“Midwifery has given me a career I love,” according to Yvonne Tier, Limerick native and Advanced Midwife Practitioner in Supported Care, who passionately speaks of a profession grounded in purpose, possibility and progression.
“There’s such privilege in what we do, in walking alongside women and families at such important moments in their lives.”
Her own journey into midwifery did not begin with a long-held plan to work in maternity services. It began, as many career journeys do, with curiosity.
Originally qualifying in general nursing, Yvonne started her career in orthopaedic nursing. She enjoyed the work, valued the grounding it gave her, and yet found herself repeatedly drawn to something else. The Higher Diploma in Midwifery kept appearing, she says, and, with it, a persistent sense that this might be a path worth exploring.
“I kept seeing the HDip advertised,” she recalls. “Every time it came around, I noticed it. There was something in me that kept coming back to it.”
Eventually, she stopped wondering and applied.
Looking back now, she describes that decision - undertaking the 18-month Higher Diploma in Midwifery - as one of the most important of her professional life.
“I took the leap, and, honestly, never looked back.”
For Yvonne, the Higher Diploma was not simply a postgraduate qualification. It was the beginning of an entirely new professional identity.
Valuing her original nursing roots, she is thoughtful in how she describes the distinction between the two professions.
“They’re connected, of course, and nursing gives you such a strong foundation,” she says. “But midwifery is its own profession. It has its own philosophy, its own autonomy, its own relationships with women and families. It is very special.”
What surprised her most, perhaps, was just how much she would be drawn in by the work itself.
“There’s something about midwifery that becomes addictive,” she says. “People laugh when I say that, but it’s true. It gets under your skin.”
Part of that, she explains, lies in the extraordinary breadth of the role.
There is the clinical skill and technical expertise. The rapid decision-making. The physiology and complexity. The emotional intelligence required. The advocacy. The continuity.
And there is also something harder to define.
“It’s such relational work,” she says. “You’re not just treating or doing. You’re partnering with women. You’re supporting, listening, guiding, empowering. That’s incredibly fulfilling.”
She speaks candidly too about the emotional depth of the profession.
“There are incredible highs,” she says. “Healthy births, joyful moments, seeing women come into their confidence - those experiences stay with you.”
“But there are lows too. There are difficult days, grief, loss, situations that stay with you. Midwifery asks a lot of you emotionally.”
Rather than diminishing the profession, she feels that complexity is part of what makes it meaningful.
“It’s a privilege,” she says. “Even in the hard moments.”
For nurses considering the Higher Diploma route, she believes that sense of meaning is one of midwifery’s greatest draws.
“It’s not just a career. It can become a vocation.”
That vocation has taken her far beyond where she first imagined.
After qualifying as a midwife and building years of clinical experience, Yvonne pursued further education through a master’s in nursing and midwifery, later progressing through the medicinal prescribing pathway and achieving recognition as an Advanced Midwife Practitioner.
Today, she works in a highly autonomous advanced practice role within a supported care pathway, providing care for women across their pregnancy journey.
It is a role she describes with obvious care, attention and pride: “I run my own clinics, assess women, make decisions, order investigations, prescribe, manage care plans,” she says. “Women come to me for their care and I can provide that full episode of care.”
It is demanding, she acknowledges: “There’s responsibility with that. You carry a caseload. You stay organised. You have to stand over your decisions.”
But it is also deeply satisfying: “The autonomy is wonderful. And the continuity — that’s probably the best part. Continuity changes everything.”
When the same clinician supports a woman through pregnancy, birth and beyond, she explains, trust develops in a different way.
“You build real relationships. Women know you, you know them, and care becomes more personalised, more collaborative.”
That continuity, increasingly central to modern maternity care models, is something she believes attracts many nurses to midwifery once they experience it.
“It’s one of the beauties of the profession,” she says.
Her career progression also challenges assumptions about what midwifery can offer.
Sometimes, she feels, nurses considering the HDip may see it as narrowing into a specialty.
She sees the opposite.
“It opens doors,” she says.
She speaks enthusiastically about the pathways available within the profession — specialist practice, community roles, leadership, research, education, advanced practice.
“There are so many ways your career can evolve.”
And importantly, she adds, becoming a midwife does not mean leaving nursing behind.
“You’re not losing anything,” she says. “You’re adding another dimension to what you can do.”
She believes dual qualification as nurse and midwife is a huge professional strength.
And for those hesitating because the move feels daunting, she offers reassurance: “Yes, it’s 18 months. Yes, it’s a commitment. But it is absolutely achievable and so worth it.”
As a mother balancing professional and family life herself, she understands the practical concerns many applicants may have:
“We can talk ourselves out of opportunities,” she says. “Sometimes you have to trust yourself and go for it.”
That philosophy has shaped much of her own career. When she talks about advanced practice, she does so, not in terms of titles, but in terms of impact.
For her, the appeal lies in being able to advocate, lead and support women to make informed choices.
“It’s always about partnership,” she says. “It’s not telling women what to do - it’s helping them make decisions with the best evidence and support.”
That advocacy, she believes, sits at the heart of midwifery. “And there is huge satisfaction in this work,” she says. “Huge.”
When asked what she would say to a nurse wondering whether midwifery might be for them, her answer comes quickly: “Apply. Honestly - explore it. Try it. The opportunity is there.”
“If I had my time again,” she says, “I’d make the same decision in a heartbeat.”
And perhaps that is the strongest endorsement of all, as she re-iterates: “Take the leap. It might just be the best career move you ever make.”
The HDip in Midwifery is now open for applications.
Find more information and how to apply for the HDip in Midwifery