‘Very rewarding’: Graduate midwives choosing Townsville’s Mater over Brisbane

Townsville’s Mater Hospital has welcomed five new graduate midwives to the team, helping continue the ward’s long tradition of delivering hundreds of babies each year.

Midwives India Burns, Shanelle Williams, Rebekah Barrie (Midwifery and Nursing Unit Manager), Naomi Speed and Jess Dowling.

Many regional maternity wards are used to losing talented staff to the big cities, but the reverse has happened in the latest hiring blitz at Townsville’s Mater Hospital.

Of the five new graduate midwives joining the team, three have relocated from Brisbane to learn more about regional healthcare.

This brings the total number of midwives at Mater up to 24, helping deliver around 600 babies each year - roughly 11 a week.

Midwifery and Nursing Unit Manager Rebekah Barrie said this was the largest single intake of graduate midwives the ward has ever had.

Naomi Speed, 21, recently graduated from the University of Queensland before moving north for the job.

“I really like working in a smaller hospital because there are better opportunities for learning and I can care for mothers and their babies throughout their entire stay,” Ms Speed said.

“The continuity of care in a smaller environment is very rewarding.”

Work is underway on the expansion and relocation of Mater Mothers’ Private Townsville at Hyde Park to Mater’s main Pimlico campus.

Originally published as ‘Very rewarding’: Graduate midwives choosing Townsville’s Mater over Brisbane