Alfred Health News

Not many people have the courage to sell their house, move interstate and begin a whole new career at the age of 35. 

But that’s what Monash University midwifery student, and mother of two, Jo Alston did and she has just been awarded the top academic prize for second year students. 

Midwifery is a far cry from Jo’s previous career in journalism and public relations where she spent 14 years working in Canberra.  

“I headed in that direction but there was always this interest in babies, nursing and caring for women. I just headed down the other path,” Jo explains. 

“When I had my own children, it sort of became stronger and stronger and I soon found I was just turning up for work in my other career but not really feeling passionate about it.” 

Jo said she was always interested in the child bearing stage of a women’s life and thought about pursuing it as a career. 

“It kept eating away at me, and it got to the stage that I said to my husband, ‘I want to pack it all in and go back to uni and become a midwife’. My dad calls it my midwife crisis!” 

Luckily, Jo’s husband is understanding because, before this year, Jo was studying full time, working at Sandringham Hospital for two days, being a mum, and working at Myer. 

She has now been able to give up the part-time job to concentrate on her final year of studying because of a unique fellowship program run at the hospital. 

Maternity nurse unit manager Kay Kurth said the fellowship is a unique employment model for direct entry midwifery students. 

The program provides students with a better understanding of clinical environments, increases students’ ability to interact and engage with clinicians and gives them a chance to practice what they’ve learnt during their studies. 

“The fellowship also gives employment to students during their final year and helps in the recruitment and retention of registered midwives,” Kay said. 

Jo has no regrets about taking up midwifery and says it’s a lovely change. 

“I think it’s the helping people and feeling like you’re making a difference. This is exactly where I want to be.”