Midwifery training in Nova Scotia? Education, health officials are talking options

Conversations are happening in Nova Scotia about developing the first midwifery education program east of Quebec.

Documents released to CBC News under freedom of information laws show correspondence between provincial officials in recent months that mention Mount Saint Vincent University and Cape Breton University as possible locations.

It's welcome news to midwives in Nova Scotia, who have been advocating for a midwifery education program for years.

"We need to be growing our own midwives here and we need to be supporting midwifery to grow," said Liz Fraser, a registered midwife and spokesperson for the Association of Nova Scotia Midwives, in an interview.

She said having a midwifery school in Nova Scotia would create a pathway for new midwives, and it could act as a recruitment tool for midwives now practising elsewhere who are interested in both clinical work and teaching.

Health Minister Michelle Thompson said the conversation is in its infancy.

"I think there is more conversation to be had, but I think it is very preliminary at this point," she said in an interview.

Crossroads of health, advanced education

The conversation appears to be happening at the crossroads of two of the Progressive Conservative government's undertakings: recruiting for the health-care workforce and becoming more involved in university operations.

One clear example of this is an email sent last November from Kathleen DeCoste, a senior executive director with the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment, to Lindsay Wadden, a senior director with the Department of Advanced Education.

DeCoste refers to "ideas that came forward from the universities" as part of the provincial government's new requirement for strategic alignment plans from each of Nova Scotia's 10 degree-granting institutions.

She says there are "approximately 20 ideas that DHW [the Department of Health and Wellness] supports moving forward to the next step of exploration."

Most of what follows is redacted, except for a bullet point that says the Health Department supports exploration of the development of an Indigenous midwifery program with Tajikeimik — a Mi'kmaw health organization — and Unama'ki College at Cape Breton University.

CBU 'very open' to developing midwifery program

A spokesperson for Tajikeimik said in an email that it's "a little too early to discuss" the project.

A spokesperson for CBU said there have been discussions about midwifery, but there is no immediate plan to develop a program.

"However, it is something they're very open to for future possibilities," the spokesperson said by email.

Similarly, the idea of a midwifery education program at Mount Saint Vincent University comes up in the context of university strategic alignment plans.

A slide deck shared between government officials says the Department of Advanced Education "may suggest" MSVU consider developing a new bachelor's degree in midwifery program.

It does not seem, however, that this suggestion was made.

An unattributed comment in a separate document says, in reference to midwifery at MSVU: "This is apparently an acknowledgement of MSVU's focus on women's health — would be much more feasible to implement this at a school with a nursing and/or medical school."

A spokesperson for MSVU said a midwifery program would fit with the school's mission and values, "and we would welcome a discussion with the province." But they said there are no immediate plans to develop the program.

Atlantic feasibility study

The idea of a midwifery education program in Atlantic Canada has been bandied about for several years, and the four provinces agreed in 2022 to partner on commissioning a feasibility study about a regional program.

The study was completed last November, but it has not been released publicly. Thompson said her department is still reviewing the contents and she has not yet read it or been briefed on it.

She said the study will inform where the conversation about a midwifery school goes.

There are six four-year bachelor's programs in midwifery at universities in B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.

Fraser, of the Association of Nova Scotia Midwives, said the training is similar to nursing baccalaureate programs insofar as they are four-year specialized degree programs that include clinical placements. But midwifery focuses strictly on sexual, reproductive and newborn health.

Fraser said midwifery programs are typically competitive to enter and most people have prior post-secondary or work experience.

Graduates are required to complete a one-year residency and pass a national licensing exam to become registered midwives.

There are also two Indigenous midwifery education programs in Canada — one in Ontario and one in Quebec — that have different curricula and licensing standards than the bachelor's programs.