COLLETTE TETREAULT: Midwife at Cobb Hospital

1. 00:00:00 Makayla

We first have some like required questions, then he says please state your name slash position title.

2. 00:00:08 Collette Tetreault

My name.

3. 00:00:09 Makayla

Yes.

4. 00:00:09 Collette Tetreault

Collette Tetreault

5. 00:00:12 Makayla

Got it and then your position title.

6. 00:00:24 Collette Tetreault

And my title, my I guess, is RNS, MSN, CNM, so your nurse 1st and then you get your Masters, Masters
of science and then CNM a certified Nurse midwife.

7. 00:00:38 Makayla

Gotcha and then do you consent to this interview being recorded?

8. 00:00:43 Collette Tetreault

Yeah, that's fine.

9. 00:00:47 Makayla

Do you consent to my teacher contacting you? If she has any questions or anything.

10. 00:00:48 Collette Tetreault

Sure

11. 00:00:50 Makayla

What's the best phone number or email?

12. 00:00:58 Makayla

Just this phone number.

13. 00:01:01 Collette Tetreault

Yes, coletteT33@gmail.com

14. 00:01:10 Makayla

Gotcha

15. 00:01:16 Makayla

I know why did you decide to work in this industry or career?

16. 00:01:22 Collette Tetreault

Uhm, so why did I decide?

17. 00:01:29 Collette Tetreault

Do you actually want short answers or long answers?

18. 00:01:32 Makayla

Anyway, it doesn't matter.

19. 00:01:39 Collette Tetreault

I had when I was living in Spain just semester in Spain and I got really sick. It could have been a
hangover, I don't know but don't put that part in haha. I got very sick and I had hives and I, you know,
was having allergic reaction and the family I'm living with called the, I guess they have house calls in
Spain and you know, assessing me any medications, putting injections in me, and I'm like what the hell is
going on? I didn't understand so because I didn't speak Spanish very well, yeah. Anyway, and ask. And
from that experience I said when I left Spain, I want to go into health care and I want. To learn Spanish
so nobody ever has to feel that way.

20. 00:02:21 Makayla

Oh, that's cool.

21. 00:02:22 Collette Tetreault

Primary motivator to go into nursing.

22. 00:02:25 Makayla

Yeah, that's cool.

23. 00:02:27 Makayla

Which high school courses do you think helped you prepare for this career, if any?

24. 00:02:34 Collette Tetreault

Definitely just the high school science is like, you know, biology. I had bio one and bio 2. And chem

And they were, yeah, the BIOS.

25. 00:02:47 Makayla

Yeah, which postsecondary training or what postsecondary training did you need to qualify for this
position?
 26. 00:02:57 Collette Tetreault

So you have to get your four year nursing degree. You have to get a bachelors in nursing and then you
have to get a Masters as a nurse midwife. So which is another two year degree.

27. 00:03:09 Makayla

Gotcha, did you have any professional experiences unrelated to this career that allowed you to just do
really well with your current position?

28. 00:03:20 Collette Tetreault

Any other professional or unprofessional?

29. 00:03:25 Makayla

Professional

30. 00:03:30 Collette Tetreault

You know what I would say that was perfect that could prepare me for this position. Professionally, I was
when I was first a nurse. I worked in the operating room for four years, so part of what we do, you
know, as a nurse midwife is assistant sections you, so you you know.

31. 00:03:49 Makayla

Yeah.

32. 00:03:54 Collette Tetreault

So I had a lot of experience in that respect.

33. 00:03:56 Collette Tetreault

Like in the operating room and with repairs and sutures.

34. 00:04:03 Makayla

That's cool and let's see, What new skills have you developed as a professional since taking this role?

35. 00:04:14 Collette Tetreault

What new skills? I'm still developing skills 20 years later. New skills, I think your assessment skills of you
know the situation are always developing and growing and that's kind of. The cool part is the research
and the knowledge base is always changing, you know new studies.

36. 00:04:40 Makayla

Which sort of which certifications or accomplishments are required to help you or could set you apart in
this role?

37. 00:04:49 Collette Tetreault

To help you.
 38. 00:04:50 Makayla

Yeah.

39. 00:04:52 Collette Tetreault

I mean, you just have to have your basic degree is your four year and then your two year and then.

40. 00:04:59 Makayla

Are there any like extra certifications like in this kind of field or is that just?

41. 00:05:05 Collette Tetreault

I mean, you keep your you always. There's a lot of continuing education. You're pretty much always in
school.

42. 00:05:11 Makayla

Gotcha.

43. 00:05:12 Collette Tetreault

Certification to keep yourself licensed you have to do a certain amount of continuing education hours
every single year. A lot of articles and usually you know minus the pandemic, we go to a week of some
sort of continuing education learning, which I can't wait to get that money.

