midwife job description

Typical roles of a midwife include: supervising and providing care during pregnancy: as a midwife, you advise women on pregnancy dos and don'ts. You offer nutritional advice and solutions for managing emotional and physical changes like morning sickness. For instance, you recommend vitamins to help sustain pregnancy and maternal health and educate women on medications to avoid. You also suggest antenatal exercises to ensure the mother is ready for birth. providing antenatal care: as a midwife, you are responsible for antenatal care. That means performing screen tests at the hospital or mining community health centre. You also do the bloodwork and check vital signs to ensure the pressure is normal, and the patient doesn't have other health conditions. After the screening, you discuss the results with patients and recommend ways to improve pregnancy health. conducting deliveries: a midwife delivers babies at patients' homes or a healthcare facility. It is crucial to be familiar with water births and be able to identify high-risk pregnancies. While you cannot perform a caesarean, you can recommend obstetricians or other medical specialists to assist with high-risk pregnancies. Even when you don't assist in delivery, you are there to offer support and help with neonatal care. providing counselling and support: as a midwife, you support your patient throughout the pregnancy. That means you educate them on their expectations. If they have a miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal health condition, you provide support and advice. educating women on parenthood: as a midwife, you participate in community programmes that educate women about managing parenting. You also advise women on contraception and nutrition.

As a midwife, you work in hospitals and community health centres. Usually, you work indoors in the maternity units of large hospitals or general practices in the community. You also conduct home visits and assist with home deliveries. Your work setting is mentally and emotionally demanding. It also involves a lot of travelling to people's homes to attend births or assist women with complications. When working in hospitals, you wear uniforms like other nurses and protective equipment to minimise infections.

who are your colleagues?

Depending on your employer and the industry you work in, your colleagues might include clinical nurses, radiographers , gynaecologists and paediatricians. You might also be working in close proximity to general nurses , paediatric nurses and nurse unit managers, as well as other specialists that could include, but not be limited to, doctors, pharmacists , laboratory technicians and nurse coordinators.

The working hours of a midwife include unsocial hours and overtime work. Full-time midwives typically work 37 hours a week providing care to pregnant women in hospitals. You are likely to work 8 to 12-hour shifts, including day, night and weekend shifts. Sometimes, you work during bank holidays. As a community midwife, your work hours are quite flexible depending on your patients. However, you are on-call 24 hours a day in case of complications. Sometimes, you visit your patients at night to help them deliver. Part-time opportunities are available when you work for private hospitals, and you can take a career break whenever you want.

You start as a trainee or junior midwife and improve your skills until you attain a senior midwife position. When you have extensive experience, you become a team leader, head nurse or ward manager. With enough training, you can also become a director of midwifery. Alternatively, specialise in specific midwifery duties like becoming an ultrasound or antenatal specialist. Some midwives become postnatal or breastfeeding experts, while others become neonatal paediatricians. It is also possible to become a lecturer or a consultant midwife.

advantages of finding a midwife job through randstad

Finding your midwife job through Randstad provides important advantages such as: a wide variety of training and development opportunities an experienced contact person to provide help if needed a range of opportunities in your area get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job temporary and permanent contracts Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a midwife is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too.

what makes a good midwife?

As a midwife, you are the main point of contact for pregnant women. Hence, being trustworthy, personable and well-informed is crucial. When you are approachable, women feel able to discuss their concerns during pregnancy. Good listening skills also make you a great midwife since you will provide the best care for patients.

is midwifery a good career?

Midwifery is an exciting career in Australia with exceptional opportunities in the public and private sectors. You also have great opportunities for career growth and specialisation. For example, midwives can improve their skills to become nursing managers or gynaecologists.

what qualifications do you require to be a midwife?

Complete a bachelor's degree in midwifery to become a midwife. A postgraduate qualification like a graduate diploma is a great way to join the role if you are registered. It is highly recommended to register with the NMBA to practise.

do you need to be a nurse to be a midwife?

You don't require a nursing qualification or to become a registered nurse to work as a midwife in Australia. You can practise nursing if you complete a bachelor's degree in midwifery and register with the nursing and midwifery board.

what hours do midwives work in Australia?

Midwives work up to 37 hours weekly. However, in a full-time position, you are likely to work 8 to 12-hour shifts assisting nurses at the hospital. Midwives working part-time roles often work less than 8 hours a day, covering shifts for other nurses.

how do I apply for a midwife vacancy?

