General introduction | 19 education of midwives in the Netherlands prepares students for a full qualification. They are allowed to register themselves as a midwife after graduation.54 The regulation of the educational programme at a national level is laid down in an Order of Council Midwifery.55 Due to the inflow of midwifery students in the Netherlands being limited by the government, there is also an influx of NQMs who are educated in other countries. Midwives with a bachelor’s degree in midwifery obtained in another European Union Member State can practice as a midwife in the Netherlands. Twenty per cent of all practicing midwives in the Netherlands were educated abroad.36 Most of them were educated in Belgium. Belgian midwifery students are also trained to be independent professionals in the care of women with uncomplicated pregnancies.56 However, they are mainly trained in a hospital setting. Therefore, Belgian midwifery students do not acquire all the professional competencies and autonomy they need to work in the community.56 For a Master of Science degree, midwives are dependent on generic Master of Science programmes in research or health sciences. In 2023 a Master midwifery programme started at national level, provided by a collaboration between all universities with a bachelor of midwifery programme. PhD tracks have been developed at the midwifery academies in cooperation with other universities.
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