Hannah Currie had always dreamed of a career as a midwife. The Griffith Alumnus recalls building that dream from an early age when her sister was born. Hannah had three children at home to consider, but says she enrolled in midwifery as a mature student when changes in her administrative job provided her an opportunity to make a change.
“I had a deep-down desire to be a midwife which stems from my little sister coming into the world when I was 12. I remember being fascinated by my Mum’s pregnancy and by having a new baby in the house,” Hannah says.
“Immediately before I applied, the job I was working in was about to be transitioned to another branch, which made me realise I had reached a fork in the road. One of those paths was to follow my dream and become a midwife.
When Hannah began researching midwifery degrees, she said she felt more connected to Griffith, where the continuity of care philosophy behind the Bachelor of Midwifery at Griffithcaught her attention.
“Compared to other degrees, Griffith has such a solid foundation based on women-centred care” Hannah explains.
“Of course, being able to study and complete my clinical placement in Toowoomba was also a major draw card as I had three sons at school and a husband who had a secure job in Toowoomba.”
Griffith offers a unique blended learning style that combines in-person and online classes with weekly hospital shifts and a commitment to follow a minimum of 20 women through their pregnancy. Students spend more than 50% of their time learning in their base hospital at either the Gold Coast, Logan, Redlands, the Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba. Hannah found she was able to study and work close to home for much of her degree.
“As a first-year student I secured a long-term placement at My Midwives Toowoomba, a private midwifery practice offering continuity of care,” Hannah says.
“During my studies I lived and breathed continuity, completing my clinical requirements by following women through their pregnancy, attending their birth and seeing them until 6 weeks post birth. I treated my placement at My Midwives as a job, turning up to ‘work’ whenever I could, working around assignments, intensives on campus in Logan and being a wife and mother. I felt like a part of the team from the beginning and knew this was where my heart was.”
Since graduating, Hannah has secured employment at My Midwives, where she continues to deliver continuity of care services as a midwife.
“The transition from student to registered midwife was smooth because I had been there for two and a half years as a student,” explains Hannah.
“I am also fortunate to now be the midwife for many women whom I was involved with as a student. I have been the student midwife and now the midwife for three babies for some women which is continuity at its ultimate.
“I am working towards becoming an endorsed midwife which requires working the equivalent of three years fulltime as well as further study – and lots of paperwork!”
Reflecting on her studies, Hannah says she feels lucky to have had the opportunity to learn from passionate professionals, and credits them for supporting her through the more challenging aspects of her degree.
“The Bachelor of Midwifery can be a tough degree emotionally, physically and mentally – there are a lot of mandatory components and you’re on call to support your mothers for the entire degree. But what made it possible was the support from lecturers and tutors, which was just outstanding,” Hannah says.
“To be taught by such passionate lecturers and tutors who believe in their students, who ignite a drive in their students and who genuinely care about what they are teaching is a credit to Midwifery at Griffith.
“My advice to someone considering studying midwifery is; if it’s your dream, chase it. Midwifery isn’t a job, it’s a passion, so be brave and take that leap.”
If like Hannah you have a dream of becoming a midwife, find out more about Griffith’s Bachelor of Midwiferyprogram on our website. Placements are available at Logan, Redlands, Toowoomba, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast University Hospitals and aspiring students can identify their preference of where to complete their placement during their QTAC application.
