Midwifery Futures: The Australian Midwifery Workforce Project

Burnet Institute formed a partnership with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). We were joined by colleagues from UTS, Curtin University and the WA Child and Adolescent Health Service. The aim: conduct a comprehensive review of the Australian midwifery workforce.

On 14 March 2024, Burnet and the NMBA hosted the National Midwifery Futures Symposium. This event brought together leaders, policy makers, regulators, clinicians and consumers from across Australia as part of the Australian Midwifery Workforce Project.

Attendees were provided with a snapshot of the project’s preliminary findings and participated in a series of workshops focused on educational pathways, workforce solutions and recruitment, retention and attrition of midwives.

Objective

The insights gained from over 100 passionate attendees will help inform recommendations for a sustainable future of midwifery in Australia. A final report will be published, outlining the current state of Australia’s midwifery workforce and identifying opportunities to strengthen and grow the profession.

The final report will deliver:

• a projection of workforce supply and demand in Australia
• a synthesis of the information gained throughout the analysis, literature review and consultation
• recommendations for the sustainability of the profession.

Timeline

Mid-2024.

Approach

Professor Homer and colleagues Dr Kirsten Small (Burnet), Professors Joanne Gray, Kathleen Baird and Jennifer Fenwick (UTS), Dr Zoe Bradfield (Curtin University) and Melanie Robinson (WA Child and Adolescent Health Service) will conduct a detailed analysis of Australia's midwifery workforce including stakeholder engagement and consultation with support from Andrea Nove and Martin Boyce (Novametrics UK).

Community impact

The analysis will inform the future development of midwifery in Australia.