Midwifery Shortened
Midwifery is a profession centred on supporting women and their families through pregnancy, labour, birth, and the postnatal period. Midwives work with autonomy and responsibility, providing clinical care, emotional support, and health education across hospital and community settings. The profession requires strong scientific knowledge, excellent clinical judgement, and the interpersonal skills to build trust with women at one of the most significant times in their lives.
This shortened three-year programme at the University of Suffolk is specifically designed for qualified adult nurses who hold current registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. It recognises the substantial existing knowledge and clinical experience that registered nurses bring and builds on that foundation to provide the additional learning and practice required for midwifery registration. The programme's structure reflects this: it is slightly shorter than the standard route into midwifery while remaining comprehensive, covering the full scope of midwifery theory and clinical practice.
You will develop expertise in antenatal care, intrapartum support, postnatal care, neonatal assessment, and the management of complications and emergencies, alongside the professional and ethical frameworks that govern midwifery practice. Significant time is spent in placement, working across maternity settings to develop the clinical competence and confidence the NMC requires.
On successful completion you will obtain an additional NMC registration as a midwife, qualifying you to practise in NHS trusts, community midwifery, independent midwifery, and increasingly in international contexts. Midwifery offers a career with considerable depth, variety, and professional autonomy, with pathways into specialist roles in high-risk obstetrics, neonatal care, research, education, and leadership within maternity services. The profession is in sustained demand and offers a strong foundation for continued professional development throughout a career.