More nurses are needed
For midwives Kim Johnson and Barbara Dreaming, the attraction of combining their passion for helping mothers and their newborn babies with normal working hours led them back to the classroom.
After two years studying part-time, both nurses are getting ready to graduate as maternal and child-health nurses with the help of scholarships from Hume City Council.
For Johnson it was having a family of her own that prompted her career change.
“Nursing is an excellent career choice and something that I’m passionate about, but the hours are not always so family-friendly,” she says. “It was the nurse I saw after I had my own children who first prompted me to think about studying maternal and child health. She encouraged me to go along to a university open day and the rest is history.
“The opportunity to work normal hours and still be there for the demands of raising a young family was very attractive. I’m glad I took her advice. Now I’m in the perfect position to restart my career when all my children start school.”
Victoria is in the middle of a baby boom, pressuring councils to recruit more nurses. Many councils are now offering scholarships to help qualified midwives to complete further studies in maternal and child health.
With a background as a community midwife in the United Kingdom, Dreaming has always been attracted to nursing outside a traditional hospital setting.
“A midwifery colleague told me about the scholarship program that many local councils offer,” Dreaming says.
“I simply phoned three different councils close to my home and was offered two interviews. I was successful in both, and chose Hume because they offered additional postgraduate support on completion of my studies.
“The scholarship has covered all of my tuition fees and some of my textbook costs. I’ve been able to complete all my practical requirements in Hume and I’ve been offered a job after I graduate.
‘It has helped to bridge the gap between university and practice because there is always someone who is willing to help you. A kind word of support and acknowledgment of the difficulties in undertaking postgraduate studies mean so much.”
This year, 35 scholarships have been offered by local councils. Most of these students will graduate at the end of next year with a guarantee of employment.
To find out more about maternal and child-health nursing and scholarship opportunities, visit www.machineries.arc.au
