Postgraduate Lives: Anita Fleming, 41, Masters in midwifery at University of Central Lancashire

'It's hard being on call and having to study'

Interview by Caitlin Davies

Published: 17 May 2007

Anita Fleming, 41, is doing a Masters in midwifery studies at the University of Central Lancashire

Why did you choose this course?

I trained as a general nurse in the 1980s and then did 18 months' further training to become a midwife; this was before there were diplomas and degrees in midwifery. I decided to do a BSc to keep up to date, and from there I progressed to a masters. Training has changed so much over the years, I did mine at a hospital and now students train at university.

How much does the course cost?

It's quite expensive – there are nine modules on the part-time MA and they cost £290 each. The trust I work for, the East Lancashire Hospital NHS Trust, has paid for some of the modules. They've also paid for the dissertation, which is the most expensive part of the course – it costs just over £1,000.

What do you like best about the course?

Its flexibility. There are compulsory modules, but you then choose from three pathways: education, management or clinical, depending what area you want to go into.

I chose the clinical pathway. For my dissertation I'm comparing the birth outcomes among women with caseload midwifes (a midwife who provides care from early pregnancy through labour and post-natal), and women without. I'm looking at how many normal births there are, compared with deliveries made with forceps and Caesareans. I'm collecting data at the moment, but local statistics suggest that normal births are higher with caseload midwifes. It's not feasible to have caseload midwifes across the country because there aren't enough, and not everyone is able to drop everything when they're needed.

What's the most difficult part of the course?

I work full time as a caseload midwife for women from vulnerable groups, for example those with mental health problems. I have 36 women a year, three of whom are due at the moment! The job involves being on call a lot. I'm also married with two children, so the most difficult thing is finding time to study.

What do you hope to get out of the course?

Doing a masters will keep my career options open. I'm a team leader, so future progression would be management or a consultancy midwife post.

What would you say to someone considering doing your course?

It keeps you up to date with current practice and issues, and gives you the confidence to improve care.