Applying for a midwife job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here .

midwife

what is a midwife?

As a midwife, you are responsible for caring for women and babies during pregnancy, birth and post-delivery. Your job is to provide high-quality and culturally sensitive care to women and families. Midwives provide various services, including gynaecological examinations, prescriptions and labour and delivery support.

The services of a midwife depend on the certification and licences they have. Some have licences and certifications to provide additional healthcare services to women, from preconception care to newborn care. Others provide postpartum care for women suffering from postnatal health issues.

As a midwife, you provide reproductive information to women and families. When a woman conceives, you guide them throughout the pregnancy by providing prenatal advice about nutrition, exercise and pregnancy health.

Your primary role is to ensure a comfortable pregnancy and a safe delivery. Your exercises and nutrition advice reduce the risk of caesarean and minimise the need for labour induction. You help ensure the baby develops well in the womb and is ready for birth at the end of the pregnancy.

The role requires comprehensive training on pregnancy and birth. Midwives assist women with miscarriages and preterm birth problems by monitoring their pregnancy health and making recommendations. After birth, you are involved with neonatal care to minimise the chances of mortality by ensuring a positive start to breastfeeding.

midwife careers

1

average midwife salary

A midwife's salary in Australia ranges from $80,000 to $95,000 annually. The remuneration package fluctuates based on the responsibilities you handle and your expertise. You are likely to handle fewer responsibilities when you are new in the role due to your minimal experience. That's why entry-level midwives take home a remuneration package of $80,000 annually. At the same time, experienced workers have better salaries since they have additional duties.

Aside from your experience and expertise, your level of education also influences your earnings. You earn less than midwives with additional qualifications when you have minimal qualifications. Where you work also determines your salary. For instance, public hospitals and community health centres will likely pay less than private hospitals and specialist practices. More prominent hospitals can afford to pay higher salaries due to the unlimited resources available. Some states and territories have better remuneration due to the demand for midwives in the area. Metro areas typically pay more than small cities due to the high cost of living and demand for midwives.

Want to know what you will earn as a midwife? Check out what you are worth with our salary checker.

midwife careers

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types of midwives

Some of the types of midwives include:

antenatal midwives: your job is to support women throughout pregnancy. You perform ultrasound and antenatal screening and prescribe medication. You also monitor pregnancy health and prepare women for birth with exercises and nutrition advice. Sometimes, your job involves birthing or assisting women in low-risk delivery at home or in the hospital.
postnatal midwives: as a midwife, you care for the mother and newborn after birth by ensuring the baby adapts to breast milk and grows steadily. If a woman has trouble breastfeeding, you help her find solutions and improve milk production. You also offer advice on contraception and fertility issues.

3

working as a midwife

As a midwife, you support women and their families during pregnancy and provide postnatal care. Read on to discover the role's daily duties, work environments and career outlook.

midwife job description
Typical roles of a midwife include:
- supervising and providing care during pregnancy: as a midwife, you advise women on pregnancy dos and don'ts. You offer nutritional advice and solutions for managing emotional and physical changes like morning sickness. For instance, you recommend vitamins to help sustain pregnancy and maternal health and educate women on medications to avoid. You also suggest antenatal exercises to ensure the mother is ready for birth.
- providing antenatal care: as a midwife, you are responsible for antenatal care. That means performing screen tests at the hospital or mining community health centre. You also do the bloodwork and check vital signs to ensure the pressure is normal, and the patient doesn't have other health conditions. After the screening, you discuss the results with patients and recommend ways to improve pregnancy health.
- conducting deliveries: a midwife delivers babies at patients' homes or a healthcare facility. It is crucial to be familiar with water births and be able to identify high-risk pregnancies. While you cannot perform a caesarean, you can recommend obstetricians or other medical specialists to assist with high-risk pregnancies. Even when you don't assist in delivery, you are there to offer support and help with neonatal care.
- providing counselling and support: as a midwife, you support your patient throughout the pregnancy. That means you educate them on their expectations. If they have a miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal health condition, you provide support and advice.
- educating women on parenthood: as a midwife, you participate in community programmes that educate women about managing parenting. You also advise women on contraception and nutrition.
work environment

As a midwife, you work in hospitals and community health centres. Usually, you work indoors in the maternity units of large hospitals or general practices in the community. You also conduct home visits and assist with home deliveries. Your work setting is mentally and emotionally demanding. It also involves a lot of travelling to people's homes to attend births or assist women with complications. When working in hospitals, you wear uniforms like other nurses and protective equipment to minimise infections.
who are your colleagues?

