Many people are not sure how to become a midwife. There are now two main pathways to midwifery in Australia. The first is to complete a Bachelor of Midwifery. This option is now available in most states in Australia. A Bachelor of Midwifery is a three year undergraduate degree which students who do not have a nursing qualification can complete. There is usually a substantial focus on continuity of care (i.e. providing care to women from beginning to end of pregnancy) and on clinical learning with students needing to spend at least 50% of the overall program on clinical placements in order for the course to be accredited.
The second way to become a midwife is to complete a Bachelor of Nursing degree and then to complete a Graduate Diploma or Master of Midwifery. These programs are generally 12-18 months in length. The nursing degree generally takes 3 years.
Students wanting to apply should contact the Australia Health Practitioner Regulation Authority (AHPRA) in their state to find out which courses are accredited. This information changes rapidly as courses are changing to meet new national standards.
Midwives Australia is committed to mentoring, training and supporting midwifery students. We provide access to a diversity of practising midwives who are happy to answer questions and support students in their endeavours. We offer seminars and workshops for students to assist them in understanding the role of the midwife as primary carer, client needs and areas for concern. We offer opportunities for students to meet with mothers who have chosen midwifery led care so that students can understand first hand the value of the services, the support the woman feels and the role of the midwife in a continuity of care model.
The Australian College of Midwives has a great information page which you can find at
http://www.midwives.org.au/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=MIDW/ccms.r?PageId=10189