Experiencing midwifery as a student in a metropolitan area has provided regional student Chelsea Hicks with deeper insights into the complex aspects of nursing and midwifery.
“In the city, the diversity and complexity of pregnancies are more pronounced. Midwives in these settings encounter a wide array of cultural backgrounds and medical complexities, covering all aspects of maternity.”
“This was a stark contrast when I transitioned back to the country, where care became less obstetric led and more midwifery led which was actually more beneficial for hands on skill development.,” Chelsea said.
“I appreciate those experiences though, as I believe they were very helpful in setting up my base knowledge, so I am more comfortable encountering emergency and challenging situations.”
Chelsea says her journey into the nursing aspect of her course wasn’t as complex “I didn’t secure many acute based nursing placements and often found myself in aged care or rehab. Although these are still important areas I couldn’t help but stress about how I would cope in the nursing field post study given my lack of nursing experience as a student.”
“I feel that particularly my Midwifery based placements and experiences helped me become more consolidated within my skills and prepared for the challenges of midwifery I might face in my current role.”
Immediately after finishing a Bachelor of Nursing/ Bachelor of Midwifery at Latrobe University, Bendigo, Chelsea Hicks secured employment at Echuca Regional Health (ERH) as a Registered Nurse and Midwife.
Chelsea is now part of the graduate program at ERH. This means she will undertake a Midwifery and a Surgical nursing rotation spending 6 months in each area.
“I started my rotation in Maternity and crossed over into Surgical at the end of July. Post my graduate year I have ongoing employment at ERH as a casual unless I secure a job prior to the end of my program.”
Chelsea comes from a dairy farm at Calivil in northern Victoria. In 2020, Chelsea became a Gardiner Dairy Foundation Tertiary Scholar. This meant she received $10,000 annually to contribute towards costs associated with their studies.
“Without the scholarship, I wouldn’t have been able to support myself to go to university, particularly with the major financial burden of completing over 1800 hours of unpaid placements. My parents are wonderful and supportive, but it was my decision to go to university, and I knew that I would have had to support myself to get through this degree.”
“The most stressful part of studying for me was the financial aspect of placements. Being unpaid for 4-6 weeks, without an income and having to pay for transport, accommodation and groceries was very difficult. The scholarship took a lot the stress off which made a huge difference for me” Chelsea said.
Now living in Echuca with her partner, Chelsea keeps herself busy by working and being part of the local netball club.
“I’m currently coaching A grade and A-reserve at Lockington Bamawm United. I have played netball forever but due to injury I have stopped playing for now and really enjoyed the coaching aspect.”
“We are enjoying our new home that we built last year in Echuca, but who knows, my partner is also a dairy farmer. I think in the near future we will move back onto the farm which is only a small 20-minute drive to work for me. I feel very fulfilled within my career and to be using my degree to work and support my local community”
Learn more about the Gardiner Foundation Tertiary Scholarship Program: https://www.gardinerfoundation.com.au/ts/