attitudes to students

I think that very often students are a pain to midwives who just want to get on with things. I have asked a mentor a question sometimes and been told 'ill tell you later' -later never came. I think some are rude, offhand and bitchy but thats true wherever women work/play. As ive said in previous posts, i think you have to put your head down, do your work, smile sweetly and then swear and curse in the loo if you have to! Your three years will fly by and before you know it, you might have a student that knows nothing, is terrified, uncomunicative and a burden to you on a hard, busy shift. Lets all hope that we remember to be nice when we are mentors!

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Student Midwife, year one and counting.

Any more views here?

Interested to know the opinions of students who haven't yet posted?

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Hi all, i posted a while back on my experience on d/s, it was my only placement at the time. I am now nearly finishing my third placement, and im pleased to say that both my mentors have been really nice not had a single problem
My d/s mentor even came on to the ward i was on after having her baby and said if she hadnt seen me on there she was going to text me to let me know she had had her baby!!
As others have said a group of women working together are going to have problems its nature but its no excuse for rudeness to students, we are there to learn!
I think being a 'mature student' also helps me as i just get on with whatever i have to do, answer buzzers etc and dont get into the politics of the team i am working with.
On d/s again middle of september in a different hospital so we will see how it goes

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Isn't that just kick you in the crotch spit on your neck fantastic?- Rachel Green

Do we have any more updates?

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I had a student nurse shadow me for the day this week. The midwife could not be bothered to look after her. I really enjoyed having her around. It gives me hope for when I have to mentor students. I really do not understand why midwives have to be soooo rude!!!!. I don't care what kind of day you are having, students are there to learn and nobody starts out knowing everything so I don't understand why they just can't exercise some patience and understanding!!!

I think it is a huge priviledge and honour to be chosen to mentor someone and I have now right to make them feel crappy because I am having a bad day.

My mother always taught me to treat people how I would like to be treated. She would say that the same people you meet when you are on your way up, you may have to meet on your way down. It is a lesson that some midwives could do well to learn. That student may well come back one day as your director of midwifery so be nice!

Rant over! Angelcake.

Just came across this article on the RCM website:

An exploration of the factors that cause stress to student midwives in the clinical setting

Nice to see something that includes some of the 'warts and all' things that have been discussed here.

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Thanks for that Bunny!!

I have printed it off, after my first day back today it was particularly relevant!



O na good and pretty cool note, TallPoppy's article is up in our staff room at the hospital, I hope people have been reading it particularly mentors!!

My day started with my mentor being asked 'oooh do you have a little student?, hmmm..I thought I had her, but it's ok, you can have her' this was said across me first thing this morning! great start back, it got worse from there really. I feel like a very crap student today

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Urgh - I sometimes wonder if someone pointed out just how patronising the whole, 'student / little student' thing was would they do it so much? But then you have the whole sticking your head above the parapet to be shot down... lol like a tall poppy!

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I am so sorry your first day back started like this hun, do these people not realise how humiliating and degrading this is...obviously not as if they did they wouldn't do it...would they? Hope your next shift is much better. xx

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Midwifemissy x

Student Midwife 2007
Student uni rep
Educational Resources Manager

PAB Support Worker

Hope your next shift is better smwife, no need for such rudeness is there! I wonder if someone had treated them like that on the first day of their job if they would return for their next shift. People can be so unnceccesarily rude and unkind and it really takes less effort to be nice!

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Coffeebean xx


Student Midwife