44. 00:05:33 Collette Tetreault

Back to that.

45. 00:05:44 Makayla

Uhm, can you tell me what it's like to work for your company or whoever you're under?

46. 00:05:51 Collette Tetreault

I have been with WellStar for the better part. Uhm, and you know it's a really good company, because
actually we've been WellStar, which we've developed a new umbrella name is all APS advanced practice
professionals, so whether you are a advanced practice nurse in the ICU or whether you are, you know a
family nurse practitioner or midwife are all APS, so WellStar has really, really really supported us in that
mission.

47. 00:06:34 Collette Tetreault

Now, which we're still helping now.

48. 00:06:36 Makayla

Cool.

49. 00:06:38 Makayla

What kind of decisions do you make in your role?

 50. 00:06:43 Collette Tetreault

Do I make in my role? So, you know, my primary job is to promote Wellness with women. Lot of birth
control counseling, a lot of STD counseling and treatment and then just the whole guiding a woman
through her pregnancy delivery in her recovery.

51. 00:07:08 Makayla

And then what's your favorite thing about your job?

52. 00:07:12 Collette Tetreault

My favorite thing, I guess I really like that the personal people interaction that you're part of a pivotal
part of somebody's life, yeah.

53. 00:07:23 Makayla

Yeah, what's your least favorite thing about your job?

54. 00:07:29 Collette Tetreault

My least favorite thing is babies who want to come between 4:00 AM and 6:00 AM, It is rude time to
have a baby.

55. 00:08:02 Makayla

So what are your hours in a day, and week?

56. 00:08:06 Collette Tetreault

So my hours, the way I want because I do the schedule, but we're busy practice, so we run a 24 hour
call. They're in the hospital. Then you do two to three days in the office. So it's usually, So the hour's you
know, It can be different for every practice but babies come at all times, yeah? So, but the way my
practice works, it's really, really family friendly really, definitely able to keep a work life balance.

57. 00:08:46 Makayla

Uhm, well that's kind of next question. So are you able to establish a work life balance?

58. 00:08:52 Collette Tetreault

Yeah, under the way wellstar does it, the way I arrange the schedule. That is my my primary motivator
because you know you spend a lot of time at your job being.

59. 00:09:09 Makayla

Can you tell me about the most difficult or frequent challenges that you face?

60. 00:09:17 Collette Tetreault

Well, that's probably when babies die. Uhm, that you know you have to be able to help people through
that moment too and grieve with them. And you know 'cause that happens.

61. 00:09:35 Makayla

Yeah.

62. 00:09:38 Makayla

Can you tell me about what a typical day in your job looks like?

63. 00:09:45 Collette Tetreault

If I'm in the hospital is rounding on women who've had their babies see how they're doing with their c-
section or you know, the pain after they having a baby. And then usually well, I'll deliver between. Three,
and sometimes like 10 babies in my 24 hours assisting on some C sections. Triage in people, whether
they're you know in labor or not in labor.

64. 00:10:19 Collette Tetreault

What else?

65. 00:10:22 Collette Tetreault

In the office, it's just prenatal visits, annual visits, vaginal discharge. Women don't like that. And yeah,
STD counseling and contraception counseling.

66. 00:10:42 Makayla

So we've already done A little bit of research on like entry level salaries and stuff, but is there anything
you could tell me about like benefit plans like health care, retirement, vacation time?

67. 00:10:55 Collette Tetreault

I yeah, I don't even know what entry level I really should know since we're actually hiring a new midwife
in. God, when did she start in like a month? So entry level salaries for midwives? I think right now about
90 K so.

68. 00:11:15 Collette Tetreault

On your own practice. You know they can make you know if you wanna if you wanna do that. Know your
practice like yeah 5300. But most people sit between 100 and 150 a salary. If you work for a big
company you get education. You get. You start off with.

69. 00:11:38 Collette Tetreault

Three weeks vacation obviously accrues as you work. The more you work, the more vacation time you
get. Full health care coverage is so expensive with wellstar not going to lie. But yeah, and well, the
retired our pensions gone, but you have a matching what's called a 403B, so you put certain amount
they match a certain amount for saving for retirement. So it's a it's Yeah, it's a solid company.

70. 00:12:12 Makayla

Nice.

71. OFF TOPIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

72. 00:12:14 Makayla
So what are your greatest rewards in your experience?

73. 00:12:18 Collette Tetreault

Yeah, she works well with Wellstar too, right?

74. 00:12:19 Makayla

Yeah yeah she does like I kind of know kind about it.

75. 00:12:24 Collette Tetreault

Yeah, you know she works at the same hospital as me.

76. 00:12:28 Makayla

Oh nice, I did my Valentin like in the mother baby like in Nicchio.

