Tomorrow...

I start my new job!

I accepted a position in research nursing on Friday. I'm really excited about the people I will be working with, and the work we will be doing. A family friendly office close to my house, with excellent pay and benefits, and a wonderful schedule. It's no secret that I've always been drawn to research work. I plan to start looking for PhD programs next year after I'm settled.

I will still do something in the field when I find it (ie: per diem work as a midwife or RN in a birth center, or even simply volunteer my time in birth center just to be near pregnant women, birth, and other midwives) but right now I have bills to pay and loans to pay off, and I can't afford to wait another 5-6 months for someone to hire me! What's funny is that in my office, the other nurse coordinator's last job was managing a birth center, and another person working in the office is graduating from nursing school in December and will be working PT in labor and delivery. My interview was filled with talk of birth and women and, oddly, vaginal exams. :o)

Conducting trials to see which HIV meds are better for pregnant women... or studying whether heat-treating the rubella immunization will kill enough of the live portion so that it can safely be given to pregnant women... is that not also midwifery?

I carry midwifery in my heart.

Busy, Busy

I have a lot going on!

I've been interviewing... a lot... I had an interview yesterday, one today, and have one tomorrow. These are RN positions I'm interviewing for. These interviews have been very long and involved, and I am exhausted.

Some one asked me about the questions... I'm probably not going to be putting more of them up, and will take the rest down soon. Why? Because I'm going to sell them. Yep, just hate me now and get over it, lol. I realized that my questions are valuable, and being the broke chick that I am, I decided to try to make a few dollars. If I were still studying for the boards, I would have paid $5 for my questions :o) BUT if you have been reading my blog for a while and have been doing the questions, email me at
minoritymidwife @ gmail . com
and I will send you the rest of the questions so that you don't have to pay, deal?

I've been thinking a lot about what might happen if I don't work as a midwife right away... I am worried that if I don't go into it immediately, I might never find my way back to it again because I'm already a little on the fence about practicing as a midwife anyway. Everything about this experience has been hard. I remember when I first said, in midwifery school, that I don't think I can do this... that I was having a hard time seeing myself as a midwife, questioning whether clinical practice was really something I wanted to do. I said that I needed to go somewhere where I could see black midwives in action, feel connected, remember what it is that brought me to midwifery. Integration was probably the best part of my midwifery school experience and I wish I could have kept the momentum from that. It didn't hurt that my friend was there with me and we had a great time :o) But that was 5 months ago.

Two of the midwifery practices I have talked to have said, in one way or another, that their practice isn't very conducive to those who want to have kids right away. It made me sad, but I have to think about it, can't go around it. They say they need new midwives to replace the midwives that will all be retirement age soon, if not already... well if you want young midwives, you have to deal with the fact that yes, they're fertile! And if you want new midwives, you can't keep requiring "experience" for all of your positions!


Anyway, I've been applying for non-hospital RN jobs. I actually really like the RN jobs I've been interviewing for. They're research jobs or jobs in fertility centers or other more administrative type positions. I'm impressed by the work I could be doing, and sad about how undisappointed I am that I just might not be working as a midwife anytime soon... please share your thoughts, I'm still pondering it all...

Testing

Bear with me for a short while as I mess with my html in order to get ready for the next phase of my website!

The next set of questions will be posted tomorrow!

Rejection Sucks

"Dear Minority Midwife,


I was impressed with..

yada yada yada 


Good Luck in your career,
Head Midwife"

So I got the official email word today.

It sucks.

And I seriously doubt I will be spending money (or that will allow my family to graciously spend the money) to fly out and interview anywhere else after having two phone interviews ever again. You're  going to have to offer me the job, or fly me there yourself.

I simply can't afford it.

I am trying to avoid the whole "what happened between our phone conversations, the interview, and the breakfast that we had 3 days later to make you change your mind?" game because it's a waste of time.

I've been interviewing for non-midwifery jobs because I need a break.... and a paycheck... before these loans come knockin hard at my door.

Interruption: Job (none) Updates

doctorjen asked about the interview.

Basically, it seemed like it went well. Actually, very well. But now I think I'm getting the run around. My interview was two weeks ago, and I was supposed to hear from by yesterday or the day before. I emailed her yesterday morning, no reply. I paged her today, no call back. So, basically it doesn't look too good, although for the life of me I can not imagine what happened between then and now.

So, I'm in limbo.

And it sucks.

And I'm trying not to think about it.