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Midwife

Alternative titles for this job include

Midwives support pregnant women and their babies before, during and after, childbirth.

Average salary (a year)

£25,654 Starter

to

£45,838 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

35 to 40 a week

You could work

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on shifts

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How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become a midwife

You can get into this job through:

  • a university degree
  • an apprenticeship
  • a specialist course run by a professional body

University

You can do a degree in midwifery, approved by the Nursing & Midwifery Council.

Full-time courses take 3 years.

You may be able to get additional student financial support through the NHS Learning Support Fund.

If you already have a degree you could do a postgraduate midwifery course. The length of time it takes to qualify will vary, depending on the relevance of your degree. For example, with an adult nursing degree you could qualify within 2 years instead of the typical 3 years.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
  • 2 or 3 A levels, including a science, or a level 3 diploma or access to higher education in health, science or nursing
  • a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study

More Information

Apprenticeship

You can do a midwife degree apprenticeship.

This typically takes 48 months to complete as a mix of learning in the workplace and academic study at an approved university.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship

More Information

Volunteering

You'll find it helpful to get some paid or voluntary experience in the health or care sector before you apply for a course.

You could contact the voluntary services co-ordinator at your local NHS trust for further advice.

You can also find volunteering opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Do IT.

Other Routes

If you're a registered adult nurse you may be able to qualify through a conversion course. These usually take between 18 and 24 months.

More Information

Registration

Career tips

When applying for degree courses and apprenticeships, you'll be expected to show an understanding of how NHS values apply in your work.

Further information

You can find more on how to become a midwife from the Royal College of Midwives and Health Careers.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • knowledge of medicine and neonatal care
  • sensitivity and understanding
  • knowledge of psychology
  • customer service skills
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • counselling skills including active listening and a non-judgemental approach
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

In this role you could:

  • give pregnant women advice on issues like healthy eating
  • explain options like giving birth in hospital or at home
  • run classes about pregnancy (antenatal) and parenting
  • check the health of mother and baby during pregnancy
  • check progress when labour starts
  • monitor the baby during labour
  • give pain relief or advise on ways to manage pain
  • deliver the baby
  • call a doctor if you notice any problems

After the baby's born, you'll:

  • give advice to families on caring for their baby
  • visit people's homes to check on mother and baby

Working environment

You could work at a client's home, at a health centre, at a GP practice or in an NHS or private hospital.

Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.

You may need to wear a uniform.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

You must renew your Nursing & Midwifery Council registration every 3 years to show you're keeping your skills up to date.

You could take further training to specialise in areas like ultrasound or neonatal care.

With experience, you could become a ward manager or team leader.

You could also train to become a health visitor, a director of midwifery or midwifery consultant.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a midwife right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

Access to Nursing and Midwifery: Online Level 3 Diploma

  • Provider: ACTIVATE LEARNING
  • Start date: 29 November 2021
  • Location:

ALR AIM AWARDS L3 ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION DIPLOMA - NURSING & MIDWIFERY FT (L3 LE)

  • Provider: CHESTERFIELD COLLEGE
  • Start date: 20 September 2022
  • Location: CHESTERFIELD
Find courses near you

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