From stay-at-home mum to midwife…

Studying the finer points of midwifery alongside raising four young children on her own has been par for the course for Katherine Pattie.

Katherine is one of 23 Bachelor of Midwifery students set to graduate this Friday (December 7) from Griffith’s School of Nursing and Midwifery.

But as a single mother with daughters now aged 7, 9, 13 and 14, times have not always been easy says the Gold Coast resident. “I applied to study at Griffith’s Logan campus in 2009 and was accepted onto the program in early 2010 — just around the same time that I split up from my husband! I was in a bit of a panic about how I would cope with two major life events at the same time and nearly changed my mind, plus I hadn’t worked or studied at all since having the children so it was all very daunting.

“However apart from my love of babies and strong desire to become a midwife I knew that the Griffith program is very flexible with external and online study options and that that would be great as a parent.”

Learning flexibility

Flexibility in learning methods as well as placements at the Gold Coast Hospital where she was able to choose weekly shift options, allowed Katherine the chance to immerse herself in the midwifery program and really begin to enjoy it.

“Of course , there were many times during the three year program, that I became stressed with studying and I would question myself on why someone in my position had taken up midwifery. Those moments usually used to follow a pattern during a particular crunch time of every semester though, so I got used to dealing with those negative thoughts!

“Overall however, I have loved studying midwifery; I have had the amazing chance to follow 20 women through their pregnancies as part of our continuity of care ethos and I have learnt so much.

“Now I have the chance to go on and have a fantastic career on the Gold Coast.

“My children have been my driving force, and have been absolutely brilliant during the whole three years!”