How to hire a midwife: a guide for facilities
A midwife is a trained healthcare provider specializing in providing care to women during pregnancy, childbirth, and post-natal periods. Midwives are trained to identify at which point normal processes of pregnancy and birth have been interfered with and require medical input. They always work with obstetricians and other service providers to secure the health and safety of the mother and the infant, thus contributing significantly to maternal and infant care services. If you are wondering, “how to hire a midwife?”, this blog covers everything you need to know, from the various types of a midwife to evaluating the right skills and qualities that will ensure the best patient care at your facility.
What are the types of midwives?
As discussed above, midwives cover numerous responsibilities, such as prenatal care, education for the mother concerning the childbirth experience, emotional preparation during labor, and post-delivery support for the initiation of breastfeeding. The health status of the mother and child is observed, and any possible complications are reported to be treated promptly. When considering how to hire a midwife, it is essential to look for professionals who provide comprehensive and compassionate care tailored to individual needs. When you hire a midwife, it is essential to know that their skills depend on their past and recent training and certifications.
The three categories of Midwives you can hire are as follows:
- Certified nurse-midwives (CNMs): These are registered nurses with additional training in midwifery, certified to provide a full range of women’s health services.
- Certified midwives (CMs): Professionals who are certified in midwifery but do not have a nursing degree.
- Lay midwives: Also known as traditional midwives, these individuals often acquire skills through apprenticeship and are not certified by a regulatory body.
Among the three categories of midwives, Certified nurse-midwives have grown significantly by at least 15% over the past three years. Here’s a table showing the growth of different types of midwives in the USA (2021-2024).
How do you evaluate the qualifications when hiring midwives for your facility?
Midwives are well-trained in providing safe care for mothers and babies through practice. They receive their education by obtaining degrees in midwifery or related fields, then taking a certification process where they must take exams and gain experience at the clinical level.
Continuing education is also essential because midwives must be updated with the newest practices and advancements in maternal care. This, along with education, provides a midwife with all the skills and knowledge she needs to support women through their pregnancy, labor, and postpartum stages.
Most often, midwives also complete internships or residencies, where they gain experience directly under the care of experienced practitioners. For example, the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) outlines a rigorous educational and certification pathway that ensures midwives are well-prepared to provide comprehensive care. When considering how to hire a midwife, it is important to note that they must renew their certification every so many years, possibly through additional coursework and assessment.
Why and when healthcare facilities need to hire a midwife
Many benefits can be attributed to hiring a midwife, starting with personalized care, lower rates of intervention, and much support for pregnancy and childbirth. Midwives offer integrated prenatal care in addition to labor and delivery and postpartum care; such integrated care may improve the health outcomes of a mother and her newborn.
Healthcare facilities should have a skilled midwife available early in pregnancy for continuous and consistent care. Hiring a midwife is also beneficial for high-risk pregnancies or when a woman wants to have a natural birth experience with minimal medical interventions.
Consistent care from midwives can improve outcomes for both mother and baby. One example from recent studies is in Washington state, where midwife care has led to significantly better health outcomes for both mother and baby. In Washington, higher rates of spontaneous vaginal delivery, vaginal birth after cesarean, and breastfeeding were observed. Additionally, there were lower rates of cesarean, preterm birth, low birth weight infants, and neonatal death. These positive outcomes improved maternal and newborn health, resulting in happier patients. This example underscores the importance of consistent midwife care in achieving better health outcomes.
Top soft skills to look for when hiring a midwife
To hire a midwife, it is essential to consider specific skills and qualities to ensure you deliver the best care. A proficient midwife should exhibit the following skills to provide comprehensive support and ensure a positive birthing experience:
Excellent communication: The ability to clearly and compassionately communicate with patients and their families. Midwives should be able to listen to their concerns and answer any questions they may have.
Empathy: A strong sense of empathy to provide emotional support and understanding to expectant mothers. They should be able to connect with the mother on a personal level.
Problem-solving skills: When hiring midwives, ensure they demonstrate an ability to quickly and effectively address any complications that may arise during childbirth. This can include making critical decisions under pressure.
