Midwifery can be a highly rewarding career and it offers an enormous variety of settings for employment and an extensive choice of areas for specialisation and advancement. The midwife requires clinical, communication, negotiation, management and decision-making skills and is critical to the healthcare team and work closely with doctors and allied health professionals, such as physiotherapists.

The Bachelor of Midwifery program includes both theory and practice. Clinical practice is gained throughout the course in laboratories, hospitals, community settings and other health industry locations. The program equips graduates with the knowledge and skills to work with women during pre-conception, conception, pregnancy, labour, birth and following birth, infancy.

Upon successful completion of the midwifery degree, graduates will have reached the competency levels set by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council (ANMC) and the Australian College of Midwives (ACM) and will be eligible to apply to the Nursing and Midwifery Board of South Australia (nmbSA) for entry onto the Midwifery Register. Following registration, midwives have the opportunity to gain employment in a transition to professional practice program (Graduate Midwife Program).

South Australian qualifications for a registered midwife are nationally recognised for employment purposes. Career pathways within the profession have been designed to allow individuals to follow their own field of interest, gain promotion and improve their earning capacity. There are four parallel streams available: clinical practice, management or administration, education and research, although it is possible to move in and out of each area. In all streams there are differing levels of practice, which may be carried out in the public, private or education sectors.

Working Conditions and Pay Rates

The relevant Industrial Awards determine the working conditions and pay rates. Within the public sector, conditions of employment are negotiated through an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement the most current being the Nurses/Midwives (South Australian Public Sector) Enterprise Bargaining Agreement 2007.

Within the private sector, most employers negotiate organisation Enterprise Bargaining Agreements with their employees.

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Range of Employment Opportunities

There are a range of employment and career opportunities for Registered Midwives in:

Midwifery Practice

• Antenatal Clinics
• Delivery Suites
• Birthing Centres
• Postnatal Units
• Special Care Nurseries
• Community Midwifery
• Domiciliary Care Midwifery
• Independent Midwives
• Shared Care
• Lactation Consultants
• Breastfeeding Clinics
• Pregnancy Advisory Services
• Home Birthing

Nursing & Midwifery Education

• Lecturer at University or TAFE SA
• Clinical Learning Coordinators
• Clinical Educators i.e. Diabetic Educator
• Nurse Educator in hospitals
• Education Administration
• Clinical Supervisor, university students clinical placements
• Professor Nursing & Midwifery
• Dean of School of Nursing & Midwifery

Community Opportunities

• Home Health Services
• Hospital in the Home
• Royal District Nursing Society
• Occupational Health & Safety
• Child & Youth Health
• Community Health Centres
• Women’s Health Centres
• Health Promotion
• Mental Health (children, adolescent, adult)
• Immunisation Services
• Schools
• Drug and Alcohol Services

Government Services

• Public Health Services
• Veteran Affairs
• Armed Forces
• Prisons
• Health Promotion
• Infectious Diseases
• Local Government
• State and Federal Government
• Blood Bank
• Disability Services
• Organ Donation
• Breast Screen

International Health Fields

• Hospitals in other countries
• Embassies
• Military Bases (National and International)
• Private Volunteer Organisations
• Business & Industry
• World Health Organisations
• Missionary Services
• International Health Agencies
• Red Cross

Other Areas

• Marketing and Sales – health industry
• Product Manager – health industry
• Entrepreneur
• Risk Management
• Quality Assurance
• Editor/Writer
• Health Administration
• Patient Advocate
• Occupational Health and Safety
• Information Technology
• Private Consultancy