II year midwifery students carrying out the examination and caring of newborn during practicing in study-environment

Midwife’s international definition

Midwife is a private person who - by having regularly participated and successfully passed the state-approved official midwife trainings in particular country, has thus gained the competency for entering her name into the register of midwives and/or granted the lawful certificate to practice as a midwife. A midwife must be able to provide necessary instructions, care and consulting to women about pregnancy, delivery and the child-bed period; must be able to conduct deliveries on one’s own responsibility and to take care of the new-born and little child. This care-taking comprises the preventing activities and the clarifying of un-normal situations concerning mother and child, as well as acquiring medical help and assistance in emergency situations when medical help is unavailable. Midwife has an important job in health raising and consulting not only among women, but also in the scope of their families and the whole society. This work must comprise prenatal training and preparation for parent’s role. The work must be based on certain knowledge about gynaecology, family planning and childcare. She can practice in hospital as midwife, in consulting or health centres, domestic environment or in other spheres offering health care service. The definition of midwife has been accepted by International Confederation of Midwives – ICM in 1990, International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in 1991, and World Health Organisation – WHO in 1992.

The midwife curriculum of Tallinn Health Care College corresponds to higher education standard and EU directives, the subject matter of which is the integrated studying of theory and practice. Period of studies is 4 years 5 months, theoretical studying is in Estonian language. Study-practice makes 50% from total volume of curriculum, taking place in different institutions offering health care and social care services. As the college participates in several international projects, the students have the possibility to be an exchange student in different European countries. As the midwife curriculum contains also the training of general nurse, midwives have thus the opportunity to work as a general nurse, as well as a midwife in different health care institutions. Applied higher education provides the midwife the possibility for continuing studies on Master level in Estonian as well as European universities.