Midwifery Personal Statement Example 2

For the last four years I have worked and studied as a journalist and written for publications including the Sunday Times, the Evening Times and the Big Issue, however recently I have been sincerely considering a change of career path.

After thinking about what my skills are and what I would like to do, it's my opinion that I might be better suited in a profession which, I think, would be more rewarding and beneficial to society.

Despite the fact that child birth and the human body have always fascinated me, and that I'm sure delivering new born babies into the world could provide unparalleled job satisfaction, when I spoke to Irvine midwife Jackie Reid she made it clear that midwifery can be a tough, hard slog.

She pointed out that midwives work with women in a highly emotional state and try to guide them through the biggest, and most scariest event in their lives, a responsibility not to be taken lightly.

Another woman who influenced my decision to pursue a career in midwifery was my best friend Gem, whose son Henry will be one in November. She said the experience was a hormonal rollercoaster and that the actual event can be very traumatic, leaving women feeling drained and tired.

Apart from feeling nauseous with fear and being hit badly by the baby blues two days after the birth, she claimed that she would gladly do it again and that her hospital provided a “ten out of ten experience”.

Jackie also pointed out that a topic I would have to seriously consider if I was going to enter midwifery is the current frustration felt by practitioners about the centralisation of maternity services. It's clear that this issue can lead to feelings of de-motivation in midwifes especially in rural areas, where the birth rate is dropping.

To gain practical experience I have recently applied to the Glasgow nurse bank and have also applied to volunteer with home start, a charity which supports families with young children.

In terms of professions you would think that journalism and midwifery are worlds apart, however I think that there essential skills in the two jobs which could be transferred. For example, getting the most from people and engaging with others is something which imagine mastering is important in both jobs.

Through my work I have developed the ability to work under the pressure of writing to strict deadlines, and I think that this could stand me in good stead by being able to keep a cool head in emergency situations.

Academically, I would relish the prospect of writing well-researched essays. I am fresh from graduating from City University in London where I wrote on subjects as diverse as a famine in the Ukraine in the 1920s to my dissertation, for which I investigated honour-crime victims who come to the UK with their children to marry British men.

Areas that I have written about have been very varied, but one article which sticks out as being particularly close to my heart was when I researched the number of babies born in Scotland addicted to drugs. I had read about the defects that can happen to babies born to mothers who take drugs and felt compelled to find out more.

Through getting statistics from the Scottish Executive I found that the number of babies born addicted to drugs was rising in Scotland and managed to get this information into the public domain through a news article in the Sunday Times.

At school I got care experience from a work placement at Gartnavel geriatric unit for elderly people with mental health difficulties. Throughout my teenage years I also gained some knowledge of the needs of people with dispraxia because I cared for a young boy who had the condition.

I am aware that the needs of those with learning difficulties and expectant mothers are very different, but I think that the patience I learned in supporting the young boy is something that would benefit me in a nursing setting.

I hope that I have demonstrated an understanding of what it is to be a midwife and would be delighted if you might consider me a suitable candidate for interview. If I was a midwife I hope that I could bring a good work ethic, the ability to work under pressure and a quickness to learn to the job.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.