Midwifery
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT
Midwifery is a sub-field of the healthcare professions that deals with providing services for pregnant women, new mothers and their infants. Certified nurse-midwives are involved in prenatal and postnatal medical care, in counselling and offering support, and in preparing families for parenthood. Professional midwives usually work in public or private hospitals, small maternity units, birth centers, or are self-employed.
In order to practice midwifery, students have to complete at least an undergraduate degree in midwifery or in a related field. Academic learning involves a great amount of time spent in clinical practice. Most universities offer part-time study opportunities, and some institutions offer combined dual degrees (e.g. Nursing/Midwifery), or other paramedical studies. Midwifery courses are divided between academic lectures and practical training. Besides specific medical knowledge and an education centred on women and family, midwifery academic programmes also aim at developing qualities such as empathy, compassion, good communication and teamwork skills.
It is quite common for people to find their way into midwifery through another career in healthcare, such as nursing, physician assistance, maternity support work, etc. Regardless of background, certified graduates in midwifery have good professional prospects. They can develop further into senior practitioner roles, or become unit leaders who mix managing staff with ongoing hands-on involvement. Specialisations include neonatal nursing or health visiting.
Mrs. Omara Anent
Head of Department
What we do
we work to ensure these professionals have the knowledge and skills to deliver consistent, quality care that keeps people safe.We promote lifelong learning through revalidation, encouraging professionals to reflect on their practice and how the Code applies in their day-to-day work.
Considering a career in midwifery
Being a midwife is more than just delivering babies. A midwife is usually the first and main contact for the woman during her pregnancy, throughout labour and the early postnatal period. She is responsible for providing care and supporting women to make informed choices about their care.
Future midwife
The context in which midwives practice is constantly changing. This means midwives need to deal with more wide-ranging challenges than ever before to provide the best and safest care. We know that the demographics, health profiles and birthing choices of women have never been more diverse and this (and more) will inform what a midwife needs to know to practice safely and effectively at the point of registration.
Health Tutors' College Mulago
Contact information
email:aomara@htcmulago.ac.ug