitude and excitement.

I literally just clicked on the offer and saw it was my first preference, the one I'd hoped for but knew it was touch and go whether I got. Deakin, Bachelor of Nursing/Midwifery. And I got it. God is good.

A random question: is this an all-girls course? I mean do boys ever go 'I want to be a midwife'? Seems a little odd, but I guess it might happen.

But on to what this journal is about.

Information about the Cat's love of the course she wants to do
As you may have gathered, I'm a girl (and I do truly request that you talk about me as a girl, she/her, not they if you can help it). I've known since *thinks for a moment* grade 5 that I wanted to do something in the field of nursing. Work experience cemented that thought. But it's only this year that midwifery really, uh, popped out into awareness of that strong interest. I mean, I've always liked babies and mother-y stuff (yep, my dream career isn't actually this stuff: it's marriage and raising children) and found it fascinating, and I loved the parent-child chapter in 1/2 HHD, but it didn't really occur to me until recently. In fact, partway through year 12 (or maybe late year 11?) I was asked if I wanted to do midwifery as well as nursing. I essentially said 'no way'. Then after a while I reconsidered.

And now I realise how much I really want to do it. Talking to a friend who's graduated/ing (I can't recall how many years they've gone through) just cemented it in my mind. Anything to do with mothers and babies is genuinely fascinating.

I've just got to add this one: Psalm 139:13-14 ('I will praise you; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are your works; and that my soul knows right well. For you formed my inmost being. You knit me together in my mother's womb.'). I mixed translations for the two verses because I particularly liked the translations of each verse.

And I'm really eager to discover this and see it for myself. I know - intellectually - the miracles that happened to mean that I lived (it wasn't all straightforward). But I want to discover other cases where God's hand is abundantly clear - whether anyone else realises it or not. I want to see it and find it for myself.

So I'm quite excited, as you may have noticed!

Introduction to the Cat
*Atheists read at your own risk
In case you didn't notice before, I'm a Christian. I believe in God and his Son Jesus Christ, that Christ was born of Mary (a virgin at the time), was sinless, died for our sins and was raised by his Father on the third day because the grave could not hold a sinless man. I believe that God is not Jesus, that there is no supernatural devil, and that people do not go to heaven when they die. I believe, in short, in the Bible, God's word. My PMs are always open for religious questions.

Note: I am not really a Cat. I happen to be a human being. I'm related to a few other members on this forum, but they don't have to come out of the woodwork and admit our relationship!

Introduction to the Cat's hobbies
I have hobbies. Many hobbies. They include reading (often old books, though I'm a fan of many newer books such as the Hagenheim/Fairy Tale Romance series), writing (mostly original works, though I'll occasionally dabble in fanfiction as a way to improve wordcrafting skills), piano playing (always classical), listening to music (often instrumental, but singers I like include Jackie Evancho (more earlier, though), Amira Willighagen, Luciano Pavarotti and Elan Catrin Parry), singing (discovering more good songs to potentially learn: current favourite for maybe-I'll-learn-in-another-language-having-never-done-before is Pie Jesu by Andrew Lloyd Webber), sewing (a lovely cross-stitch giraffe may materialise sometime in the next ten years), being incredibly pedantic about the English language, formatting and fonts (you have no idea how long I spent playing with these fonts) and many, many more.

I don't think I need to add more for this post: sometime when I've researched a bit more I'll maybe talk about the units I'll be doing!

Cheer-oh!

[Chocolatemilkshake]

Congratulations on your offer!
Wow this uni journey sounds awesome I’ll definitely be following it   

[lm21074]

Congratulations on making it into your first preference!

As someone who is considering nursing / midwifery, I'm keen to hear about your experiences!

[eloisegrace]

Congratulations on the offer! I can’t wait to follow your university journal

[The Cat In The Hat]

Congratulations on your offer!
Wow this uni journey sounds awesome I’ll definitely be following it   

Thanks and, um, thanks? Are you going to make one?

Congratulations on making it into your first preference!

As someone who is considering nursing / midwifery, I'm keen to hear about your experiences!

Thanks! How much of a consideration is it? I mean is it just a vague thought or more concrete? I'll try and satisfy your curiosity; if you want to ask any questions (once I know what I'm doing and whatever of course!) I'm happy to answer them.

