Job hunting

Those of you who have followed this blog since last year know that I do not work at an easy midwife practice. In fact, the head of our group has insisted we no longer call it a midwife "practice" and we no longer have midwife specific "patients." We work in a very medicalized environment that is oftentimes hostile to midwifery, or even, human rights-based care. And I still am thrilled that I work here and that I can fight each day to keep midwifery in these tough places, because the women deserve good care.While writing this week's ACNM guest blog, I focused on encouraging people to list what is most important to them in their job hunt. And that is still what I list as most important to me in my current job. I still ask myself whether I can be a midwife in this practice model, and I can. I still ask if some of my fellow midwives meet my practice needs, and many do. And I still find it incredibly important to be a midwife in this setting, for this population. When I look for a new job, these questions will be a mainstay of my search.I hope that all of your jobs, and your job searches, can find a way to meet your needs!Check out the latest post here, which includes search strategies and g0-get'em attitude!"As with all things in midwifery practice, the search for the first, or the next, midwifery job must be holistic: keep in mind life’s logistics, economic demands, and the needs of your soul. What kind of midwife do you want to be? Can you do that in any practice model, or do you need one particular environment in which to practice? Is the place where you attend birth most important, be it home or birth center or hospital? Are your fellow midwives the bread and butter of your practice needs? Are you hoping to work with a specific patient population? Is the salary what makes or breaks your ability to take a job at this point in your life? Whatever your requirements may be, write them down and assess how the available jobs align with your list..."