Call the midwife! A spotlight on midwifery in Australia
Midwifery has a long, proud history.
In fact, evidence of early midwives dates all the way back to 1900 BCE in Ancient Egypt, making them one of the oldest nursing specialisations in human history!
When most people think of midwives, the traditional image of an older woman helping to deliver babies immediately comes to mind for most.
In truth however, midwives do a lot more than just that!
Midwives used to focus solely on labour and childbirth, helping to deliver babies using folk medicines and treatments – a far cry from the midwife of today.
Nowadays, midwives can be any gender or age and are actually responsible for the entire spectrum of pregnancy, from the first trimester, to labour and all the way up until the baby is six weeks old.
Today, we’ll be going over some of the responsibilities that midwives in Australia are tasked with, the qualifications necessary to become a midwife here and how Australian Nursing Agency (ANA) can help you get there.
Are you a midwife looking to work in Australia through a working holiday? Overseas nurses: we want you! Join ANA today.
Midwifery in Australia
Midwifery in Australia is a highly sought-after and growing profession for certified nurses, who perform a broad range of pregnancy and childbirth-related services.
If you’re a qualified overseas midwife looking for midwifery jobs in Australia, you could find yourself responsible for any (or all!) of these tasks:
Assistance to mothers before, during, and after pregnancy
Caring for newborns doesn’t end after childbirth.
In fact, it intensifies!
The immediate couple of weeks after childbirth is when a newborn is most vulnerable to disease and infection.
Midwives play a vital role in keeping babies healthy throughout this stage, with regular checkups for the first six weeks of a baby’s life.
Providing care for the newborn
Mothers are understandably exhausted after labour.
Midwives are responsible for providing additional care to newborns for the first few days after birth.
As a midwife, you’ll be responsible for teaching new mothers about breastfeeding, perform routine screening, and provide emotional support.
Application of ultrasound testing
Ultrasound is an essential tool in identifying potential problems in pregnant women as well as potential developmental problems.
Midwives are often responsible for carrying out these ultrasounds.
Promotion of normal birth delivery
During the process of labour, one of the most important things to get right is ensuring that the birth is complication-free.
This means ensuring that pregnant women are positioned for an optimal birth, as well as ensuring that the baby is delivered head-first and without obstruction.
Education
As a pregnancy and childbirth professional, many soon-to-be mothers and pregnant women will be relying on you for accurate information about everything pregnancy-related, including:
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- Labour
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- Contraception
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- Pain relief
- Breastfeeding
Midwifery qualifications in Australia
In Australia, there are two main pathways towards becoming a midwife: the first is to study a bachelor of midwifery at university; the second, if you’ve already graduated as a nurse is to undertake a graduate diploma or masters of midwifery.
Furthermore, all Australian midwives need to register with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) in order to practice.
Are you an international nurse who already has your country’s equivalent midwifery qualifications?
This is where ANA can help!
At ANA, we specialise in connecting overseas nurses with flexible permanent, full-time or temporary nursing jobs in their area of specialty.
When you register with ANA, we’ll help you register as a midwife with AHPRA and walk you through all the steps needed to have your overseas qualification recognised.
Midwifery challenges
As rewarding as it is, midwifery also poses some challenges that you may face.
However these moments impact you as a midwife, you still have a job to do. And as a midwife, the manner in which a mother recovers from these challenges is shaped by the type of support you’re able to offer to your patients.
A good midwife is:
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- Compassionate and empathetic
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- Non-judgemental
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- Observational
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- Patient and mature
- Personal and nurturing
Fortunately, Australia is one of the safest places in the world to have a baby, thanks to an exceptional healthcare system.
Join Australian Nursing Agency today!
Are you an international nurse or midwife looking for work you can tailor around your stay in Australia?
ANA is a nationally recognised nursing agency based in Melbourne that opens doors and presents opportunities specifically for international nurses from the UK, US, Canada, and New Zealand.
We can connect you with part-time, permanent or temporary nursing jobs to support you during your working holiday in Australia! Register with us today.
