Introduction
The first step to becoming a midwife is to take a Midwife course approved by the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC). This may be a full-time undergraduate or postgraduate degree or midwifery degree apprenticeship. Applications for full-time approved midwifery degree courses are made through UCAS.
However, if you are already a registered level 1 (adult) nurse, you can undertake a reduced midwife courses of 18 months, for dual registration with NMC.
Types of midwives:
According to NHS, there are two types of midwives:
- Hospital midwives
- Community Midwives
Hospital Midwives
Hospital midwives are part of the hospital’s maternity team, caring for you while you’re in the hospital, whether this is while you’re pregnant, during labour, when you give birth, or immediately after your baby is born.
In other words, hospital midwives are based in a hospital obstetric or consultant unit, a birth center, or a midwife-led unit. They work in the antenatal clinic, labour ward, and postnatal wards.
Community midwives
Community midwives typically work in teams and provide a degree of continuity of care. They provide care in GP practices, in your home or at children’s centers. Community midwives are more likely to work with you throughout your pregnancy, from your first appointment until care is taken over by a health visitor.
Moreover, When you go into labour, they are available for a home birth, or in a few places, they may come into the labour ward in the hospital to be with you. Once your baby is born, they’ll visit you at home for up to 10 days afterward.
Community midwives also provide postnatal care for women who have been looked after during labour by hospital midwives.
Outside NHS there are independent midwives, who work with pregnant women. Typically, with women planning a home birth.
Moreover, a doula is not a trained midwife but is trained to support.
Top 8 midwife courses offered in the UK (write down 8 midwife courses name and their reviews)
Here is the list of top 8 midwifery courses in UK:
1. B.Sc. Midwifery (3 Years) (HONS)
This Midwifery (3 Year) (Hons) course at London South Bank University is newly approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). It is designed in partnership with healthcare providers, current students, service users and commissioners; based around the framework of NMC standards. And the Lancet series to ensure the highest quality care for women and their families and an excellent quality of education for the student midwives.
Students will have an opportunity to support and provide care for women and their families through the continuum of childbirth including those who require additional care. You’ll have an opportunity to develop your practice skills, applying your learning in a variety of maternity settings.
2. B.Sc. Midwifery (Hons)
This dynamic, demanding and privileged role carries great responsibility but is incredibly rewarding. The Midwifery (Hons) course from the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) has a strong practical focus and you’ll spend around half of your time learning on clinical placements, supported by midwifery mentors.
Midwives are autonomous practitioners providing care and support to women and their families during pregnancy, birth, and the early postnatal period.
Working as part of a multidisciplinary professional team, midwives practice in birth units, communities, and hospitals, supporting women to have a positive experience of childbirth.
3. B.Sc. Midwifery For Registered Nurses (Hons)
This BSc Midwifery For Registered Nurses (Hons) programme at University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) will train you to help women and families enjoy positive and healthy pregnancy and birth experiences. All aspects of the preconception and childbirth continuum are addressed via theoretical preparation in university and supervised, mentored preparation in a clinical setting.
You’ll benefit from a case-based approach to learning, which is used to facilitate development of the skills required of a competent midwife. You’ll spend half of your time learning skills in clinical practice, and the other half learning the theory, through a blended learning approach.
4. B.Sc. Midwifery
Balanced between theoretical study and placement-based practice, our three-year Midwife course offered by the University of East Anglia will equip you with all the skills, knowledge and leadership qualities you need to excel as a midwife. You’ll graduate ready to help mothers navigate their pregnancies as their lead practitioner in all normal midwifery care, and able to manage and coordinate more complex care for those in difficult circumstances.
Train to be a Midwife, and you’ll be playing a central role in one of the most amazing, and sometimes challenging, journeys in any family’s life. One day you could be celebrating a pregnancy, but on others you could find yourself consoling a family for the loss of one. It’s a completely unique career that comes loaded with responsibility – and rewards. At UEA you’ll be part of a university that is ranked Top Five in the UK for nursing (The Complete University Guide 2019) and you will gain invaluable experience on placement.
