Midwife
Healthcare
Diagnose and coordinate all aspects of the birthing process, either independently or as part of a healthcare team. May provide well-woman gynecological care. Must have specialized, graduate nursing education.
What you'd do all day
The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.
- 1Provide prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, or newborn care to patients.
- 2Monitor fetal development by listening to fetal heartbeat, taking external uterine measurements, identifying fetal position, or estimating fetal size and weight.
- 3Document patients' health histories, symptoms, physical conditions, or other diagnostic information.
- 4Provide patients with direct family planning services, such as inserting intrauterine devices, dispensing oral contraceptives, and fitting cervical barriers, including cervical caps or diaphragms.
- 5Develop and implement individualized plans for health care management.
- 6Prescribe medications as permitted by state regulations.
- 7Explain procedures to patients, family members, staff members or others.
- 8Order and interpret diagnostic or laboratory tests.
- 9Initiate emergency interventions to stabilize patients.
- 10Educate patients and family members regarding prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum, newborn, or interconception care.
- 11Document findings of physical examinations.
- 12Perform physical examinations by taking vital signs, checking neurological reflexes, examining breasts, or performing pelvic examinations.
- 13Write information in medical records or provide narrative summaries to communicate patient information to other health care providers.
- 14Provide primary health care, including pregnancy and childbirth, to women.
- 15Consult with or refer patients to appropriate specialists when conditions exceed the scope of practice or expertise.
- 16Read current literature, talk with colleagues, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in midwifery.
- 17Instruct student nurse midwives, medical students, or residents on the birthing process.
- 18Establish practice guidelines for specialty areas such as primary health care of women, care of the childbearing family, and newborn care.
- 19Plan, provide, or evaluate educational programs for nursing staff, health care teams, or the community.
- 20Conduct clinical research on topics such as maternal or infant health care, contraceptive methods, breastfeeding, and gynecological care.
- 21Manage newborn care during the first weeks of life.
Also known as
What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.
- CNM
- Nurse Midwife
- Postpartum RN
- Nurse Midwives
- Postpartum Nurse
- Staff Nurse Midwife
- Direct-Entry Midwife
- Registered Nurse Midwife
- Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)
- Staff Certified Nurse Midwife
How far is this from you?
Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.
1
Entry straight after SPM
2
SPM + sijil / short TVET course
3
Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)
4
Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)
Typical entry
Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route
Subjects that matter here
The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.
What you'd need to know
The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.
- Medicine and Dentistry96%
BiologyChemistry
- Psychology87%
- Customer and Personal Service84%
- English Language84%
English
- Biology81%
BiologyAdditional Science
- Sociology and Anthropology76%
Tools you'd use
Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.
What the work feels like
Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.
- Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
- Contact with other peopleConstant contact
- Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
- Leading or coordinating othersVery high
- Handling conflict situationsOften
- Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
- Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
- Noisy environmentOften
Where this job is heading
Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.
- Evaluate mental health of patients.
- Screen patients for gynecologic conditions such as infections.
AI and demand for this job
A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.
Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)
This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.
Pay in Malaysia
We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.
Where to check:
- JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
- DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
- SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
Check what you may qualify for
Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.
How to get here
Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.
Related careers
If this interests you, these are worth a look too.
About this information
This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.
O*NET occupation: Nurse Midwives
Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org