Congratulations on the offer! I can’t wait to follow your university journal

How many times can I say 'thanks' without it sounding insincere?

[hel256]

Congratulations on your first preference!
Although I never commented, I did often look at your VCE journal and I'm excited to see what the future holds for you 
Looking forward to future updates!

[cmati]

Congrats Cat, I am keen to follow this journey of yours

[tiredandstressed]

A random question: is this an all-girls course? I mean do boys ever go 'I want to be a midwife'? Seems a little odd, but I guess it might happen.

Yup! I'm sure you'll meet plenty of boys haha, I know plenty of guys who want to do nursing and those who actually study medicine end up becoming an obstetrician (specialised in pregnancy, child birth, reproduction)
Although I am sure the course will be dominated by girls.
Best of luck with your studies!
-T&S

[homeworkisapotato]

Congratulations Cat! As someone who also LOVES anything to do with babies and mothers and their special and unique bond which you don't usually see anywhere else I'm so happy that you made a journal! I'm really excited for the next update 

[The Cat In The Hat]

Comments on units

Thanks hel256, cmati, T&S and potato... I don't know what else to say.

So, about my units this first trimester (kind of ironic that it's trimesters given I'm doing a course with midwifery in it, but maybe that's just me). I've looked them up a bit, only the sorts of things you could find online if you searched beforehand of course, but still, information.

Unlike the ordinary nursing degree, Nursing/Midwifery doesn't have any electives: they're all core units. I think that if I wanted to I might be able to do other units if I wanted to overload? I haven't looked at this option, though, because I couldn't be bothered. Plenty to do within my own degree! (Still feels mildly foreign to talk this way....)

I've got five units this trimester (I kinda feel like just calling them semesters since the summer trimester cannot affect me as a nursing student) which are all worth one credit point (need a total of 32 for the degree) except one. These are: HAI010 - Academic Integrity, HBS109 - Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology, HNM101 - Partnerships in Midwifery Care 1, HNN112 - Quality and Safety: Nursing Practice 1, and HNN120 - Quality and Safety in Health Care. And thus, the next post will be on to unit descriptions/rambling....

[The Cat In The Hat]

Why I've not posted what I said I'd try and post....

For one thing, my computer kindly lost my half-compiled post. Which is mildly annoying. I'll have to go back and redo it.

I've been also reading through textbooks: Midwifery Preparation for Practise, which is a very good midwifery textbook, and Anatomy and Physiology (I think you can guess the subject here). They're interesting, although I don't always understand what's going on. Mainly, I'm waiting for uni to start...! I've been glad of the time to organise things, though; all the prerequisites for clinical placement, such as getting a working with children's check, vaccinations etc., take a fairly ridiculous amount of time. (Happily, I've almost finished getting everything together) I've also been picking up odd shifts here and there at work; less than I'd like, but still, any shift is better than none. I'm assuming that lockdown won't affect my work (except we might go into more protective gear?) which is good, since I want any work I can get! In the meantime, I've also been doing more novel writing, as well as - when stuck on scenes - dabbling in a bit of fanfiction. Mostly Narnia. Because it's, well, Narnia. And Lewis' writing is stellar. And Narnia itself is such a fun place. And the characters are so interesting. And, and, Susan's story isn't really finished. So that's been interesting.

Hmm, what else has there been? Odd things that fill up the time, no piano which is definitely sub-ideal, too little exercise (I really need to pump up my bike tyres) and a bit of singing. Mostly in the shower. Also while I'm out walking. So if you ever see an annoying redhead wandering around my area singing, congrats, you probably met me. There's a part of me that wants to focus more on singing because it's so much fun to do. The other part of me doesn't want to distract my working-at-home parent, nor to make anyone cringe at my terrible deviations from key. Oh, yeah, and another thing I've been doing is playing with my stethoscope (and Heidi's...) and Heidi's blood pressure cuff, which she kindly lent me last week. I'm afraid I'm not very good at handling either stethoscope or blood pressure cuff. I suppose I'll learn.

Another fairly new hobby that I've been doing is soap making. Melt and pour soap is really easy; you simply melt the soap in the microwave or something and then add whatever you want: fragrances, colours, herbs, you name it. Just make sure it's skin-safe. (e.g. don't use poisonous plants therein, nor candle fragrances etc.) It's really easy and fun.

