Midwifery for qualified nurses

Portrait

Midwives are medical professionals responsible for providing perinatal care during the period encompassing pregnancy, birth, postpartum period, nursing and the new adjustment to family life, up to the child’s first birthday.
Midwives work in a range of settings, providing care in hospitals, private surgeries or women’s homes. They might be self-employed or work for a medical group, and they work independently in professional or interprofessional teams.

You will gain the skills required for such work through your studies and practical work placements, both domestic and abroad. You will take a self-directed, problem-based approach to your learning, which is both a social and constructivist process. Expertise is gained through practical experience and transfer of skills.

Learning outcomes

As a graduate of the bachelor’s degree programme in Midwifery, you will be able to

• coordinate and provide care, counselling and monitoring for the mother, child and family during the period encompassing preconception, pregnancy, birth, postpartum period and nursing, up to the child’s first birthday.
• improve the mother’s perinatal health, make diagnoses and work with the mother and her family to define, implement and evaluate specific interventions.
• oversee the normal physiological processes of labour and birth; if required, you will initiate and supervise interventions based on the latest scientific findings.
• identify aberrations in the normal physiological processes of labour and of birth, assess any risk, determine the measures required to protect the health of mother and infant and, where necessary, engage the support of other specialists.
• record the pathological processes of labour and birth for both mother and infant, assess pre-existing conditions and psychosocial risks and initiate any necessary interventions through interprofessional collaboration.
• assess emergency situations, set priorities and undertake any measures necessary for the health of mother and infant; such measures will at times require you to facilitate interprofessional collaboration.
• provide individualised perinatal care in either institutional or home settings.
• verify the efficacy of your interventions, using validated instruments.
• learn about your clients’ needs, using person-centred communication, provide them with professional advice and empower them to share in the decision-making process.
• recognise areas in need of further evidence in the field of midwifery, then participate in these research projects and apply your clinical experience.
• relay information specific to midwifery to women, families, colleagues and other professionals.

Source: Regulation concerning job-related skills in healthcare professions (GesBG art. 5)

An official listing of the final competences of midwives BSc is in progress. If you have any questions, please contact the secretariat.

Mode of study + Duration

Part-time study (5 semesters)

Curriculum + Modules

You will study at BFH and work in the field of midwifery. The following values are critical to your training:

• Focus on women, infants and families
• Person-centred healthcare
• Importance of midwife-client relationship
• Inclusion of all concerned parties and encouraging their involvement
• Focus on human rights
• Focus on salutogenesis
• Encouraging sustainable midwifery
• Encouraging diversity
• Continuity in perinatal care, per the following arc: preconception, pregnancy, birth, postpartum period and nursing until the end of the child’s first year of life
• Active, solution-oriented cooperation within the context of interprofessional collaboration
• Verifiably effective methods

Upon graduating, you will obtain the title ‘Bachelor of Science BFH in Midwifery’. This bachelor’s degree is federally recognised in Switzerland, compatible with other European systems and counts internationally as a university degree.

Career prospects

As a midwife, you may be employed by a hospital or self-employed, work as an in-patient care provider or serve as a research associate at a healthcare institute.

Possible workplaces
 

• Midwifery clinic
• Private households (family midwife)
• Birthing centres
• Public and private hospitals/clinics
• Counselling centres (e.g. for family planning)
• State and private schools and colleges (e.g. research associate, lecturer, etc.)
• Centres for specific diseases (e.g. diabetes, rheumatism, etc.)

Possible fields of work
 

• During pregnancy, you perform check-ups and provide counselling, offer antenatal classes and prepare the woman and her social surroundings for parenthood.
• During labour and birth, as the midwife, you accompany and oversee the delivery process. You provide the woman and her family with consistent and holistic guidance.
• During the postpartum period, you assist the family with their transition into parenthood. You monitor and provide care for the newborn and mother as she recovers from childbirth. You answer questions regarding nutrition for both mother and child and coach the mother in breastfeeding. You also offer postpartum courses in Kegel exercises.
• In high-risk and other critical situations, you partner with healthcare specialists to provide care for the woman, her child and family. You remain in constant contact with medical staff throughout, allowing you to summon a doctor in case of emergency.
• As a midwife, you advise on questions regarding family planning, antenatal diagnostics, sexual health and early detection of mental health problems in connection with motherhood.
• After many years of professional experience, along with specialist and pedagogical continuing education, you may also teach in a midwife training programme.
• Similarly, after years of experience and the appropriate higher-level training, you may become a researcher in your field of specialisation or take on leadership or management roles.