I've just been supporting Louise Garside, the RCM ULR at Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax, who organised her second study day for existing NHS staff and local college students who want to become midwives. Thanks to the success of TV programmes such as One Born Every Minute and Call The Midwife, midwifery degree courses have never been so popular.

The Trust regularly receives internal and external enquiries seeking advice and requests to visit the maternity unit, so with her Head of Midwifery, Louise arranged for a series of speakers from the Trust, RCM and Huddersfield University to talk the audience through the journey to becoming a midwife.

There was practical advice and information about applying for a degree course, the academic requirements and tips on how to get through the selection process. Midwifery degree courses are usually many times oversubscribed, so competition to be accepted is very intense. There was a lively discussion about what constitutes relevant work and life experience which might give applicants an advantage as many wrongly believed that only experience in a maternity setting would count. The potential midwives heard that most Universities have a functional skills testing element to the selection as well as personal statements and rigorous interviewing.

Louise also organised some 'hands on' sessions on taking blood (via a very realistic dummy), hand washing techniques, urine analysis (actually apple juice!) and measuring blood pressure. The audience heard about a typical day for hospital based midwives and those working in the community. There were three third year students on hand from Huddersfield to give a first hand account of life and study at university.

As RCM Learning Organiser, I was there to explain how the union can offer advice and information to prospective students through its website. Once studying, student members would be able access the RCM eLibrary, access over 50 online courses to supplement their degree studies and use an electronic portfolio, which would support their academic studies and work placements.

The day was so successful that Louise has enough interest to arrange a third event.