Changemaker: preparing student midwives for employability, qualification and beyond

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) estimates a short fall of 3,500 full-time midwives in England (RCM, 2016) and with a third of practising midwives being over 50 it is evident that recruitment and retention are key to the ongoing success of maternity services in delivering high quality care to women with ever more complex medical, social and obstetric backgrounds. The role of Higher Education Institutions (HEI) is not only to ensure student midwives meet the requirements of the EU Directive 2005/36/EC and achieve the NMC Standards (NMC, 2009), it is also to support them to prepare for job applications; navigate the recruitment process and be fully cognisant of their legal, ethical and professional responsibilities upon qualification. This article will discuss an e-module which adopted an innovative approach to learning, teaching and assessment in relation to student midwives' employability, social awareness and preparedness for professional practice.