The Decisive Choice.

After fifty weeks on maternity leave, I have to make a choice about my return to the working world. The job I had before I gave birth, in human resources, is still available, but I could also decide to return to school and follow my dream of becoming a midwife. What should I do?

Choice 1 : Go to the University of Trois-Rivières in the Midwifery Program.

Choice 2 : Return to My Old Job in Human Resources.

Return to My Old Job in Human Resources.

After a big talk with my manager about my return, I am back at my old office. During the weeks I was away on maternity leave, there were a lot of retirements in my department and I have now to work with three new coworkers. When I officially meet them, two of them seem really lovely, but I have a bad feeling about the third one. He comes to flirt with me in my office even after I explained to him my discomfort. What should I do about this situation?

Choice 1 : Tell My Manager in the Human Resources Department About It.

Choice 2 : Do Nothing for the Moment.

Go to the University of Trois-Rivières in the Midwifery Program.

After three years and a half at the University of Trois-Rivières, I finally graduated in the Midwifery program with straight A's. I will now start to work in a birthing center as a midwife. At my first day of work, I can choose to start the morning with a pregnancy follow-up meeting or with a prenatal class. What do I choose?

Choice 1 : Start With a Pregnancy Follow-up Meeting.

Choice 2 : Give a Prenatal Class.

Start With a Pregnancy Follow-up Meeting.

I receive a couple of future parents in my office. It is their first baby, and they have a lot of questions. I make sure to answers all of them and give them advice about the pregnancy. I weigh the woman, take her blood pressure and hear her heartbeat. Everything is fine, and she looks in good health to me. When I ask her to lay down on the bed, so I can examine her belly, I find out that she looks to have a lot of amniotic fluid in her womb. I send her to have an ultrasound just to be sure that everything is okay for her and her baby. I explain to her that it can take a few days before she gets her appointment at the hospital. She looks really anxious about it. She asks me if it were possible to have the ultrasound earlier if she secretly gives me money. I recognize the bribe she offers me, and I think about it.

Choice 1 : Accept the Money.

Choice 2 : Refuse the Money.

Give a Prenatal Class.

I start my day by giving a prenatal class to future parents. I talk to them about the nutrition of their future baby, about the general care and about the new lifestyle that awaits them. I make sure to answer all of their questions, so they can feel ready and prepared. At the end of the class, a pregnant woman comes see me and asks me if it is normal that she already has regular contractions even if she is only thirty-four weeks pregnant. After asking here a few questions, I conclude that she needs to see immediately someone to get some tests. Should I take care of it myself even if she is not my patient or should I give the task to one of my colleagues?

Choice 1 : Tell the Woman to Meet Me in My Office.

Choice 2 : Ask One of My Colleagues to Investigate More.

Tell My Manager in the Human Resources Department About It.

I go talk about my new colleague to my manager in the HR department, and I explain to him how I dread the constant filtration coming for him. He explains to me that this misconduct counts as sexual harassment and that he will meet my colleague, so they could talk about this part of the office politics. My manager is really happy that I talked to him about it, and he explained to me the importance of sharing with your superior this type of information. While I'm in his office, I am asking myself if I should talk to him about my dream of becoming a midwife and leaving my job in human resources or, if I should leave things as they are right now.

Choice 1 : Tell My Manager That I Want to Leave My Job.

Choice 2 : Say Nothing and Go back to My Office.

Do Nothing for the Moment.

I decide to keep these misconducts to myself and my colleague continues to flirt with me even if I ask him to stop. Because I am so uncomfortable, I decide to go talk to my manager about my new decision of leaving my job. I think this is a great opportunity of returning to school since I am not feeling comfortable with my new team of coworkers.

Choice 1 : Go to the University of Trois-Rivières in the Midwifery Program.

Tell My Manager That I Want to Leave My Job.

I explain to my manager that I dream of becoming a midwife and that I feel like that, even if I have a foot in the door in the human resources department, I don't think I belong there. He totally understands my decision, and we talk about my date of departure. Happy of my new decision, I make my registration to University in the Midwifery program that I always dreamed of.

Choice 1 : Go to the University of Trois-Rivières in the Midwifery Program.

Say Nothing and Go back to My Office.

Even if my colleague stopped flirting with me after my manager talked to him, I still have this feeling of non-accomplishment at my position. It seems to me that this is a dead-end job and that it pulled me off my real capacities and interests. After a few weeks of thinking, I decide to go talk again to my manager and I explain to him my decision of returning to school. Even if he is surprised, he understands, and we decide together the date of my departure.

Choice 1 : Go to the University of Trois-Rivières in the Midwifery Program.

Tell the Woman to Meet Me in My Office.

