Why do mw students drop out of uni?

Now this is where I have a real problem with the complaint culture that we've got - does no one remember when we used to sit down and talk through problems???

Seriously, if this midwife had just spoken to you, and said that you'd upset her (or whatever) couldn't most of this have been avoided? Now you've been completely publicly vilified and I would imagine just talking it through with the affected parties is no longer an option - am I right? You've also been labelled and stigmatised at work.

Norman, that's just horrible - I really feel for you! I've got to admit, I've learnt to do a lot of tongue-biting. I've worked with some really defensive practitioners, and found that incredibly hard, but I just try to find the good parts of their practice, and don't rock the boat too much... this relates a lot to J's brilliant post:

The Dark Underbelly of Midwifery

And don't worry about the rambling, you are definitely not the only one there!

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Gah - we're simultaneously posting! lol

In my mind, that's a bad link tutor. No argument, she needs to be supporting you. The midwife has her colleagues and her Supervisor of Midwives. If the link tutor is her SoM there's a conflict of interest, and that's the only reaosn I can see to not support you. Even if she doesn't agree with you she has a duty to help and support you, surely??? And if she has some higher knowledge or understanding about the situation she needs to help you to change and adapt so that you can be the midwife you so obviously want to be. I'd be complaining about her (see? I got sucked into this complaint culture now!!!)

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Thanks bunny - that was the first thing that upset me - was just that midwife didn't come to me first - or even just my mentor - surely it should be up to her escalate it if she feels there is real cause for concern?!

I even feel let down by my mentor (who apart from this has been great) but why did she choose to take me to one side in the coffee room (about 8 seats and a kettle - no quite corner in there!) to talk to me about it. I'm there with my puffy eyes and snotty nose feeling really upset and then soooo very embarrassed with nowhere to hide and get myself sorted out or anything!

As for the link mentor - as soon as I was told (by my mentor - first thing) that midwife was taking issue to her - I knew it'd be straight to uni - and that really upset me too!

It's hard enough - without all this other stuff too!

Oh, and when link mentor was barating me - my other mentor saw and popped her head in - I didn't really get a chance to talk to her after link mentor had finished with me - but she just asked me if the midwife knew I was deaf - but what difference should this make?! I don't understand?? I just want to treated with the same level of understanding etc as every other human being!

As an adult, I just wouldn't treat anyone like that - I don't get it!

Norman, if all that had happened to me I'd be in a straight jacket!

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Oh yes - I don't leave the house without my straight jacket these days - feel positively naked without it! Promoted myself to the straight jacket for comfort when I couldn't hide behind the security blanket of my double buggy anymore!

Thanks for all your replies. It's good to see what sort of things might crop up.

So sorry to hear of problems on placements too. It's not nice working with someone who has a dislike of you & is always putting you down. It really does make you question everything you do & say.

I had an office job where over the Xmas holidays the manager just seemed to have a personality change & came back & made my life hell!!! No idea why either! I used to hate going to work, but at the time couldn't find anything else to move to & couldn't afford to just tell her to stuff the job & ended up being there for about 10 months before I moved!

Big HUGS to everyone having problems

Sharon x

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Wannabe Midwife
Proud mummy to my gorgeous boys - Max 2 & Ben 1
Applied to CCCU (2 intakes - Sep 2009 & May 2010)!