“My mum was a midwife and inspired me to want to do midwifery,” according to Orla Mongan, an Advanced Midwife Practitioner working in Wexford General Hospital.

“When I was given the opportunity to train as a midwife I loved it from the moment I did it and more than 22 years later I still love it.”

Orla trained in London, first as a nurse, and then completed a degree in midwifery. She moved to Wexford more than 19 years ago and worked in the Domino Midwifery-Led service supporting home births, and as a Clinical Midwife Manager 2 in the Labour Ward.  She subsequently completed a Masters Degree in Advanced Practice, allowing her to work as a Registered Advanced Midwife Practitioner.

“Even though you're doing the same job, day in and day out, it's so different every time. That moment of exhilaration that the family feel when they first see their baby, the midwife also feels. I would say never give up on your dream of becoming a midwife. It wasn't easy for me. I sat the Leaving Certificate twice to get where I wanted to go. But since then I've completed a degree and a Master's in Midwifery. When you find your passion for the job, you just follow it and live the dream.”

Higher Diploma in Midwifery

The HSE is currently encouraging more nurses and the public generally to consider a career in midwifery. Sponsorship is available for registered general nurses who would like to complete a Higher Diploma in Midwifery.

Joann Malik works as an Advanced Midwife Practitioner in University Hospital Kerry: “When I was 18-years-old I went to London to train as a nurse. After five years being qualified as a nurse, I decided to become a student again and I qualified as a midwife in 2004. Since then I haven't looked back. I've loved it. I would recommend for people to do midwifery. It is a very varied career. It can help you travel the world.

“No two days are ever the same. You meet a whole host of different women and their partners and their families and it's just a really, really interesting career. If anyone is interested in becoming a midwife, I'd say definitely go for it because it's so varied. There might be one area that you absolutely love and you're very passionate about that you would then focus on, or you could like all areas of it and end up working the community. There's something in it for everyone.”

Caroline Earley is a Registered Advanced Midwife Practitioner with the Dublin and Midlands Hospital Group in the Regional Hospital Mullingar: “Mullingar Maternity Unit is a very progressive unit. It is a fantastic unit which offers a great service to the women locally. We have a Foetal Assessment Unit, a Midwives Clinic and clinics that reach out to women in  communities in Longford and in Tullamore. Within our Labour Ward we have developed a Serenity Suite - it's a home from home environment for women to birth their babies. The Serenity Suite is less clinical and it provides a homely experience for women and their partners.

“As midwives we are just so privileged. The family unit changes completely once this little baby comes along.  How we support them and facilitate their birth experience has such a long-lasting effect on how they feel about themselves and their baby and their future and how they bond together going forward.”

The Higher Diploma in Midwifery course is a full time minimum 18 month programme from the date of first registration. The programme is delivered by hospitals and their academic partners. In the HSE West and North West the hospitals are University Hospital Galway, Letterkenny University Hospital, Mayo University Hospital, Portiuncula University Hospital and Sligo University Hospital with the University of Galway. In the HSE South West it is available through Cork University Hospital with University College Cork. In the HSE Mid West it is available through University Maternity Hospital Limerick with the University of Limerick. In HSE Dublin and North East it is available through Our Lady Of Lourdes Drogheda and Cavan General Hospital with the Dundalk Institute of Technology.

The Higher Diploma in Midwifery HSE Sponsorship programme is also provided in Dublin in the Coombe Hospital and the Rotunda Hospital in partnership with Trinity College Dublin (TCD); and the National Maternity Hospital in partnership with University College Dublin (UCD).

Selected applicants will be offered a minimum 18-month contract of paid employment for the duration of the programme. The college fees for the programme are also paid by the HSE.

Each HSE sponsored student midwife will retain their current point on the staff nurse salary scale on entry into the programme - based on verified nursing service. Students will retain their incremental date and will be granted incremental credit, if applicable, during the programme.

Applications for sponsorship places on the 2025/2026 Higher Diploma in Midwifery can be submitted between March 18 and April 8, 2025. Successful applicants will commence the Higher Diploma in Midwifery in September 2025.

Find out more about the sponsored Higher Diploma in Midwifery