Anyhow, I'll post the summary of my units sometime soon.... Part of what's been taking the time too is the fact that I switched computers (gotta love new computers that are sosososo many times faster, thanks M1) and also browsers so I'm not used to it - I'm waiting (im)patiently for Edge to release its vertical tabs!

This seems a little incoherent. Can you tell that I didn't previously draft this post?

[The Cat In The Hat]

This is the real unit stuff

I said I'd write this up: now I have. Enjoy. If you can. If you wish to. Also, I was wondering why I start my sentences with 'Also,' so often if anyone else around is going to start at Deakin this year?

HAI010 - Academic Integrity

This isn't really a unit, just a thing we have to do in the first semester of any faculty of health course. I'm not really sure about it, but hopefully once my unit site appears I can start and hopefully finish it, prior to the beginning of the university year!

HBS109 - Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology

The colour is because of its apparent awfulness as a unit - I heard it described as the worst in the entire course!

Scheduled learning activities

Our scheduled learning activities are: 1 x 2 hour online classes per week (Weeks 1-3 only); 1 x 1 hour seminar per week; 4 x 2 hour practical classes per trimester; 1 x online module per week. Interesting to note that the two online things are actually my only online things, everything else is in-person on campus.

Assessments

The assessments are: clearly subject to change, but at this point there are four assessments. One is a 10% 'study skills and scientific communication written assignment', approx. 500 words, due around week 4. The second is a 20% 'online quizzes' (I know my sentence structure doesn't work but bear with me) which is a multiple choice quiz (two quizzes actually), due around weeks 5 and 9. The third is a 40% 'case based learning written assignment', two case studies, case study one approx. 750 words, 15% and due around week 7, case study two approx. 1250 words, 25% and due around week 11. The last is the exam, 30%, 90 minutes and due... during the examination period. Well, that gives me a nice clear date - not!

Unit information

The actual unit, according to the paragraph of information on it, is about... anatomy and physiology! Surprise!! No, really, it talks about the anatomy and organisation of the human body, cell function stuff, body tissues and fancy words I don't know (yet), and a few other things. Basically, yes, the name provides it all.

Copied paragraph from information

This interdisciplinary unit provides an overview of the basic sciences of human anatomy and physiology, exploring issues of relevance to the health sciences. Specific topics to be addressed will include: organisation of the human body, outlining anatomical terms, chemical and structural bases of cell function, body tissues including integument, homeostasis and physiological control via neural and hormonal mechanisms that maintain a constant internal environment. Support and movement through an understanding of the musculo-skeletal system, and maintenance of key systems, including cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary and immune systems.

HNM101 - Partnerships in Midwifery Care 1

This is the midwifery unit. Hence its colour. I'm way too excited about it.

Scheduled learning activities

Our scheduled learning activities are: 20 Cloud (online) hours, 20  hours of face-to-face contact in seminar, 8 hours of experiential learning in structured simulation activities and 40 hours of clinical placement.

Assessments

The assessments are: a total of four again. The first is - ugh! - a group presentation equivalent to 1,000 words and a whole horrid 30% of the mark; it's due around week 9. The second is three cloud tests (online), which total 20% between them, weeks 4, 8 and 11, and are 12 minutes each. The exam is worth 50% and is 90 minutes. The last assessment is just the clinical practise stuff. It's pass/fail. Hopefully pass. Hopefully....

Unit information

To my surprise, I read this more closely and saw that we do start continuity of care stuff this semester (I can't be bothered calling it trimester. Especially when a sibling is also commencing a course at the same time at Monash which does semesters (wander over and have a read of Heidi's journal, I highly recommend - Let's Try Again: Heidi's Nursing Journey Journal).). I don't quite know what that really means. Anyhow. This is the midwifery unit. The first one. Needless to say, I'm a little overeager for it. Sounds like it's pretty much a broad brush over what midwifery is and how we should do stuff, especially woman-centred care and cultural stuff. There's a week of midwifery placement too. I don't know when we get our placement information, but if anyone happens to have done any of this group of courses before and knows, I'd appreciate knowing how long before!! (Since there's a small matter of transport to placements to arrange, and I don't have a car. Welcome to the classic life of a broke uni student. )