5. B.Sc. (Hons) Midwifery
The (Hons) Midwifery course at University of Lincoln is both theory and practice based. There are opportunities to experience a wide range of practice placements, ranging from the antenatal to the postnatal period, incorporating intrapartum care and covering the whole childbearing continuum, encompassing midwifery and consultant-led care. It examines a wide variety of physical, social, and psychological needs, equipping students with the knowledge to support patients during their transition into parenthood.
Students can undertake clinical practice within a non-midwifery setting, including in a medical, neonatal unit, and within a hospital gynaecology ward. Throughout the course, students can learn about how to ensure women are able to make informed choices and remain at the centre of the decision-making proces.
6. (Hons) Professional Development in Neonatal Care
Studying this BSc (Hons) Professional Development in Neonatal Care programme at the University of Plymouth, you will develop and utilise appropriate skills whilst promoting an environment conducive to the provision of high-quality neonatal care for infants and their families. It is open to practitioners registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council with experience of working within neonatal care.
Key Features:
- Discover an innovative approach to gaining specialist and advanced knowledge ‘tailor built’ for the neonatal practitioner with assignments designed to translate knowledge and skills to the practice environment.
- Meet the nurses QIS (Qualified in Specialty) competencies and have access to many options that meet professional and organisational needs to enhance practice and service delivery.
- Learn from neonatal care practitioners with our academic partnership modules with very specific work-related modules developed and delivered in partnership with local healthcare providers.
- Develop confidence, competence and emotional resilience to consistently exercise personal responsibility and professional accountability for decision making and the provision of high-quality safe care.
- Underpin your interventions with the best available evidence, contemporary knowledge and high-level clinical decision-making skills.
- Flexibly designed programme enabling you to ‘step on and step off’ over a five-year period in response to service need and professional circumstances.
7. B. Sc. Midwifery
The Midwifery course at the Queen’s University Belfast is taught by midwifery experts in education and research, clinicians and specialist practitioners who will support you in becoming a caring, compassionate and competent midwife providing high quality care.
The inclusion of interdisciplinary learning throughout the three-year course will enrich your experience and prepare you for working together in practice.
You will have the opportunity to learn in our state-of-the-art clinical skills and simulation suite and complete practice placements in a range of clinical settings including hospital and community with our internationally recognized training partners. The course is split equally between tuition in QUB and in clinical practice.
8. B. Sc Midwifery (Hons)
You will develop into an independent learner through a Midwifery (Hons) programme from Keele University of study which combines classroom-based, directed and self-directed learning with full engagement in clinical care, under supervision, to women during their childbirth experience.
In the first year, you will develop the foundation for a comprehensive understanding of the physiological, psychological, social, and public health dimensions of normal pregnancy and childbirth. You will gain insight into the importance of communication for effective caring and professional relationships. And begin to explore research evidence as the basis for providing optimal care.
This initial foundation will be built on as the course progresses and knowledge is developed about conditions that may complicate pregnancy, the impact of these on women, babies, and other family members and the skills and multidisciplinary teamwork required to manage them effectively. The final part of the programme will prepare you for assuming full responsibility as a qualified midwife.
Which course should I take to become a midwife?
There are wide range of graduate, postgraduate and appreciation midwife courses. You can choose depending on your educational background. You should contact individual universities about their part-time courses and how to apply.
The entry criteria for midwife courses and programmes are quite specific. Almost all universities will require a qualification in biology (or at least another science), to show your scientific ability.
Grade requirements will vary by university. You will need to check their individual requirements.
Midwives work in partnership with women so there are many skills you should reflect in your application that you have the potential to develop. These include communication, compassion, empathy, high attention to detail, the ability to work under pressure, and work as part of a team.
If you don’t have nursing degree, there are conversion courses available for nurses and healthcare practitioners. But to become a midwife without this experience means undertaking a three-year degree. It can either be a BSc in Midwifery.
Final words
There are different types of midwife courses depending on the training and education. A certified professional qualification is required to become a midwife. Midwives perform a variety of functions and provide complete assistance during pregnancy, delivery, and labour.