Midwife
Midwives provide advice, care and support for women, their partners and families before, during and after childbirth. They help women make their own decisions about the care and services they access. They care for newborn children, providing health education and parenting support for the first 28 days, after which care transfers to a health visitor.
Midwives are personally responsible for the health of both mother and child and only refer to obstetricians if there are medical complications. They work in multidisciplinary teams in both hospital and, increasingly, community healthcare settings.
A midwife has a range of responsibilities, including the care of mother and baby, adhering to hospital policy and maintaining an awareness of issues such as health and safety. Typical work activities include:
Salary data from NHS Careers. Figures are intended as a guide only.
A degree in midwifery is essential for entry. The three or four-year degree programme is open to graduates and diplomates from all degree and HND courses, but life sciences may be preferred. Registered nurses can do a 12-18 month shortened course. There are no shortened graduate courses in midwifery for graduates in other disciplines.
Entry to midwifery training without a degree or HND is also possible. Applicants must have a minimum of five GCSEs (or equivalent) and at least two A-levels (or equivalent) for degree programmes. Check individual entry requirements with course providers. The Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) sets minimum requirements in literacy and numeracy. Course entry is also possible through recognised access programmes or (in England) foundation degrees in healthcare or related subjects
Applications for degrees and diplomas in England and Scotland are made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) . Information on degrees in Wales is available from the National Leadership and Innovation Agency for Healthcare (Wales) and applications should be made through UCAS. Details for individual institutions in Northern Ireland are available from the Northern Ireland Practice & Education Council for Nursing & Midwifery and applications are made directly to the institution.
Acceptance on a course will be subject to satisfactory health clearance and criminal records bureau (CRB) checks. Some medical conditions may exclude entry. If you are a student with special needs you will be asked to identify any additional requirements related to your disability.
Pre-entry experience in a caring role within health and social care is a distinct advantage. Many midwives with previous nursing experience believe that it came in useful when they started midwifery training. Useful voluntary experience for direct entrants might include supporting teenage parents, working with breastfeeding groups or charities dealing with issues like birth defects, bereavement or miscarriage.
You will need to show evidence of the following:
Courses cover applied psychology and sociology as well as biological sciences and professional practice. Most modules are continually assessed.
All midwifery students funded by The National Health Service (NHS) have their contribution to tuition fees paid in full by the NHS. Student midwives on diploma courses are eligible for a non-means-tested bursary. Students on degree courses receive a means-tested bursary and are eligible for student loans. If you attend a course in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, broadly comparable arrangements will apply, but you will need to consult the relevant national authorities for details. Non-European Union nationals may not be eligible for funding and may need a student visa to study. Course providers can also provide further information on finance. For study in England you can find detailed information, including eligibility criteria, from the NHS Student Bursaries .
Gaining a place on a direct entry course to midwifery is highly competitive, so you should aim to apply early.
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
A midwife must be registered with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) in order to practice. Newly qualified midwives are often given a formal period of support under the guidance of a preceptor (an experienced professional colleague) who can offer support and guidance in the first few months of professional practice. They also have to present a practice portfolio annually to a supervisor of midwives to demonstrate their professional competence. The health sector generally has a commitment to continuing professional development and The National Health Service (NHS) provides access to post-registration training needs identified through the NHS Career Framework .
Post-registration education and practice (PREP) is a set of standards that you are expected to meet to demonstrate that you are developing knowledge and competence and keeping up to date in your practice.
They include a minimum of 35 hours' study activity every three years and the maintenance of a professional profile detailing professional development. You will be expected to meet them in order to renew your NMC registration every three years. More information on the specific requirements is published in the NMC's The PREP Handbook .
There are opportunities to extend your role by taking specialist courses in areas such as enhanced midwifery practice, family planning, teaching in clinical practice, and research.There are also opportunities for further study at degree, Masters and PhD level.
Midwives are able to work in a number of different healthcare settings to develop experience and knowledge, which can lead to a range of career paths. You could become a clinical specialist in an area such as home birthing, breast feeding advice, labour ward supervision or ante-natal screening. You might become a consultant midwife, dividing your time between midwifery practice, training and leading improvements in practice.
Higher management opportunities exist as a head of midwifery services or a supervisor of midwives with the local supervising authority. You could also choose to go into teaching or research within a healthcare setting or a university. There are also specialist roles in areas such as public health, parenting education, intensive care neonatal units, ultrasound and foetal medicine.
You can find opportunities for travel with job opportunities in both the EU and overseas, as well as working abroad for organisations such as Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) . In some countries, however, midwives must also hold registered nurse status in order to practise, so you should check this before applying.
The vast majority of midwives in England are employed by The National Health Service (NHS) , Hospitals and Acute Trusts, Foundation Trusts, or through Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) working in GP practices or in the community. The structure of the NHS is somewhat different in other parts of the UK.
Other types of employers include:
Currently there is a shortage of midwives in England and a report from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) states that 4,700 more midwives are required. Areas that are particularly badly affected are the South East, the east coast and East Midlands. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland do not have shortages at the moment (The Daily Telegraph , September 2011).
Some midwives are self-employed. University hospitals also employ midwives in joint partnerships between the trust and the university to work in lecturer-practitioner positions, or to conduct research.
Many recruitment agencies regularly handle vacancies. See Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) for details.
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