Copied paragraph from information

This is the initial midwifery unit within the Professional Studies Cluster and introduces students to professional and clinical midwifery issues within a quality and safety of care framework with a focus on pregnancy care. Students are introduced to the principles of continuity of midwifery practice across the continuum of care and the various contexts of midwifery care. Emphasis is placed upon the centrality of woman-centred care, incorporating: physical, emotional and mental health; encompassing socio-cultural diversity and needs of women and families from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds and from other cultural groups. Students will have the opportunity to apply and integrate knowledge and skills learnt in this unit with previous learning during a one (1) week (40 hour) introduction to the clinical midwifery environment and by commencing Continuity of Care experiences.

HNN112 - Quality and Safety: Nursing Practice 1

The practical nursing unit. I'm quite looking forward to this.

Scheduled learning activities

The scheduled learning activities are: 2 Cloud (online) hours, 1 x 2 hour seminar, 1 x 2 hour simulation session per week and 40 hour clinical placement.

Assessments

The assessments are: a total of three. The first is some online tests, three tests of 20 minutes each, 40%, weeks 3, 5, 7, and 9. Is anyone else noticing the problem with this?! Anyhow, the second is another hurdle, the placement of 40 hours, and it is pass/fail. This leaves 60% to be made by the exam, which is two hours. I don't mind two hour exams. To my mind, that's optimal - enough time to really get into it and not too much to be exhausted brainily (looking at you, VCE English). Ooh, the hurdle requirement for the placement is 'skills'. Oh dear. I don't have any. Especially social ones. (And I'm heading for a job primarily working with people? Hmm.)

Unit information

This one seems even harder to decode than others so far. What I think it's saying is that it's making students get nursing knowledge and skills in order to care for people in a person-centred sort of way. This includes keeping an eye out for patient function and potential injuries. Also for their comfort. There's a one week placement to develop and apply such knowledge and skills we've hopefully learnt.

Copied paragraph from information

This unit is the first of two in the Clinical Studies Cluster: Year 1. Aligned with quality and safety principles opportunities are provided for students to explore and develop nursing knowledge and foundational skills for the provision of person-centred care. Key concepts to be addressed include assessment and management of patient functional status and potential for risk and injury. In addition promotion of patient comfort will be explored. During a one (1) week clinical placement students will have the opportunity to further develop and apply relevant knowledge and skills learned in this and other units.

HNN120 - Quality and Safety in Health Care

Honestly, I have little idea what this one quite is.

Scheduled learning activities

The scheduled learning activities are: 2 Cloud (online) hours, 1 x 2 hour seminar per week.

Assessments

The assessments are: three in number. The first is an ePortfolio presentation (whatever that is), equivalent to 500 words, 15% of unit, due in week 3. The second is a 1500 word assignment, due in week 7, and worth 35%. The remaining one is - ugh! yet again - an ePortfolio group presentation and reflection equivalent to 2000 words, which is worth 50% and due in week 11. Curiously enough, there's no exam.

Unit information

We'll be able to develop understanding of nursing practise and political and legal stuff, as well as issues influencing nursing and stuff. This includes looking at other stuff like person-centred care, team work and other stuff. I have it on reliable information (myself) that 'stuff' is a very useful word.

Copied paragraph from information

This is the first of two units within the Professional Studies Cluster. Students will be given the opportunity to develop understanding of contemporary nursing practice, the political and legal contexts in which it is regulated. Students will also explore local and global issues influencing the nursing profession including the emergence of the patient safety movement and the role of nurses in promoting patient safety and quality care. This will include the examination of the underpinning principles of patient safety in health care including: person-centred care, communication, ethical practice, evidence-based practice, health informatics, clinical decision making, and team work.

In other news

In other news, I went to the op shop today to try and find certain supplies that I want for soap making (like extra jugs, a scraper, etc.) but not enough to buy new. Success! I found a scraper. I also staggered home with Potter and Perry's 'Fundamentals of Nursing' because... I could? Because it was there? It looked like a really good textbook. And it's not quite 30 years old now. I also found an anecdotal midwifery book, so both I and my mother are very happy with that (both of us find the field fascinating, it's probably where I got it from).

