Read Lorraine’s journey from Children’s Services into Maternity Nursing and how the placement scheme is helping her to continue to gain experience and confidence.
How did you get into childcare?
I got into childcare in 1983, after I completed my National Nursery Examination Board qualification. This kick-started my career, where I began working in local authority nursery. Between 1986 to 1989, I had experience in childminding, and then following from this, I undertook several positions including assisting individuals with special needs to gain NVQ qualifications, an advisory role in a local authority, a consulting role supporting private, independent and voluntary nurseries, a role in Portage, and finally a position managing a day nursery.
So you have quite a lot of experience in managerial, advisory, consulting roles. What made you want to do the MNT and work on a 1-1 basis?
I was really interested in the role of a maternity nurse, and also have good knowledge of theories about various aspects of parenting, such as the importance of attachment. So, that in itself made me feel that I had skills from elsewhere that I could transfer into the role to support newborns. I’ve also wanted to do something that makes me feel like I’m making an impact. I get fulfilment from seeing the attachment between mum and baby, knowing that I have helped create that. It’s also really fulfilling when I can create an attachment between myself and the baby, through handling and caring for them.
In regards to working 1-1, it’s at a slower pace compared to my previous work, which is something I was looking for. I’m no longer interested in managing companies or working in a corporate business. With the pace being more relaxed, it’s something I actually enjoy doing.
Tell us about your experience completing the Babyem maternity nurse training course?
I came to Babyem, after being told about how great the maternity nurse training course was. The lady spoke really highly of both the training, the company, and staff team. She had done plenty of research before choosing!
I loved the content, especially about child development. I also really enjoyed the case study work. The trainer also brought in breastfeeding equipment, which was really useful and added a practical element to the course – that was really interesting. The visual aspects, such as videos also really helped me learn.
Tell us about your experience gain work experience
So far, with Babyem I’ve done two placements, with 2 sets of twins. Although challenging, they’ve taught me so much, and I’ve really enjoyed my time on them.
There are big differences between the placements in terms of what the parents need help with and want to achieve. Also, each baby is different – for example, one baby had never been out of the house, another had reflux issues. Because of this, I gathered a wealth of knowledge about how to deal with a range of circumstances.
As I am not a full-time nanny, I find that I have to refresh myself with knowledge. To overcome this, I first ask the parents what they struggle with, to know what to prepare myself for. I always think back to my past experiences and also do some initial research, as the issue might be something I’ve never dealt with. This all contributes to my own personal development.
If you are interested in becoming a maternity nurse please click here or contact us on 0208 986 9008.