Midwife
Further Information

What is the work like?
Midwives care for and support pregnant women, their partners and new babies, before, during and after the birth.
Some midwives give pre-conception advice so they may meet their patient before she is pregnant. However, midwives usually meet the mother after pregnancy has been confirmed.
The job of a midwife includes:

• monitoring the health of the mother and baby with physical examinations and using equipment such as ultrasound scanners
• counselling the mother on health issues such as healthy eating or giving up smoking
• explaining the mother's options, for instance on natural childbirth, pain-controlling drugs, hospital or home delivery
• reassuring parents and answering their questions
• running antenatal classes, explaining to parents what happens during a birth and teaching pain-control techniques
• running parenting classes, teaching the essential skills needed to care for young children
• looking after the mother and baby during labour and birth
• calling in extra help - on the rare occasions when something goes wrong
• looking after the mother and baby for one month after the birth
• giving advice on breast feeding.

Starting salaries are around £17,105 a year.

Hours and environment

Midwives in the NHS work a 37.5-hour week. As babies can be born at any time on any day, many midwives work shifts or on-call rotas to give 24-hour cover. They may work evenings, nights, weekends and bank holidays. Flexible and part-time working hours are likely to be available.
It is possible to take career breaks, and most NHS trusts provide free courses to help nurses return after a break.
Midwives work in hospital maternity units or GP surgeries, health centres, clinics, and in patients' homes. Most babies are born in hospital, but some are born at home.
In some NHS jobs, midwives split their time between working in the community and working in hospitals. Community midwives usually need a driving licence.

Salary and other benefits

These figures are only a guide - actual rates of pay may vary.

• NHS midwives start on £17,105 a year.
• Senior midwives can earn around £30,000.
• Midwife consultants can earn up to £46,675.

NHS midwives working in inner London are paid more. Elsewhere in the South East they are paid additional allowances.

Skills and personal qualities

Midwives need:

• to get on well with people from different backgrounds
• to be able to build up trust with women and their families and help mothers to feel confident and in control
• good communication skills
• to be able to explain things to people who have no medical knowledge
• to stay calm and alert at stressful times
• to enjoy working in a team
• to be able to make decisions and work on their own initiative
• physical and mental stamina
• a methodical approach and attention to detail
• maturity, compassion and sensitivity
• to be observant
• to enjoy practical work
• to be patient and diplomatic
• to respect the mother's wishes about how and where to have her baby unless it is dangerous to do so
• to know when to call in extra help
• to be flexible and adaptable
• time-management skills
• familiarity with IT.

Interests

It helps to be interested in:

• helping people
• how the body works
• science.

Getting in

The NHS is the largest employer of midwives, but there are a few opportunities in private hospitals and clinics and in the armed forces. There are some opportunities to be self-employed.
There are opportunities to work overseas, but in some countries a midwife must also be a qualified registered nurse. Many developing countries need midwives, especially those who can pass on their skills to local nurses.

Entry for young people

There are three ways to qualify as a midwife:

• a diploma in midwifery
• a degree in midwifery
• first qualify and gain experience as a nurse and take a shortened course of at least 18 months.

The minimum age to start training is 17.5 years (17 in Scotland). Candidates must pass a medical.

• For diploma courses applicants need at least five GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3), including English in Scotland. Alternative qualifications include NVQ/SVQ Level 3, an AVCE/GSVQ Level III, BTEC national award/SQA modules. Universities and colleges often ask for higher qualifications, including A levels/H grades, and may specify subjects such as English or science. Candidates apply once they have their exam results.
• For degree courses applicants need at least two A levels/three H grades plus some GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3), or alternative qualifications. Subjects such as science, social science, English and maths may be required.

Entry for adults

There is no maximum age to begin training and maturity is an asset. Many trainee midwives are already qualified, experienced registered nurses.
Some nursing colleges accept kitemarked Access to Higher Education or Access to Nursing courses.

Training

Diploma courses last three years and lead to a DipHE in Midwifery. Degree courses last three or four years.
Trainees study subjects such as:

• midwifery practice
• care of newborn babies
• management of labour
• communication skills
• health education
• health promotion.

They spend half of their time gaining practical experience in hospitals and the community under the supervision of an experienced midwife.
When they finish their course, midwives must register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council so they are eligible to practise.
Continuous professional development is an essential part of the job and there are many opportunities for further training in areas like family planning, teaching and research.

Getting on

Midwives have good prospects and can move up the career structure as they gain more experience and qualifications. They may also train other midwives.
There are new midwife consultant posts at the top of the profession. They spend half of their time working with patients and the rest concentrating on research, evaluation and contributing to training and development.

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Social Worker: Field

Further information

Health Professions Wales, 2nd Floor, Golate House, 101 St Mary Street, Cardiff CF1 1DX. 029 2026 1400. Website: www.wnb.org.uk
NHS Careers, PO Box 376, Bristol BS99 3EY. 0845 6060 655.
Website: www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
NHS Education for Scotland, 2nd Floor, Hanover Buildings, 66 Rose Street, Edinburgh EH2 2NN. 0131 225 4365. Website: www.nes.scot.nhs.uk
Nursing and Midwifery Council, 23 Portland Place, London W1B 1PZ. 020 7637 7181. Website: www.nmc-uk.org
Degree courses: UCAS, Rosehill, New Barn Lane, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL52 3LZ. 01242 227788. Website: www.ucas.com
Diploma courses in England: Nursing and Midwifery Admissions Service, Rosehill, New Barn Lane, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL52 3LZ. 01242 544949.
Website: www.nmas.ac.uk
Diploma courses in Scotland: NBS CATCH (Centralised Applications to Nursing and Midwifery Training Clearing House), PO Box 21, Edinburgh EH2 1NT. 0131 247 6622.

Further reading

Leaflets and booklets from the organisations listed
Look Ahead: a Guide to Working in Health Care - Heinemann Library
Occupations - Connexions
Working in healthcare - Connexions