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CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Barefoot midwife to bedside medwife: Midwives’ pathways to education and practice in Alberta
1
Mount Royal University, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Calgary, Canada
2
University of Calgary, Community Health Sciences, Calgary, Canada
Eur J Midwifery 2026;10(Supplement 1):A130
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Midwifery in Alberta has undergone significant transformation since its regulation in 1994 and public funding in 2009. Despite its recognized value in improving perinatal outcomes, the profession remains relatively small, with fewer than 200 registered midwives and only one provincial education program. Entry into midwifery practice is often nonlinear, shaped by diverse educational backgrounds, evolving policies, and personal persistence. This study seeks to understand these varied pathways and how they shape midwifery in Alberta today.
OBJECTIVES:
The goal was to examine how midwives enter, experience, and sustain their professional practice within a jurisdiction where midwifery remains comparatively young, both institutionally and publicly.
METHODS:
Sixteen midwives currently or recently practicing in Alberta participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Grounded in a feminist standpoint framework, the study explored participants’ personal and professional journeys into midwifery, focusing on education, identity, and practice contexts. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically to capture shared experiences and tensions.
RESULTS:
Participants described diverse, often indirect routes into the profession, marked by regulatory gaps, geographic limitations, and identity-based barriers. Educational experiences played a pivotal role in shaping their philosophy of care and professional confidence. Shifting client demographics and increased complexity in care demands contributed to evolving practice styles. Participants also described pressure to conform to biomedical norms, while striving to maintain midwifery’s relational and autonomous roots.
CONCLUSIONS:
Midwifery in Alberta is adapting to intersecting pressures from healthcare systems, education, and communities. Supporting multiple pathways into midwifery, including Indigenous- and community-led models, is essential to growing a resilient, inclusive workforce that meets the needs of diverse populations.
KEY MESSAGE:
As midwifery expands, education must honour diverse ways of knowing and practicing. Sustainable growth requires both system-level supports and protection of midwifery’s core values. Education - competency development 2
Midwifery in Alberta has undergone significant transformation since its regulation in 1994 and public funding in 2009. Despite its recognized value in improving perinatal outcomes, the profession remains relatively small, with fewer than 200 registered midwives and only one provincial education program. Entry into midwifery practice is often nonlinear, shaped by diverse educational backgrounds, evolving policies, and personal persistence. This study seeks to understand these varied pathways and how they shape midwifery in Alberta today.
OBJECTIVES:
The goal was to examine how midwives enter, experience, and sustain their professional practice within a jurisdiction where midwifery remains comparatively young, both institutionally and publicly.
METHODS:
Sixteen midwives currently or recently practicing in Alberta participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Grounded in a feminist standpoint framework, the study explored participants’ personal and professional journeys into midwifery, focusing on education, identity, and practice contexts. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically to capture shared experiences and tensions.
RESULTS:
Participants described diverse, often indirect routes into the profession, marked by regulatory gaps, geographic limitations, and identity-based barriers. Educational experiences played a pivotal role in shaping their philosophy of care and professional confidence. Shifting client demographics and increased complexity in care demands contributed to evolving practice styles. Participants also described pressure to conform to biomedical norms, while striving to maintain midwifery’s relational and autonomous roots.
CONCLUSIONS:
Midwifery in Alberta is adapting to intersecting pressures from healthcare systems, education, and communities. Supporting multiple pathways into midwifery, including Indigenous- and community-led models, is essential to growing a resilient, inclusive workforce that meets the needs of diverse populations.
KEY MESSAGE:
As midwifery expands, education must honour diverse ways of knowing and practicing. Sustainable growth requires both system-level supports and protection of midwifery’s core values. Education - competency development 2
| eISSN: | 2585-2906 |
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