Nurse-Midwife in the making
Donation protected
My name is Trina, and I am on a wild and crazy journey to become a Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM). Since I was a child, I knew that birth work was my calling. Almost every child is curious about where babies come from, but I wanted to know more, and I wanted to see for myself. Not only did I find out for myself by attending a friend's birth, which lit a fire of passion under me, but I had my son, which brought the love for birth into my life.
After raising my son, I decided that I wanted to go back and pursue my dreams of becoming a CNM. I went back to school while at the same time going through dialysis and a kidney transplant. It wasn't easy, but my determination and will power super-ruled over my circumstances. I received my kidney (Consuela) April 2015 and received my Associate's Degree in December 2015
I wanted to make sure what I was feeling of becoming a CNM was authentic, so I decided to become a Doula. After finishing my training as a Doula, I became apart of the first cohort of Doulas at a local hospital in Seattle, Washington. Which at the time, we were 1 of only five hospital-associated Doula programs in the U.S. Soon after I started practicing as a Doula, I received an excellent opportunity to become a Midwife assistant wth a Licensed Midwife. She took me under her wings and exposed me to the life of a Midwife. That opportunity allowed me to get a sneak peek into my future, and I am genuinely thankful for it. I also worked with a local non-profit program that offers care to families who needed assistance during their prenatal, birth, and postnatal care. While I was wearing all of those hats, I attended over 70 deliveries, and each one was amazing and reassured me that I was on the right path.
With my mind focused, I went back to continue my schooling and received my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Now I have been accepted into an Accelerated Bachelor Science of Nursing (ABSN) program. I am so excited to be walking into my school doors this fall.
Since I already have a Bachelor's degree, I will have to pay out of pocket, and nursing school is far from cheap. My heart and soul are focused only on becoming a Nurse-Midwife. The number of Midwives in the United States, as of February 2019, there were 12,218 CNMs ( American College of Nurse-Midwives facts sheet, May 2019). And of that total, only 4% of those Midwives are Black (Minoritynurse.com: African-American Nurse-Midwives: Continuing the Legacy, Fall 2008). Currently, the number of Black Midwives has only grown between 5%-6% as of 2019. When you combine the lack of representation in the field of Midwifery and the high rates of Infant/ Maternal mortality and trauma, it is devastating. I want to be apart of the change and make a difference within my community. Right now, there are several birth workers out fighting to make changes. I am one of them as I wear my Doula hat and when I did as a Midwife assistant. Now I'm preparing to wear a taller hat of a Certified Nurse-Midwife.
The funds that I am asking for will be to pay my tuition and necessities for one semester of school. I am currently working on getting loans, but if I can avoid that monster, the better. Every little bit helps and will be much appreciated.
After raising my son, I decided that I wanted to go back and pursue my dreams of becoming a CNM. I went back to school while at the same time going through dialysis and a kidney transplant. It wasn't easy, but my determination and will power super-ruled over my circumstances. I received my kidney (Consuela) April 2015 and received my Associate's Degree in December 2015
I wanted to make sure what I was feeling of becoming a CNM was authentic, so I decided to become a Doula. After finishing my training as a Doula, I became apart of the first cohort of Doulas at a local hospital in Seattle, Washington. Which at the time, we were 1 of only five hospital-associated Doula programs in the U.S. Soon after I started practicing as a Doula, I received an excellent opportunity to become a Midwife assistant wth a Licensed Midwife. She took me under her wings and exposed me to the life of a Midwife. That opportunity allowed me to get a sneak peek into my future, and I am genuinely thankful for it. I also worked with a local non-profit program that offers care to families who needed assistance during their prenatal, birth, and postnatal care. While I was wearing all of those hats, I attended over 70 deliveries, and each one was amazing and reassured me that I was on the right path.
With my mind focused, I went back to continue my schooling and received my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. Now I have been accepted into an Accelerated Bachelor Science of Nursing (ABSN) program. I am so excited to be walking into my school doors this fall.
Since I already have a Bachelor's degree, I will have to pay out of pocket, and nursing school is far from cheap. My heart and soul are focused only on becoming a Nurse-Midwife. The number of Midwives in the United States, as of February 2019, there were 12,218 CNMs ( American College of Nurse-Midwives facts sheet, May 2019). And of that total, only 4% of those Midwives are Black (Minoritynurse.com: African-American Nurse-Midwives: Continuing the Legacy, Fall 2008). Currently, the number of Black Midwives has only grown between 5%-6% as of 2019. When you combine the lack of representation in the field of Midwifery and the high rates of Infant/ Maternal mortality and trauma, it is devastating. I want to be apart of the change and make a difference within my community. Right now, there are several birth workers out fighting to make changes. I am one of them as I wear my Doula hat and when I did as a Midwife assistant. Now I'm preparing to wear a taller hat of a Certified Nurse-Midwife.
The funds that I am asking for will be to pay my tuition and necessities for one semester of school. I am currently working on getting loans, but if I can avoid that monster, the better. Every little bit helps and will be much appreciated.
Organizer
Trina Williams
Organizer
Covington, GA
