What is this job?
A midwife or the maternity nurse are responsible for looking after women and entire families from the planning of children to the end of the breastfeeding period . The profession is mainly offered in hospitals and birth centers, but you can also help with childbirth as a freelancer. Practicing the profession requires a professional qualification and a professional permit. There are different ways to achieve this and also different employer options.
Personal requirements at work
In order to be able to work as a midwife, one must be able to meet the needs of the pregnant woman. They must be available to give advice and be familiar with dealing with families. The job requires work around the clock and also at unusual times when a child is born. You should be sensitive and work professionally in order to be able to look after the women optimally on the one hand and to be able to carry out a good birth on the other. Planning skills are just as important as the ability to express oneself in language. In the preparatory courses for pregnant women, you have to prove your pedagogical skills. The corresponding understanding should also be available mathematically and in writing in order to be able to create documentation. The willingness to help people during childbirth is one of the most important prerequisites that you should have.
Prerequisites for the job / training / studies
As a prerequisite for midwives/maternity nurses, you must have the ability to plan and organize, but you must also have a good understanding of mathematics and pedagogy. The practice is linked to either a university degree with a bachelor's or master's degree in midwifery. The training can also take the form of school-based training and is carried out at vocational schools. However, at least an intermediate school education, ie a ten-year school education, must be brought along. A two-year nursing preparatory course is required for those who leave secondary school. You have to reckon with a training period of 3 years .
Training
During the training, a theoretical part and a practical part are taught - the theory is taught through classes in a midwifery school. The actual practical part is learned in hospitals and clinics. If you have already completed professional training as a nurse, the training can be shortened by one year. You pass the training by completing an examination at the end of the training period. This final exam consists of a written, oral and practical part. Before the start of the training, a health examination and thus suitability for the profession must be submitted.
The Qualification
Biology and chemistry as well as German and mathematics are regarded as the most important subjects. Depending on your wishes, you can specialize in certain areas after completing your training. These are then either practiced freelance or in the respective institutions. Usually it is a matter of specialization in the area of birth preparation or birth aftercare.
locations
One encounters the profession in women's shelters and clinics. As well as in all institutions that deal with the birth of children. The birthing centers and midwifery practices offer in particular very individual facilities for practicing the profession. The job takes place around the clock, depending on the person to be cared for. The work is a non-medical therapy and treatment. The practice takes place in the facilities or at the women's homes.
career development opportunities
The further development of the midwife/maternity nurse takes place through specific qualification courses. These can target very different topics. On the one hand, this includes the nursing aspects as well as the further training opportunities for management specialists or in the field of IT applications. You can advance your career to become a specialist in nursing or start studying health care. There is also the possibility of becoming a teacher at schools after the training or of completing the path of a nursing service manager. With a bachelor's and master's degree, there are many other options available after graduation. In addition to the state examination, doctorate or habilitation, many areas of medicine and private business can be mastered.
The everyday life of the midwife/maternity nurse
In principle, the everyday life of a midwife or a maternity nurse is different every day. It is always to be expected that a child would like to see the light of day and the birth has to be initiated. The midwife must then be available, even if the time is in the middle of the night. All preparations for the birth are made and courses are also held for pregnant women. After the birth, the midwife takes care of the woman and the child and focuses on the nursing aspects. (Image source: Federal Employment Agency)
