Reasons why midwives leave

Most of us remember the seminal piece of work by Ball et al (2002) entitled Why midwives leave, and were, perhaps, not surprised by its findings about dissatisfaction and lack of support in the working environment.

Subsequently, Finlayson et al (2002) contacted midwives who had recently left the profession to find out why. They found that it was often not an easy decision, and could even be described as painful. This suggests a dilemma for midwives who might otherwise be persuaded to stay, in the right circumstances and with the appropriate sup port. Finlayson et al (2002) supported the findings of Ball et al (2002), reporting that the majority of midwives were dis satisfied with the provision of maternity care and their professional role, leading to low morale and reduced motivation.