Depending on your employer and the industry you work in, your colleagues might include clinical nurses, radiographers, gynaecologists and paediatricians. You might also be working in close proximity to general nurses, paediatric nurses and nurse unit managers, as well as other specialists that could include, but not be limited to, doctors, pharmacists, laboratory technicians and nurse coordinators.
work schedule

The working hours of a midwife include unsocial hours and overtime work. Full-time midwives typically work 37 hours a week providing care to pregnant women in hospitals. You are likely to work 8 to 12-hour shifts, including day, night and weekend shifts. Sometimes, you work during bank holidays.

As a community midwife, your work hours are quite flexible depending on your patients. However, you are on-call 24 hours a day in case of complications. Sometimes, you visit your patients at night to help them deliver. Part-time opportunities are available when you work for private hospitals, and you can take a career break whenever you want.
job outlook

You start as a trainee or junior midwife and improve your skills until you attain a senior midwife position. When you have extensive experience, you become a team leader, head nurse or ward manager. With enough training, you can also become a director of midwifery.

Alternatively, specialise in specific midwifery duties like becoming an ultrasound or antenatal specialist. Some midwives become postnatal or breastfeeding experts, while others become neonatal paediatricians. It is also possible to become a lecturer or a consultant midwife.
advantages of finding a midwife job through randstad
Finding your midwife job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a midwife is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too.

4

education and skills

If you want to work as a midwife in Australia, you require the following educational qualifications:

bachelor's degree: start by completing a bachelor's degree in midwifery, which takes three years of full-time study. The degree course should be accredited by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC). If you are already a registered nurse, get a graduate diploma or master of midwifery that takes up to 18 months to complete.
register with the nursing board: before you practice as a midwife in Australia, register with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). The registration requires annual renewal with compulsory continuing professional development. Aside from having a licence to practice, ensure you have up-to-date immunisations and the relevant checks for working with children.

midwife skills and competencies

To work as a midwife, you require the following skills and qualities:

compassion: as a midwife, you work with women in vulnerable conditions, and your ability to demonstrate compassion and empathy for patients is crucial. When your patients are in pain, you comfort and console them. Your compassion also helps you guide and support new mothers.
ability to remain calm: as a midwife, you provide antenatal and postnatal care to women. That means you often handle stressful situations. Being calm helps you deal with high-pressure situations. Your ability to handle stress makes you reliable in your role.
decisiveness: Pregnancy can be confusing, especially for first-time mothers, and they look to the midwife for guidance. When a patient is unsure of the path to take, it is important to be decisive and choose the best care for them. Your decision-making skills go hand-in-hand with problem-solving skills. Thinking on your feet during stressful situations helps you solve problems that arise.
listening skills: as a midwife, you guide pregnant women to make decisions involving their pregnancy. Your listening skills help you understand the specific needs of every patient.

5

FAQs about working as a midwife

Here, you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the profession of a midwife.

what makes a good midwife?

As a midwife, you are the main point of contact for pregnant women. Hence, being trustworthy, personable and well-informed is crucial. When you are approachable, women feel able to discuss their concerns during pregnancy. Good listening skills also make you a great midwife since you will provide the best care for patients.
is midwifery a good career?

Midwifery is an exciting career in Australia with exceptional opportunities in the public and private sectors. You also have great opportunities for career growth and specialisation. For example, midwives can improve their skills to become nursing managers or gynaecologists.
what qualifications do you require to be a midwife?

Complete a bachelor's degree in midwifery to become a midwife. A postgraduate qualification like a graduate diploma is a great way to join the role if you are registered. It is highly recommended to register with the NMBA to practise.
do you need to be a nurse to be a midwife?

You don't require a nursing qualification or to become a registered nurse to work as a midwife in Australia. You can practise nursing if you complete a bachelor's degree in midwifery and register with the nursing and midwifery board.
what hours do midwives work in Australia?

Midwives work up to 37 hours weekly. However, in a full-time position, you are likely to work 8 to 12-hour shifts assisting nurses at the hospital. Midwives working part-time roles often work less than 8 hours a day, covering shifts for other nurses.
how do I apply for a midwife vacancy?

Applying for a midwife job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here.

midwife.