The woman comes with her husband in my office and I ask her to go lay down on the bed. I install the monitoring on her belly and explain to her that this machine allows me to watch her contractions and the heartbeat of the baby. After about twenty minutes, I see that she effectively have regular contractions every five minutes. After asking her, I do a vaginal examination to check if her cervix is dilated. I find out that she is already dilated at five centimeters. She is in labor. As a midwife, I can only help the woman give birth after thirty-seven weeks of pregnancy. What do I do?

Choice 1 : Help Her Give Birth.

Choice 2 : Call the Ambulance, so She Can Give Birth at the Hospital.

Ask One of My Colleagues to Investigate More.

I find a colleague who is not in a rush, and I explain to her the situation. She gently agrees to see the woman and bring her in her office. Short on time, I return to mine to start my first pregnancy follow-up meeting of the day.

Choice 1 : Continue With a Pregnancy Follow-up Meeting.

Help Her Give Birth.

Even though I am not supposed to, I decide to help the woman in the delivering of her baby. When one of my colleagues hear that there is someone giving birth, she comes to ask me if I need help. After reading my notes, she discovers that the woman giving birth is only thirty-four weeks pregnant. She instantly goes call my manager to tell him what I did. I got a call at the end of the day to tell me that I am fired and that I could no longer work as a midwife.

Choice 1 : Try Again.

Call the Ambulance, so She Can Give Birth at the Hospital.

I call the ambulance, and they come a few minutes later. The woman is really grateful for my help, and I make sure she is okay before she goes to the hospital. One of my colleagues who heard about what happened tell me it was a good move and talk about it to my manager who is really happy with my professionalism.

Choice 1 : Start With a Pregnancy Follow-up Meeting.

Continue With a Pregnancy Follow-up Meeting.

I return to my office and meet the woman who is already here for her monthly appointment. I do the usual tests on her and the baby and conclude that everything is going well. She is happy about it, and we schedule our next follow-up appointment together. At the end of the meeting, she tells me that she is currently studying to become a midwife. She asks me if it were possible to become a trainee at the birthing center and do an on-the-job-training. She wants to learn the ropes and new things that could come in handy during her learning at school and future career.

Choice 1 : Ask My Manager About It.

Choice 2 : Refuse and Go Home.

Accept the Money.

I accept the corruption she offers me and call directly the hospital after the couple leave my office. I tell them that it is an emergency ultrasound, even if it is not, so they can meet the woman sooner. It works and the woman is really happy about it. A couple of weeks later, my manager asks me to meet her in her office. She explains to me that she red about the case of the woman and did not understand how she got an appointment this easily and this fast. I try to invent something, but she already knows the mistake I made. I am immediately fired from my job and can no longer work as a midwife because of the bribing I accepted.

Choice 1 : Try Again.

Refuse the Money.

After thinking of the consequences, I refuse the bribe the woman offers me. I explain to her that this is corruption and that I don't want to be a part of it. She leaves my office a little angry, but I am still happy with my choice. I immediately ask my manager to meet me, so I can explain to her what happened, because I don't want the woman to try the same thing with someone else. My manager is really happy that I talked to her about it. After the meeting with my manager, time is getting shorter. I can do another pregnancy follow-up meeting before the end of my day or I can go home right now.

Choice 1 : Continue With a Pregnancy Follow-up Meeting.

Choice 2 : Go Home.

Go Home.

I return to my house after a big day of work. I did everything to help pregnant woman and their partner, and I am happy of my accomplishments. I go to sleep at eight p.m. to be ready for my next day. At twelve a.m., I receive a call from one of my coworkers. One of her patients just called her because she has regular contractions since the afternoon, and they are now at less than three minutes. She would normally be the one to help her give birth, but she just ended her twelve hours shift and is exhausted. She asks me if I can go instead of her.

Choice 1 : Accept to Go to the Birth Center.

Choice 2 : Refuse and Stay In Bed.

Ask My Manager About It.

I explain to my manager the offer of OJT that the woman told me, and she thinks it is a wonderful idea. It would give us more help at the birth center and would help the student to learn the job in-depth. I call the woman back to announce her the news, and she is really happy. She will start with us next week.

Choice 1 : Go Home.

Accept to Go to the Birth Center.

I go out of bed, dressed up, and drive to the birth center. When I arrive, the pregnant woman who will give birth is already there. I ask her a few questions and ask her about her birth plan. She tells me that she wants to give birth in the bath, so I go prepare everything for her. During the labor, I help her to manage her contractions, to breath and to focus on positive things. After a few hours, she gives birth to a healthy baby girl. I let them meet each other, and I give her advice about breastfeeding. This childbirth makes me remember that my job is amazing and that I love doing it. I am happy of the choices I made in life to be where I am.

Choice 1 : The End.

Refuse and Stay In Bed.

After the big day I had, I decide to refuse to help her and to stay in bed to be prepared to help others tomorrow. My colleague totally understands and will call another midwife to replace her. I return to sleep and dream of all the pregnant woman and babies I will see the next day because I am so happy to work in midwifery.

Choice 1 : The End.