Mercy In Action - Midwifery Internships
Available in Subic Bay, Philippines

Now accepting applications from beginning midwives for NARM Phase One and Two beginning Nov 2013

The needs of women and babies in the third world are unique, and World Health Organization recommends that all birth attendants must know and integrate specific advanced midwifery skills in order to save lives...so we invite you to join us in becoming humble life-long learners, no matter your place on the journey...

Our strength as an internship program is to allow a midwife student to get experience assisting our trained midwives in maternity care, or to allow a licensed midwife or doctor to observe our highly successful and fairly unique "Birth Model That Works" in a poor developing country among a low-resource and  high-risk population.
We do not accept birth room volunteers or allow interns to take primary responsibility for births. Having our own staff protect the actual deliveries is how we keep our "Birth Model That Works" working, and allow you to see it in action among the women we serve, whether the birth is normal or complications occur.

 

Categories of Internships:

Category One: Beginning Level Birth Workers; Doulas or Midwives

Time Frame available: 1-2 months

This category is for new midwife students and doulas or doula students. No previous experience with birth is required. In this category interns learn by observing and assisting in these areas of maternity care: ante-natal (prenatal exams), newborn (newborn exams) and post-partum (check-up on the mother and baby up to 6 weeks after birth, both in our birth center and in her home during community outreach visits); during labor and birth, interns will observe and give comfort measures. They will be taught vital signs and basic midwifery skills.

(NARM PEP Entry Level Phase 1 paperwork can be completed in this phase, as appropriate) 

 

Click here for the Application Page

 

 

Category Two: Mid-Level Midwife Students, Nursing Students, or Medical Students, OR Midwives desiring experience in an international, developing-country setting

Time Frame available: 1-2 months

This category is for midwife, medical or nursing students who are already in an academic program and are ready to learn to assist patient care, OR experienced CNMs or CPMs who desire to learn from a birth center following the 10 steps of the International MotherBaby Childbirth Initiative in a developing country. In this category interns assist care under a preceptor’s supervision for these areas of maternity care: ante-natal (prenatal exams),  newborn (newborn exams) and post-partum (check-up on the mother and baby up to 6 weeks after birth, both in our birth center and in her home during community outreach visits); and during labor and delivery, they will learn to protect natural birth and assist in complications or emergencies that may occur.

(NARM Pep Entry Level Phase 2 paperwork can be completed in this phase, as appropriate)

10 CEUs for Continuing Education available for Certified Professional Midwives

Click here for the Application Page

 

 

 

Category Three: Maternal/Child Health Advocates, Public Health Students, or Policy Makers

Time Frame available: 1-2 months 

This category is for anyone interested in community health among pregnant women and families living in poverty. In this category interns assist care under a preceptor’s supervision for these areas of maternity care: ante-natal (prenatal exams) newborn (newborn exams) and post-partum (check-up on the mother and baby up to 6 weeks after birth, both in our birth center and in her home during community outreach visits). Interns will be involved in creating and teaching community health care, childbirth education, and emergency Complication and Preparedness Plans. There is no birth room access in this category, but interns will help with education and counselling of new mothers on breastfeeding, infant care, family planning, and nutrition.

Click here for the Application Page

 

 

 

Category Four: Advanced Midwife or Medical Student under supervision

NOTE: We currently have no placements available for Primary Under Supervision (NARM PEP Entry Level Phase 3-4); national Filipina midwives take all these internships at this time. 

 

Price of internship includes:

• Total immersion learning in a birthing home approved by the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) as an Approved Out Of Country clinical learning site. Student Learners will get clinical experience while supervised by Approved Midwifery Preceptors (American CPMs and Filipina Licensed Midwives)  for Prenatal exams, Labor monitoring, Postpartum home visits, and Newborn exams. Whether you are a student or an experienced midwife or doctor hoping to reproduce the model, this experience is invaluable.

• Our Evidence-Based Midwifery Model of Care and Mother/Baby Friendly facility will demonstrate how to follow the Global 10 Steps to Optimal Maternity Care as an International MotherBaby Childbirth Initiative (IMBCI) site.

• Cultural Competency and Respect in the Provision of Maternity Care course, a new NARM required MEAC Accredited course, is offered to all interns.

• USAID Global Health Learning courses and Medical Aid Films for training in the developing world will be assigned and reviewed, adding a unique global perspective to midwifery learning.