Adaptability: Flexibility to adapt to different birth plans and unexpected changes during labor. This ensures that your facility can provide personalized care.
5 mistakes to avoid when hiring midwives
It is crucial to know and avoid common mistakes when hiring a midwife to ensure a positive and safe birthing experience. Here are some pitfalls to watch out for:
- Neglecting qualifications: Not thoroughly checking the midwife’s credentials and certifications. This oversight could lead to receiving care from someone not adequately trained.
- Overlooking experience: Failing to prioritize a midwife with adequate expertise, particularly in situations similar to your own. Experience can significantly impact the quality of care you receive.
- Lack of communication: Not establishing clear communication and expectations with your midwife from the outset. Miscommunication can lead to misunderstandings and unmet expectations.
- Choosing based on cost alone: Making a decision solely based on the cost of services without considering the quality of care provided. Quality care may cost more but can lead to better outcomes.
How MedSquirrels compares better against traditional staffing agencies for hiring a midwife
A partnership with traditional staffing agencies can be both beneficial and detrimental to healthcare facilities. Agencies provide easy access to a wide pool of talent and speed up the hiring process, offering flexibility in staffing solutions. However, there are significant drawbacks.
Traditional agencies often come with higher costs due to markups based on employee salaries, potentially leading to an inflated recruitment budget and mismatches in culture or care philosophy. Additionally, relying on agency staff can result in inconsistent staffing, impacting patient care. Agency-recruited staff might lack familiarity with the facility’s specific processes, leading to inefficiencies. Another concern is higher turnover rates, disrupting the continuity of care.
To avoid these issues, partnering with MedSquirrels is an effective option because of its unique hiring processes. MedSquirrels aligns healthcare facilities with candidates who share similar values, optimizing costs by eliminating the traditional agency markup fees and providing direct access to qualified professionals. Our platform offers a streamlined recruitment process, ensuring top-quality candidates without delays. MedSquirrels, a midwife staffing platform, emphasizes continuity and efficiency, reducing turnover rates and ensuring staff are well-acquainted with facility protocols.
In summary, when considering how to hire a midwife, selecting MedSquirrels alleviates the downsides of traditional agencies, enhancing the operational effectiveness and care quality of a facility. Our platform offers three comprehensive plans: the Orange Plan, which covers recruitment, payroll, and benefits of contractors; the Purple Plan, which covers the onboarding, payroll, and benefits of an already-sourced contractor; and the Blue Plan, which focuses on permanent hires. Each plan is designed to streamline the hiring process, reduce hiring costs, and ensure high-quality candidates, making it easier for healthcare facilities to find the right midwives.
FAQs
What services do midwives provide?
Midwives offer prenatal care, labor support, delivery services, and postpartum care, as well as general women’s health services. They also provide education on pregnancy, childbirth, and newborn care to support families throughout the entire maternity journey.
What qualifications should I look for in a midwife?
Look for a certified nurse-midwife (CNM) with appropriate education and licensure. CNMs are trained to provide comprehensive care throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. They are also skilled in addressing women’s health issues across the lifespan, ensuring a holistic approach to care.
What is the difference between a midwife and an obstetrician?
Midwives focus on natural childbirth and provide personalized care, while obstetricians are medical doctors who can handle high-risk pregnancies and surgical interventions. When you hire a midwife, you benefit from their personalized care approach. Both professionals work together to ensure the best outcomes for mothers and babies, complementing each other’s expertise.
How do you hire a midwife through MedSquirrels?
Sign up and choose the Orange or Purple plan for hiring a contractor or the Blue plan to hire a permanent midwife. If you choose our most popular Orange Plan, our platform will source curated profiles based on your job requirements and share them with you on the portal. You can then select the ones to interview, and our platform will begin the onboarding process based on your interview feedback.
Can I get a demo of MedSquirrels?
Yes, MedSquirrels, a staffing platform, offers a free demo to help you understand the platform and the hiring plans. During the demo, you can understand the platform’s features, such as timesheet management, leave management, and more, and see how it simplifies the process of hiring a midwife.
