Being a midwife means dedication. Many practicing nurses explain that this is more than just a profession. It is a mindset and unconditional love for what you do. When people hear midwives they immediately associate it with helping women in the process of giving birth. Sure, it is part of the truth but it’s far more complex. Midwives care for women from the moment they discover they are pregnant until their child ages 10-14. This is a complete dedication to those women. In fact, the word midwife means ‘with women’. Throughout all the different stages of the pre- and postnatal process midwives stick ‘with women’.
Becoming a midwife takes long hours of study, hard-work and passion. But let’s also not forget the interpersonal qualities! Some women have the qualities of a good midwife coming natural to them. Caring, compassion and empathy are some of the qualities which define the midwife. These personal traits could be as important as your degree, nurses! As we said, this is more than just a profession – it is a lifestyle. So, if you are planning to take on the road to midwifery ask yourself – Does this profession match my personality? Am I genuinely a caring person? If you find yourself suitable and passionate about it, then you need to think about the next steps.
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Midwifery University Courses in the UK
In order to begin your ‘becoming a midwife journey’ you need to start with getting a proper midwifery education. In order to become a midwife in the UK you need to have a midwifery related degree. Therefore whole university course usually takes three years. There are different degrees around midwifery. The degree should provide a solid basis around midwifery and nursing skills in a range of settings. Check out some of the top ranking universities which you might consider for your nursing degree.
All their courses will award you a BMid (Bachelor of Midwifery) when you complete it successfully:
–Liverpool John Moores University
Most of the UK universities provide placements for their nursing students. Usually the university is in partnership with NHS trusts where your placement is going to take place. You will then be supervised by experienced midwives from whom you will gain useful practical knowledge. Lots of universities provide graduate opportunities as well. So make the most out of your university degree!
We have plenty of vacancies for Midwives on our website – Apply now: Job Section.
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What A Day In The Life of a Midwife Looks Like
Yes, personal characteristics and academic knowledge are crucial factors. However, there is another aspect which you need to take into consideration. Are you really interested in the tasks and duties of a midwife? You should be aware of what you are signing for. When you need to be fully committed to this profession, you should familiarize yourself with your daily duties.
Here are some of the midwife’s duties and responsibilities:
– examine women during pregnancy, labour and after birth
– monitor and assist both the mother and the child during labour and after birth
-offer emotional and practical support both during pregnancy and after that for caring the baby
-assess the woman through a personalized programmed of care
-identify different medical conditions and complications
-provide health education and advices
-do paperwork accurately and be able to complete it on time
-evaluate condition and carry out screening tests if required
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Midwife Salary Ranges in the UK
After getting your degree you will have to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Then you get on the rail coaster. Exciting, isn’t it? It definitely is, however, you will first need to decide in which direction you want to progress with your midwife career. Midwifery jobs are quite diverse. You may decide to work for the NHS in a hospital or birthing centre. On the other hand you might prefer the private midwife care units. So, make your mind about this as well, before jumping into the deep.
Another aspect for consideration is, of course, the pay range. How much does a newly qualified midwife get? This is probably the most frequent question every freshly graduate nurse is asking. Even though there is no straight answer, we will share the average payment rates for midwives as of the beginning of 2021. Generally speaking, the midwives’ pay and working conditions are determined by the NHS pay system called Agenda for Change (AfC). A newly qualified midwife’s salary starts at £24,907/pa. This is for Band 5 midwives. After that you can progress to Band 6 ranging £31,365 to £37,890/pa. When we talk about Band 7, it is most likely we talk about senior and managerial positions. There the ranges are in the region of £38,890 to £44,503/pa, followed by nurse consultants salary ranges from £51,168 to £73,664/pa.
Figures presented here should serve as a guide only. The information for the pay ranges is taken from Agenda for change – pay rates
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Midwife’s Life 2021
Undoubtedly the past year was challenging for all healthcare professionals. But how has the Covid-19 pandemic affected the midwives? Let’s take a look at some modern midwives who actively share their experience through their social media channels.
@midwifenaghmeh || Naghmeh
What an inspiration! The modern midwife Naghmeh has been really honest and open about her experience. Dr. Alex George has captured her openness in one of the episodes in his series – ‘The Waiting Room’. She is sharing stories around her experience of delivering babies during the pandemic. Also, midwife Naghmeh is sharing useful advice for mums during these hard times. Check out the podcast on Spotify.
@the_holistic_midwife || Cheryl
Hands up for one great midwife who is using her channels to create awareness around important topics. Apart from her job as a NHS midwife she is also project lead at @all4birth – supporting the normal physiological childbirth through blogs, factsheets and real life stories. She #choosetochallenge herself and the world towards a better life for all women! It’s the small actions we undertake every day which lead to a better tomorrow!
@_midwifelife_ || Melissa
Isn’t it inspiring to see young women who are ambitious, vocal and speak up openly? Midwife Melissa is a good example for that. Qualified as a nurse four years ago, this motivated and hard-working lady is now on her third degree- PhD. Imagine the efforts she put in both her work and studies. What is more, she still finds time to share stories and give useful information and advice in her social profiles. In the above post, for instance, she is explaining that the midwifery degree doesn’t limit your career options at all. This is really important and helpful for all student midwives who might face some confusions.
All midwives are great and we can’t express how thankful we are for having them! Be sincere and open-minded as always! Stay kind and compassionate at all times! Keep inspiring people!
We have a question for you, dear midwives. What was the most challenging part of your midwives’ experience and what would you advise all future midwives?
You can go visit our website and you can go to the CV-Library to find more job opportunities for All Healthcare Workers.
