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Midwife

Christine, a Kenyan midwife leads the maternity services in MSF primary health centres in Jamtoli and Hakimpara, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Caption
Christine, a Kenyan midwife leads the maternity services in MSF primary health centres in Jamtoli and Hakimpara, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.

In MSF, midwives, nurses and doctors play a role in supporting sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. 

No matter what the context – conflicts, outbreaks, or natural disasters – women will continue to give birth, people will need contraception and access to safe abortion and survivors of violence will need care.

Typically, our local teams provide healthcare, and you will support them as you will be placed in the role of a manager or supervisor. 

Responsibilities

As an MSF midwife you will support the delivery of healthcare in many settings from community-based care to busy maternity departments. It's a challenging and rewarding role and you'll be responsible for some or all of the following: 

  • Setting up maternity departments in health centres/hospitals 
  • Care for survivors of sexual violence 
  • Working with community birth attendants to ensure safe community birthing practices 
  • Supporting local women’s groups in the community 
  • Developing the capacity of local midwives and nurses 
  • Setting up contraception or safe abortion services 
  • On-call care, often 24 hours 

The tiny cramped compound is always buzzing with children's cries and laughter. There, we treat and fix almost anything and everything. Malaria (mostly), flu, broken bones, cuts, pneumonia... you name it!

ALICE GAUTREAU
|
Midwife

Application guide

Read our guide on the application process for all overseas roles

Role requirements

  • Valid nursing and midwifery license and registration 
  • Minimum of two years relevant professional experience post-qualification with at least six months of clinical midwifery within the last two years 
  • Experience in supervising, managing and training others  
  • Experience of obstetric emergencies/complicated deliveries, abortion care, medical care of survivors of sexual violence, contraceptive care 
  • Willingness to be regularly on call for difficult and complicated births 
  • Experience living and working in low/middle income countries 
  • Willingness to work in unstable areas 
  • Adaptable and able to work in a multi-cultural team 
  • Flexible and able to manage stress 
  • Available for nine to twelve months 

Please note that in order to work with MSF as a midwife, it is not necessary to also be qualified as a nurse.

Assets

  • Global health or tropical nursing diploma
  • Knowledge of STDs/HIV/AIDS
  • Family planning experience
  • Community midwifery experience
  • French, Arabic language
MSF Midwife Alice Gautreau, with newborn baby Christ and his Cameroonian mother. 
Baby Christ was born on the back of a crowded wooden boat on July 11, shortly before being rescued by the Aquarius. By the time MSF teams found them, mother and baby were still attached by umbilical cord and so they were promptly transferred onto the Aquarius and into the clinic, where the MSF Midwife Alice Gautreau and Doctor Craig Spencer helped to complete the delivery of the baby.
“In the clinic, we first separated mother and baby by cutting the umbilical cord.  Mum then needed a few stitches but other than that everything else went really well. Baby Christ weighs 7 pounds 10 ounces and against all odds, both mother and baby are doing really well,” she said.  
On July 11 2017, the Aquarius team rescued 630 people from two wooden boats and three rubber boats in distress, and took on board a further 230 people from Iuventa, the rescue boat of the NGO Jugend Rettet. Included in the 860 people on board are 9 pregnant women, 172 minors and newborn baby Christ. All 860 people were disembarked in Brindisi on July 14.

In their own words

Get behind-the-scenes insights from one of our midwives, Alice Gautreau

Before you apply

Make sure you read our application process guide for an overview of what to expect when you apply for an overseas role with the UK.

We take your safety, security and wellbeing seriously. Please watch these videos before you decide whether or not to apply for this job.

Apply to be a midwife

Please only apply if you meet all of the requirements below. 

1/5

I have read and understood the role description, and feel I can fulfil this role

2/5

I have spent at least three months working in a low/middle-income country

3/5

The UK is my place of residence and I have the right to live and work in the UK

4/5

I have a valid passport

5/5

I am available for a minimum of nine to twelve months