NWT Midwifery – Rebirth of a Profession
Midwives in the NWT enjoy a unique opportunity to live, practice, and to make a difference in communities that are connected to land, to culture, and to one another. The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) is committed to providing territorial midwifery services that contribute to the health of parents, babies, and communities while valuing and caring for the midwives who provide those services.
The territorial midwifery program has its roots in the strong tradition of women giving birth where they lived - in family camps and small communities - attended by traditional midwives whose valued skills and knowledge were shared between generations. As population centres grew and the government introduced policies of transferring women to regional hospitals to give birth, the rich legacy of community based midwifery care was all but lost. Fortunately, renewed support for midwifery care and community birthing in recent decades led to the rebirth and regulation of the profession in the NWT in 2005. Today, midwives in Fort Smith and Hay River provide culturally safe wrap-around care for all the child-bearing families in their communities and are recognized as integral members of their community and regional health care teams.
New positions are opening up to provide midwifery care in Hay River and Yellowknife and the outlying regions. An expanded scope of practice, a unique level of inter-professional collaboration, and a variety of practice settings create interesting and challenging professional opportunities. An emphasis on work-life balance lends itself to enjoyment of all that the land and the people of NWT have to offer. Leadership positions are available for individuals who seek to combine their passion for midwifery with an opportunity to transform health systems and enhance the delivery of perinatal care.
A special kind of midwife lives and works in the NWT – maybe you’re that midwife.
For information about Midwife practice in the NWT, please email: NWTmidwives@gov.nt.ca.
For Midwife opportunties in Hay River, please contact:
Human Resources
Hay River Health and Social Services Authority
37911 Mackenzie Highway
Hay River, NT
X0E 0R6
Phone: 867.874.8341 Fax: 867.874.8345 E-mail: hrhssa_competitions@gov.nt.ca
