Vienna (OTS) – Since yesterday, the work of midwives has been listed as an intangible world cultural heritage by UNESCO. This honors the global cultural diversity reflected in it. The FH Campus Vienna is pleased about this appreciation for the profession of midwifery, which is highly relevant to women’s health and society. The bachelor’s degree in midwifery provides the tools for evidence-based, competency-oriented and contemporary support for women and families.
Right from the start: scientifically supported and accompanied
„Midwives work alongside women all over the world. While historically their work was based on empirical knowledge, midwifery has developed into a science-based profession over the last 50 years
“, explains Heike Polleit, head of the midwifery course at the FH Campus Vienna. In the bachelor’s program, the FH Campus Vienna currently trains around 150 future midwives* for their profession in 2,500 theory and 2,000 practical hours each year.
Midwives accompany women from the beginning of their desire to have children until the end of breastfeeding. The broad scope of their work is reflected in the broad spectrum of skills required for this, which are now recognized worldwide. Midwifery work takes place in a highly significant phase and therefore has an important function on an individual, women’s health and societal level.
„Midwives have worked resource-oriented since time immemorial and view pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period as physiological processes. You put the woman, her experiences and her biography at the center of your actions and include her in decisions. This has lifelong effects on a positive self-image as a woman and mother and empowers women in the long term
“, says Polleit.
Seeing hands touch at least two lives
In addition to the latest medical equipment, midwives always use their senses and their hands. Traditional knowledge, such as that about palpation to determine the position, size and vitality of the child, has been passed down through generations and is experiencing a renaissance thanks to current medical evidence: “For example, intermittent auscultation, i.e. listening to the child’s heartbeat, as midwives do with a wooden ear trumpet, has returned to the mainstream of medicine thanks to the latest international guidelines
says Polleit happily.
Clouded party mood in Austria
For the near future, Polleit sees two main quality assurance tasks that Austria, unlike other countries, still has to face: “Firstly, it is time to create the possibility that the examinations prescribed in the parent-child pass for the receipt of childcare allowance can be carried out in partnership by midwives and gynecologists.
“ Polleit is convinced that there is a lack of neither the necessary qualifications of the midwives nor the desire of the women: “There just doesn’t seem to be the political will for it yet
“, explains the course director. There are enough concepts, such as the so-called “Midwife-led Continuity of Care” models. “According to studies, continuous, midwife-led care, as recommended by the WHO among others, reduces the incidence of premature births, prenatal and perinatal deaths, vaginal surgical births, epidural anesthesia and episiotomies and increases the rate of spontaneous births
“ explains Polleit. In addition, these models increase women’s satisfaction and are cost-saving. “In view of this evidence, it is difficult to understand why Austria continues to stick to models that have evolved over time but have long been outdated
“explains Polleit.
In addition, the head of the program identifies a second pressing challenge: “It is the need of the hour to create resources for comprehensive one-to-one care for women during childbirth. Current medical guidelines with the highest level of scientific evidence also take this fact into account and recommend that one-to-one care for the woman giving birth is guaranteed more than 95 percent of the time
“, explains Polleit. “Of course, this has not yet arrived in the reality of delivery rooms in hospitals, as a midwife in Austria usually has to look after several women at the same time
“, says Polleit in conclusion.
Full-time studies in midwifery at the FH Campus Vienna
The six semester Bachelor’s degree in midwifery trains students for midwifery work in clinical and non-clinical settings. In addition to obstetric and obstetric medicine expertise, there is a strong focus on aspects of health promotion and advice. The acquisition of scientific, methodological and personality-building skills rounds off the training. With the Bachelor of Science in Health Studies degree, graduates also gain professional qualifications. The FH Campus Vienna offers study starts in both the summer and winter semesters.
FH Campus Vienna – University for Future Issues
With over 8,000 students at three locations and five cooperation locations, the FH Campus Vienna is the largest university of applied sciences in Austria. In the departments of Applied Nursing Science, Applied Life Sciences, Building and Design, Health Sciences, Social Affairs, Technology as well as Administration, Economics, Security and Politics, there are almost 70 degree programs and university courses to choose from in part-time and full-time form. Application-related research and development is bundled in ten subject-specific competence centers. The university of applied sciences covers further education and training in the form of seminars, modules and certificate programs via the Campus Wien Academy. The FH Campus Vienna is a founding member of the Alliance for Sustainable Universities.
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