Work

Understanding midwifery workforce retention: An Australian cross-sectional study

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: PROBLEM: Retention is a known challenge in international and Australian midwifery workforce. BACKGROUND: Identification of drivers of workforce retention is essential to enable strategic planning for service delivery, consistent with workforce trends. Limited contemporary, midwifery-specific workforce data within Western Australia (WA) exists. AIM: To explore midwives' perspectives of factors contributing to retention, and views on their working environment. METHODS: An anonymous cross-sectional survey was conducted with midwives within the largest maternity service in WA. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling. Qualitative data underwent content analysis. FINDINGS: A total 193 midwives participated. Modelling demonstrated that perceptions of workplace culture was positively associated with the probability of midwives feeling acknowledged by the organisation for their work (OR=6.61, p < .001), and with better midwifery retention (b=3.34, p < .001). Acknowledgement was not a significant direct predictor of retention (b=1.12, p = .150), thus, was not a significant mediator of the association between workplace culture and retention. Top three reasons influencing midwives' intention to stay were pay (89.6 %), patient ratios reflecting acuity (82.4 %) increasing the profile of the midwifery profession (80.8 %). Content analysis of midwives' perspectives on retention factors exposed three categories: Intraprofessional relationships; Valuing the workforce; Career satisfaction. DISCUSSION: Midwives' perspectives on retention emphasise the need for transformational leadership, professional recognition, and workplace empowerment as key strategies for sustaining the midwifery workforce. CONCLUSION: Findings provide novel insight into indicators of WA midwifery workforce retention. Recommendations for midwife-driven solutions provide direction to enable midwifery leadership to support sustainable midwifery workforce retention into the future.

Source: Women and Birth

DOI: 10.1016/j.wombi.2025.102113

Authors: Frances Finch, Stuart Watson, Georgia Griffin, Zoe Bradfield

Institutions: Murdoch University, Curtin University

Language: English

Topic: Nursing education and management

Subfield: Research and Theory

Field: Nursing

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Gender equality, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,613