Higher Diploma in Midwifery

Course Overview

The Higher Diploma in Midwifery is for registered general nurses who wish to pursue a career in midwifery. The programme builds on students’ prior professional, academic and personal experiences. Following successful completion of the programme, students are competent to fulfil the role of the midwife as outlined by the International Confederation of Midwives and are eligible to apply to register as a midwife with Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI.

Applicants must be registered on the General Division of the Register of Nurses maintained by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland.

There are career opportunities for midwives to work in various practice settings including hospitals, midwife-led care units, clinics or in the community, across different models of care. There are also opportunities to specialise in areas within clinical practice, or to focus more on education or research related to midwifery. For midwives who wish to work in another EU state, they must undertake a year of clinical midwifery practice in Ireland before they can register with any other EU Member State and practice in that country.