• After-Action-Review and Reflection with the staff follows every birth you attend.

• Pre-arrival reading assignment and post-internship assessment follow-up

• Eco-Adventure Day—you choose either swimming with dolphins, or zip-line touring the jungle canopy; both adventures let you enjoy the lush wonders of our rainforest.

• Opportunity to buy unique handicrafts and souvenirs from local tribal artists.

• Room and board in our birth center for single students

 

 

 

 Category Five: Licensed Midwives, Doctors, or Nurses

Cross-Cultural Primary Health, Maternal/Child Health, and Disaster Preparedness in Developing Countries Course 

This is a 10 day seminar plus internship that we offer twice per year for midwives, doctors or nurses who desire to add to their understanding of maternity care in a developing world setting. We will start at a beatuiful ocean resort with a seminar on cultural issues and advanced skills for developing world settings such as managing malaria parasites in pregnancy, preventing neonatal and maternal tetanus, preventing Mother To Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS and other diseases of depravation that face the poor while pregnant or newly born. Then you will be observing a “Birth Model That Works”* designated birth center and maternity waiting homes, to see first hand how Mercy In Action follows all 10 Steps of the International MotherBaby Childbirth Initiative for optimal outcomes in maternity care.**   You will be given hands-on experience with applying the non-pneumatic anti-shock garment and skills for other emergencies in a low-resource area.  Observations will include up-to-date best-practices in Focused ante-natal care, intra-partum and post-partum care, and community outreach visits to where the patients live on a large land-fill garbage dump and in a resettlement camp for internally displaced persons. You will also have the opportunity to hike into remote tribal villages and offer health teachings in a local slum.

Birth room access will be limited and is as an observer only so that you can truly see our “Birth Model That Works” in action!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO, COST AND APPLICATION:

* Davis-Floyd, Robbie. Birth Models That Work. www.amazon.com

**www.IMBCI.org

Or if you are traveling through and just want to visit for a day and have a tour, contact us by email:

info@mercyinaction.com

 

 

TESTIMONIALS:

The two week internship I had with MIA was life changing in several ways. My eyes were opened to an amazing, peaceful and empowering model of care. I came away surprised at how much I actually learned in such a short time - I gained  knowledge and a number of new skills. The MIA staff and the Filipina midwives encouraged and allowed me to actively participate in all of the prenatal appointments, postpartum visits and in each of the eight births that took place while I was there. I am certain that the many experiences I had during my internship will continue to affect and inform my path to becoming a midwife in East Africa.

~Lyndi Buckley

 

I love the amount of trust Mercy In Action Preceptors give to their students. All of us were were given opportunities to practice skills and "act as the midwife assistant" under supervision, with simple instruction and guidance when needed. Students were never made to feel inferior or inadequate and their confidence in me advanced my skill level more than any amount of recitation or practice.

~Marissa Pelligrini

 

This was an incredible experience. I was involved right away in all stages pregnancy and birth, including prenatal appointments and postpartum visits. Even though this was my first clinical internship, the local midwifery team were excellent in their encouragement of my hands on experience; to the level that I was comfortable with; but always giving a gentle nudge to the next step. They all uphold the standard of The Midwifery Model of Care with each client, but, in such an extremely challenging and impoverished location, I believe that they go above and beyond this model. Their servant hearts towards the women in their care create an environment for the gentlest births I have ever seen or even heard of. The friendship and excellent working relationship between the midwives has established a model out of country clinic in Olongapo. Students from various countries and cultures, such as myself receive the benefit of decades of cross-cultural midwifery education; with the MIA team always searching out the most current, evidence based approaches to care, even if it means changing protocols that have been in place for years. This rare type of humility among experts will continue to enrich student’s clinical practicum, and ensure that midwifery care, whether practiced in the West or in developing nations, gains its rightful status as the best choice for families for the birth of their children.

~Kelley Chong

 

The internship was beyond a wonderful experience. It was a rich learning environment and a pleasure to learn from and work with a group of dedicated midwives who practice kind, compassionate, evidence-based midwifery with Filipino women who otherwise may not be able to afford medical care or who would choose to deliver at home unattended. Mercy In Action as an organization and a birth center is operated with high American Standards. They follow all appropriate guidelines, are well-stocked, and practice appropriately and within the scope of the midwifery model of care. The learning opportunities are abundant and the education that coincides with the clinical scenarios are hands down, amazing.

~Alissa Shattenberg, CPM, FNP