The professionalisation of midwifery through education or politics?

Abstract

The midwifery profession is redefining itself, with a national initiative to separate from nursing using several strategies at political, legal, educational and professional levels. These include lobbying for a Midwives' Act, a national approach to co-ordinate the education of student midwives, the introduction by the ACMI of competency based practice, the initiation of various models of practice and a three-year Bachelor of Midwifery. This paper argues that the educational strategy employed by midwifery is similar to that used by nursing. This strategy was overtaken by political and economic reforms within the health care sector. We argue that achieving professional dominance is not achieved simply through education but is fundamentally a political process.