How to become a Midwife

Midwives provide care, education, advice and support to women and their families during pregnancy, labour and birth, and provide postnatal care to women and babies in the early weeks following birth.

Personal requirements for a Midwife

Good communication skills
Able to assume responsibility and take leadership
Able to take initiative in emergencies
Able to work under pressure
Tolerant and patient when dealing with people from a wide range of backgrounds
Able to work as part of a team
Able to cope with the physical and psychological demands of the job

Education & Training for a Midwife

To become a midwife you usually have to study midwifery at university. Alternatively, you can undertake a postgraduate qualification in midwifery if you have completed a degree in registered nursing.To get into the degree courses you usually need to gain your Senior Secondary Certificate of Education. Prerequisite subjects, or assumed knowledge, in one or more of English, mathematics, biology and chemistry are normally required. Entry to postgraduate courses usually requires completion of an appropriate bachelor degree and registration as a nurse. Universities have different prerequisites and some have flexible entry requirements or offer external study. Contact the institutions you are interested in for more information.

Additional information

Before undertaking clinical placements required by courses, students will need to obtain a National Police Certificate, a Provide First Aid Certificate and immunisations, and undergo a Working with Children Check. Contact the institutions you are interested in for more information.It is a legal requirement for graduates to be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia before practising as a midwife in any state or territory in Australia. For full details, visit the board's website.

Duties & Tasks of a Midwife

Midwives:

Provide clinical midwifery care and support for women, their babies and their families
Detect any complications that may develop for a mother or her baby
Arrange appropriate consultations and referrals, and implement emergency measures when necessary
Work as a part of a multidisciplinary team, liaising with other healthcare professionals to provide the best care for childbearing women, their babies and families
Observe, monitor, assess, report and document care provided to women and their babies, as well as their responses to treatment
Administer medication to women and their babies as required
Prepare women for operative birth and provide post-operative care
Provide education and advice about health matters for women, their families and the wider community
Answer questions and provide information to women and their families about treatment and care
Contribute to the clinical training of midwifery, medical and other students
Directly supervise other health professionals who may be involved in the care of women and their babies as required.

Tasks

Assessing progress and recognising warning signs of abnormal and potentially abnormal pregnancies requiring referral to an Obstetrician
Providing advice on nutrition, childcare and family planning
Conducting health education classes and seminars to promote the health of mothers and babies such as reproductive health, antenatal education, preparation for parenthood and breastfeeding
Providing advice and support during pre-conception, intrapartum, antenatal and postnatal periods in partnership with women
Providing care and management of pregnancy and birth
Monitoring the condition of women and foetuses during pregnancy and throughout labour

Working conditions for a Midwife

Midwives usually work to a rotating seven-day roster that includes morning, afternoon and night shifts, as well as weekends and public holidays. Alternatively, they may work in more flexible models of care that allow them to structure their working hours around the needs of the women for whom they care. They are often required to work on call.

Employment Opportunities for a Midwife

Midwives may work in public and private hospitals, community and home-based services, community health centres and development programs, women's shelters, women's prisons, the armed forces, refugee centres and fertility clinics. Midwives may be required, or have the opportunity, to work in rural and remote areas. They may also work in private practice by themselves, with other midwives or with a doctor.Midwives are also employed in international aid agencies and the Royal Flying Doctor Service. An increasing number of midwives are self-employed as consultants and educators.Midwifery is a growing professional area and there are varied opportunities for midwives to work in clinical settings, as well as within education and research. With experience, and sometimes further training, midwives may take on supervisory or management positions.

Specializations

Midwifery Educator

A midwifery educator supports and teaches midwifery students; assists with the development, design, implementation and evaluation of midwifery education and professional development programmes; and manages educational resources.

Midwife

Midwives provide care, education, advice and support to women and their families during pregnancy, labour and birth, and provide postnatal care to women and babies in the early weeks following birth.

Average age
38
Future Growth
Decline
Gender Share
99% female
Average full-time
41 hours
Weekly Pay
$2,387
Skill level rating
Very high skill
Unemployment
Lower unemployment
Full-Time Share
41%
Employment Size
19,100
Employment by state
ACT: 1.9%
NSW: 27.7%
NT: 1.5%
QLD: 20.1%
SA: 8.7%
TAS: 2.3%
VIC: 26.0%
WA: 11.8%
Age brackets
15-19: 0%
20-24: 4.2%
25-34: 22.7%
35-44: 20.8%
45-54: 25.6%
55-59: 14.7%
60-64: 8.9%
65 and Over: 3.1%
Education level
Advanced Diploma/Diploma: 5.8%
Bachelor degree: 65%
Below Year 10: 0%
Certificate III/IV: 0.2%
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate: 27.4%
Year 10 and below: 0.1%
Year 11: 0.1%
Year 12: 1.4%
Years 11 & 10: 0%