I've been doing such exciting things recently as researching various things, buying stuff for uni and making soap. Soap making is fun. I've been playing around more with a couple of different fragrances that we happen to have, and hatching ideas for when I get colours and more fragrances and things. And clear soap as opposed to white. That adds a whole 'nother layer of interest.

Timetable

I also got my timetable today, which is rather nice. I'm very happy with it, since I only have classes on three of the five days! I'd been hoping only for one day off since it seemed I'd still have to do Thursdays sometimes, but getting Thursdays off as well as Wednesdays is a perk. Now I just need to find out about the rules for Deakin's library, or otherwise, find a library nearby. Hopefully, tomorrow I'll be going to the uni to actually see it for the first time. (Not going inside, just looking from the outside, since I wanted to know how I'm to be getting there.)

Ideally, I'll be able to use the library frequently as there are some times where I'll have classes with several hours in between. There is no way I'll be wanting to go home in the middle! Otherwise I'll scout out a library nearby. If anyone happens to know of one, please tell me.

I went on campus today!

I rode my bike to Deakin for the first time today, around 15kms round trip. I saw the campus for the first time. It's very... big. And imposing. And I know I'll get lost several times. Still, it's nice to have seen it. I even poked around and stuck my head inside, but not being sure if I was even allowed to be on campus or anything, I didn't go far. I saw no signs saying that I couldn't, nor people.

Still, it's a little tiring riding all that way since I'm not used to doing it, but it'll hopefully get better. Also hopefully it won't impact my ability to go to work this evening! [I added in this section later because I figured it wasn't enough for a full entry of its own but wanted to post it.]

More rambling about how much I love the fields I'm entering

I was reading more midwifery stuff and getting still more excited about my course. Just... babies, and mothers, and everything around them, are fascinating. This continuity of care stuff we'll be starting I think in second year (I think?) also sounds fascinating. Following a woman through her pregnancy and birth? It's just so... I use the word 'exciting' too much, I think.

Nursing itself is interesting, medical things are fascinating, but they do pale in comparison to the midwifery side of it. I think it's important to have both rather than just midwifery (even apart from any job prospects and the fact that I couldn't do just midwifery at least around here) but even though I know it'll be hard, and there'll be some awful hard things about it, I can't wait to start learning. (Oh, wait. I have to wait. Ah well.)

It is interesting, though, to compare notes with other nurses or nurses-in-training, the kind who'd (I exaggerate!) not touch a kid with a ten foot pole if they could help it. Not everyone is drawn to this area which I find so fascinating. (I also use the word 'fascinating' too much.) Which is interesting in itself. Good thing we're all different.

I am curious to find out the numbers of students in my course now, and then to compare them (if I can) with the number at the end of first year, second year, third year, who graduate. I guess at least some will go out the alternate exit to just nursing, but how many?

Only time will tell.
I couldn't resist the dramatic ending.

[The Cat In The Hat]

They opened the unit sites!

I'm way too excited about this.

The first thing I've done is nobly resisted instantly reading through a large portion of HMN101 (midwifery, which I'm as you may have noticed very interested in), and turned to HAI010 (the one I want to finish ASAP).

Note (the previous was written on Monday) I've now finished HAI010. Easy as anything - needed 85% to pass, unlimited attempts, got 100% first try. I was admittedly surprised.

I still haven't looked through the rest of them much, but I've had some more O-week stuff including one about my course specifically. It was useful. I also now know that there are currently 74 students enrolled in my course and campus.

Anyway, I've got a campus tour today, also work. Thus:-

So long!

[The Cat In The Hat]

Reflection on the first week

overwhelmed.





More to follow.

[The Cat In The Hat]

The 'more' from last post

Still overwhelmed.

If you'll excuse me, I have an assignment due on Wednesday that I've not yet finished. Toodles!

(Addendum to the earlier.)

I know this is exceedingly boring at the moment. Right now I'm busy feeling very sleep deprived (I'm not, but still.) and trying to complete my first assignment because it's due on Wednesday and I don't really want to run out of time considering I'm not sure how to submit things.

I'll try and actually post about my classes and whatever... Wednesday? After I've submitted this assignment? I'll try.

If you're wanting something nice out of this very boring post, you might as well wander over to this approximately incredible piece of music I found the other day. The composer was - let me see - I think fourteen at the time? 'Siren Sounds Waltz' by Alma Deutscher