“I want to continue to work as a midwife building my skills and confidence in the profession. In the future, I might want to work towards teaching midwifery and inspiring a new generation.”
Lucy Oates – BSc (Hons) Pre-Registration Midwifery
Lucy tells us how studying BSc (Hons) Pre-Registration Midwifery set her up for a rewarding career in midwifery
3 min read
Midwifery has been on the cards since I was a teenager after an initial unsuccessful application. After my A levels I pursued a different career but midwifery was always at the back of my mind and I knew eventually that I would get to where I wanted to be.
You are never too old to change your career, or too young to pursue the one you want, so go for it.
After graduating in 2020, I am now working within a continuity of carer model of midwifery in University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust. This is the trust which I have always wanted to work in and being in a continuity model allows me to work across all fields of midwifery. This ensures that I am able to maintain all the skills I learned at University and makes every week different.
What I love about the profession is working alongside women and planning the type of care they need throughout their pregnancy, talking about birth and what they would like and then implementing their wishes.
My proudest moments so far has been all the positive feedback from the other midwives, women and their families and just how appreciative they have been.
During the course, I found the experience gained through the mentorship module particularly valuable, which I have since been putting into practice with students. Similarly, the theory learned from the Newborn Initial Physical Examination (NIPE) module is now being used as I have started performing these examinations on newborns supervised by an experienced professional. After the completion of this supervised aspect, I will then be able to provide additional continuity for women and their families.
My placements were all within the University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust, which caters for a large geographical area. Working within a busy fast-paced maternity unit, I experienced a variety of challenges associated with the childbearing continuum, as well as care fully led by midwives. The multi-disciplinary team working was excellent experience and I gained knowledge from all members of the team.
The lecturers at the University were amazing and always willing to help. Studying at Plymouth meant I left with a mentorship module which means I able to work alongside students in practice and assess their abilities, providing them with an insight into the profession with having the recent knowledge of being in their shoes.
Midwifery is a fascinating and rewarding career with many different areas to work in and the support from the University and placements is second to none.
I want to continue to work as a midwife building my skills and confidence in the profession. In the future, I might want to work towards teaching midwifery and inspiring a new generation.
Do you want to help women have the best pregnancy and birth possible? Make a long-term impact on a family?
This course equips you with the skills, knowledge and professional insight needed to become a registered midwife. Whether it’s helping clients before labour, or giving support to new mothers, you’ll learn through doing – building your confidence as you go. You’ll also discover the social and cultural influences that shape maternity care today, so you graduate ready to excel as a fully-rounded healthcare professional.
