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A new generation of midwives is being nurtured across the Darling Downs, thanks to a Queensland Government-funded Midwifery Clinical Facilitator Program that is strengthening maternity services and building a sustainable regional workforce.
Coinciding with International Day of the Midwife (recognised on 5 May), celebrated under the global theme One Million More Midwives, the program is delivering tangible results.
The program is creating meaningful career pathways for experienced clinicians while mentoring and supporting graduate midwives to work and stay in regional communities.
The initiative has provided 39 new graduate midwives across the Darling Downs access to midwifery clinical facilitators, including for the first time in all rural facilities.
Darling Downs Health Service Chief Executive, Annette Scott PSM said the expansion of midwifery clinical facilitators was an essential investment in both patient care and workforce sustainability.
“Midwifery Clinical Facilitators are the quiet force behind exceptional maternity care,”
Darling Downs Health Service Chief Executive, Annette Scott PSM
“They provide hands-on guidance and leadership for our students and new graduates, ensuring women and babies across the Darling Downs receive the safest, highest-quality care.”
Clinical Midwife Facilitators are highly experienced midwives who mentor and assess student and graduate midwives during clinical placements, acting as a vital bridge between university education and real-world practice.
At Toowoomba Hospital, facilitators like Natalia and Natalie are embedded in busy clinical environments, providing calm, consistent support when it matters most.
Natalia said the role was as much about confidence as clinical skill.
“The role of the clinical facilitator is to support the clinical space, support for first year practice midwives as well as other midwives generally who are seeking to upskill or improve on clinical skills,” said Natalia.
“Sometimes it’s about reminding them of what they already know - they’ve been there, they’ve done the education, they are all extraordinarily competent and intelligent.
“I’m just that presence in the room that nods and smiles and says, ‘we’re here, but you have got this’.”
Fellow facilitator Natalie said being visible and approachable was key to helping new graduates transition with confidence.
“My job is different every day - making sure the team feels supported, their day is running smoothly, and they know I’m there to help,” she said.
“It’s hard being new. For first year of practice midwives, it’s about being a friendly face and someone they can come to when they need support.”
The program gives experienced midwives the opportunity to step into higher-level clinical leadership roles, while ensuring graduate midwives receive structured, consistent support during the most critical stage of their careers.
As the global midwifery community calls for action under the International Day of the Midwife 2026 theme One Million More Midwives, Darling Downs Health’s Clinical Facilitator Program stands as a local example of how targeted investment can yield real outcomes.
By growing and sustaining the midwifery workforce, the program is helping ensure women, babies and families across the Darling Downs continue to receive extraordinary maternity care into the future.