77. 00:12:34 Makayla

The past few years.

78. 00:12:35 Collette Tetreault

Oh you I was.

79. 00:12:36 Collette Tetreault

I'm wondering if they were going to.

80. 00:12:37 Collette Tetreault

Do that summer program to that one.

81. 00:12:40 Makayla

I think they're still waiting for this summer, but last summer was cancelled, but.

82. 00:12:45 Collette Tetreault

Been taking applications for this summer.

83. 00:12:47 Collette Tetreault

Do you know?

84. 00:12:48 Makayla

I think so.

85. 00:12:49 Makayla

I think they are.

86. 00:12:52 Makayla

Yeah, I was supposed to be labor delivery last year last summer, but then they cancelled that, so
hopefully I'll be labor delivery this summer, but.

87. 00:12:59 Collette Tetreault

Yeah, yeah freaking Corona.

88. 00:13:01 Makayla

I know, but Mother baby in the queue is so cool and there it is so fun.

89. 00:13:06 Makayla

I love that whole part of the hospital so.

90. 00:13:10 Makayla

Up next thing.

91. 00:13:11 Makayla

OK, So what are your like greatest rewards that you've experienced?

92. 00:13:17 Collette Tetreault

It rewards just positive outcomes. Women who have better you know control over their bodies over
their birth control over there. Labor over their pain control over their family planning. That's you know
my goal honestly, I you know, delivering babies safely is one part of it is. But to have wanted babies,
right?

93. 00:13:45 Makayla

Yeah, definitely.

94. 00:13:46 Collette Tetreault

Like mission in life.

95. 00:13:48 Makayla

Yeah, I'm what surprised you the most about your career.

96. 00:13:54 Collette Tetreault

What surprised me the most about my career was At least in the Northeast, there's a lot of resistance to
midwives. So it's part of the reason I moved down here.

97. 00:14:19 Makayla

I guess the same, but what do you wish you had known before you started this job?

98. 00:14:28 Collette Tetreault

What do I wish I have known?

 99. 00:14:31 Collette Tetreault

Uhm?

100. 00:14:34 Collette Tetreault

It was, it was hard to find the right place. It was right hard to find the right place that supported. This
work, life balance and. In our profession and we have just a great collaborative practice I can't
remember, I think I can't remember if your mom delivered with our practice with did she have kids at
Cobb?

101. 00:14:56 Makayla

I think she did Kennestone.

102. 00:15:01 Collette Tetreault

OK, but yeah finding a place.

103. 00:15:07 Collette Tetreault

Finding an office, a practice that supports a collaborative practice. Uhm, was a little harder than I
thought.

104. 00:15:15 Makayla

Yeah, that is true.

105. 00:15:16 Collette Tetreault

Honestly and Women still have a long way to go in this so.

106. 00:15:23 Makayla

Uhm, what advice would you give to someone considering this career?

107. 00:15:33 Collette Tetreault

Spanish is super helpful. So if you you know as it will, it will up your application right to the top. So if you
ever have an opportunity to go and do like a study abroad or a summer abroad, it'll expand you and you
know put you in an uncomfortable place 'cause it's uncomfortable a lot we do, but also opens opens
doors.

108. 00:15:58 Makayla

Yeah, I bet.

109. 00:16:03 Makayla

Do you feel appreciated at work?

110. 00:16:06 Makayla

Yes, and do you feel that you are paid what you're worth?
 111. 00:16:06 Collette Tetreault

Yes.

112. 00:16:12 Makayla

And how is covid affected your job this year?

113. 00:16:17 Collette Tetreault

Oh my gosh well. It is vastly increased the number of babies.

114. 00:16:28 Makayla

Huh, really?

115. 00:16:30 Collette Tetreault

Not everybody is 6 feet apart.

116. 00:16:32 Makayla

Yeah, everyone's locked in quarentine.

117. 00:16:42 Collette Tetreault

Yeah, honestly, on my end it's just increased my workload dramatically.

118. 00:16:45 Makayla

Yeah, that's funny.

119. 00:16:54 Collette Tetreault

Real and right now we're like in the midst of it because it's been about a year now.

120. 00:17:11 Makayla

Would you rather your patience to have like a big group of people with them or just one person like
besides Covid, did you like a big support group or a small?

121. 00:17:20 Collette Tetreault

Actually, I really like one or two people.

122. 00:17:22 Makayla

Yeah.

123. 00:17:23 Collette Tetreault

I think after that it becomes Less focused on the the mission at hand, 'cause it still it Things can go And a
lot of people. I always kind of like I kind of like the limit and I think it creates a safer environment
focused on what needs to get done.

124. 00:17:50 Makayla

Well that was it, so we're good.