Your reasons for leaving or thinking of leaving your midwifery degree

I am collating accounts from students who have left the course or have felt very close to leaving, so that we can work on preventing these occurrances and also prevent students from having these experiences.

If you have come close or have left or know anyone who has then please can you ask them to PM me.

Thank you x

Re: Reasons for leaving your midwifery degree

Wow mollycoddle, that must have been such a difficult decision to leave, and such a brave one to return. Your strength, passion and commitment will shine through as you succeed in becoming a determined midwife.

All the best in your course hun, please let us know how you get on and show those unfortunate midwives that they won't beat you this time.


Lots of love x

I left children's nursing, 10 days before qualifying. I don't admit it often, i skirt round the issue. i was bullied out of my place.
In my final year I left my abusive, physically violent partner and lost my home. I was 21 and moved back home and had to commute 180 miles for shifts. my best friend was pregnant, her partner left her and i stepped in. there was too much pressure, it affected me and the crunch came one night when the mother of a patient i was caring for in cicu commented that i looked tired on my 3rd night shift. i was hauled into the office for a meeting and told the mother shouldn't be worrying about me when her child was so ill. they told me my attitude was appauling (i was depressed!) before the meeting all i was told was they needed to see me, i asked if i had done anything wrong they said no and made me wait in the staff room for 2 hours after a ten hour stint in theatres (with no tea) before calling me in and ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ me. i had no advocate, no support, no action plan was written and i was humiliated. i was too young to know how to fight back so gave in. they failed me on this placement although they were happy to leave me looking a hdu and icu patient while they went on their sleep break for 2 hours. i carried the outcomes over but 2 weeks before qualifying was again called into a meeting with no knowledge and told i would not meet my outcomes. my mentor tried to stand up for me but they said i would need to repeat the entire module but intercalculate and do this a year later. i asked if i could transfer to a uni near me (the one i am at now) they said i would have to start again from the beginning of yr 2!!! i just sat and sobbed, came home, went to my local uni found out i could transfer my credits for a different degree and went bk two days and very politely told them to shove it. biggest regret of my life and best thing i ever did. the uni gave me no support and knocked my confidence in myself for years.
uni now is tough, i always seem to know too much in lectures (a&p and obs skills etc) and feel like i **** ppl off. in placement i struggle to hold myself back, i can't do what i know and am often left feeling frustrated.
my first mentor was amazing and went at my pace, my second is lovely too but i am her first student and we are learning together.
i constantly watch what i say in uni and placement and i am so nervous of messing up. i cant fail at this.
i feel better for writing this down and opening up, i know this is a safe supportive place for me to share my fears but please be gentle with me xxxx

ps. when i rang to get a reference for midwifery my personal tutor told me she was so glad i was going bk into caring as she felt the uni has scapegoated me and this should never have happened. i'm still debating whether to go further with the way i was treated bu dont know where to start!