Newly Qualified Midwives Leaving Maternity Wards After Just a Few Years, Study Finds

A significant number of newly qualified midwives are leaving their positions on maternity wards shortly after qualifying, according to a new study by the Midwife Association. The research indicates that 36% of midwives who completed their training in 2019 and 2020 have since departed from maternity wards. On average, these midwives worked for only 3.2 years before leaving, a period shorter than the 3.5-year duration of their education.

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We cannot change that children are born around the clock, but we can change the framework under which midwives work.

The study highlights several key factors contributing to this trend. Midwives frequently cite intense workload, insufficient staffing, the demands of weekend work, and high emotional tolls as primary reasons for their departure. The ongoing pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic have also exacerbated the existing work pressure, according to the findings. Additionally, midwives trained in the capital region appear to be at a higher risk of leaving the profession compared to those trained elsewhere.

Lis Munk, chairwoman of the Midwife Association, stressed the urgency of addressing the working conditions. "We cannot change that children are born around the clock, but we can change the framework under which midwives work," she stated. Munk believes that while solutions like better shift management and more manageable birth facilities are known, they need to be implemented promptly.

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We already know some of the solutions – better frameworks for shift work and smaller, more manageable birth centers. Now is the time to seize the low-hanging fruit.

Cecilie Søby Thorsen, spokesperson for the National Association of Midwifery Students, expressed that newly qualified midwives are not lacking motivation. She acknowledged that students are aware of shift work before entering the profession but emphasized that experiencing it is different from imagining it. "I am absolutely sure that no midwife trains with the intention of leaving maternity work after a few years," Thorsen said, underscoring that the challenges of the job are often underestimated.

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We knew, of course, before we applied for the study that there are shift changes. But it's something else to live in it. It's hard to imagine beforehand what it's like. I am absolutely sure that no midwife trains with the intention of leaving maternity work after a few years.