Work Experience

Thanks J, good thread!

Hi all,

I searched on the internet for any independant midwives near me, here is the link to the site: http://www.independentmidwives.org.uk/

You just put you postcode in and it brings up any independant midwives near you.

I just rang up the ones near me and she said it would be fine to spend the day with her.

I didnt have to fill anything in, i just went through and spent the day with her.

I didnt do anything apart from observe but i think it was a good experience.

XXX

I did a week at my local antenatal and postnatal ward. I contacted my local trust voluntary work department.
I had to attend an introduction that ran through how things worked and all the rules and filled in a form to apply.
As I already had my CRB for that trust I didn't need another but thats something worth thinking about.

They then just gave me a date for when I could go. It was a good week. I spent time with midwives, HCA's, peads, etc. I recieved a certificate too to show uni's

I wrote to my nearest hospitals and community midwives explaining that I was applying to university to study for a degree in midwifery and was hoping for some work experience in preperation. I said that I would appreciate any experience within the field! I got work experience in the maternity ward in my local hospital.
Kate xx

I phoned my local hopital and arranged 2 wks work experience with them, for the first week I went onto a postnatal ward and the 2nd week was out in the community observing antenatal clinics and doing postnatal home visits.

It was FAB!

I had to fill in an application form that they sent me explaining what qualifications and work experience I had done in the past (nothing midwifery realted!) and then went for a group interview/open day. During this open day we were able to specify when we were away on holiday and what hours we were looking for and if we had any special areas of interest (ie one girl really wanted to spend some time with the substance miuse midwife as she was currently working in a outreach programme for drug users)

A couple of weeks later I recieved a letter through giving me my dates and locations for my placements. We didn't get to specify when and where we would rather be as they get sooooo many applications and they are also trying to fit in existing students you have to be happy with anything you are offered, which is fair enough as lots of people don't even get this opportunity.

Hello all,
I did a voluntary work experience placement in the Maternity department of my local trust, the year before last.
I started by phoning the trust headquarters and speaking to the 'work experience coordinator', who then set things in motion after taking details etc.
It took about 3months to come through, because of the CRB check etc.
Then I received a letter to attend an informal tour of the dept. and to talk through health and safety, patient confidentiality and conduct etc.
After all the formalities were dealt with, was lucky enough to get a week long placement instead of a day or two, and even got to shadow a consultant and go out in the community.
I cant recommend these placements enough, I think they should be encouraged by every NHS trust and hope you are all successful in getting a placement x x

I've got my work experience in two weeks now. Getting a bit nervous. :| But also very excited :jump:
I think I was quite lucky getting work experience as a lot of the people I met at open days said they'd contacted their local hospital and had been turned down.
I managed to find an email address on my local hospital's website for the Director of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and I just emailed her and asked if it was possible to do a weeks work experience on the Maternity ward. She put me in touch with her P.A. and I was asked to write a letter saying why I wanted to do work experience and also send a character reference from my school, which I did. I'm not sure exactly what I'll be doing whilst I'm there but was told I'd be working from about 9 - 3 shadowing a midwife. So it should be a great experience.

Hope this is helpful. xHx