- Posted on 12 Mar 2026
Midwives across the world are under growing pressure, with many reporting exhaustion, stress and a desire to leave the profession.
Australia is no exception. A 2024 national review commissioned by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia found the country’s midwifery workforce is in “crisis,” and revealed that one in three midwives are considering leaving due to burnout, stress and low job satisfaction.
In light of these pressures, new research from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) has found that regular Group Clinical Supervision (GCS) can meaningfully reduce burnout among midwives working in public maternity services.
The study titled, The effect of group clinical supervision on the burnout levels among midwives: A cluster randomised controlled trial was published today in the journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.
Lead author Professor Christine Catling said the findings arrive at a critical moment for the profession.
“Midwives carry a significant emotional and physical load,” she said.
“Support that allows them time to pause and reflect on the challenges they face can make the daily pressures more manageable.”
The UTS‑led trial followed almost 2000 midwives across 12 public maternity services in NSW over more than two years.
Midwives at intervention sites were offered monthly, hour‑long GCS sessions facilitated by trained senior midwifery academics.
Each session provided a confidential setting where small groups could reflect on their experiences and develop strategies for managing the emotional demands of their work.
After adjusting for key demographic and workplace factors, the study showed that access to GCS led to lower overall burnout, with a statistically significant reduction in work‑related burnout.
The improvement was modest yet meaningful, demonstrating that structured, reflective support can help midwives manage the pressures of their work
The benefits of the program also extended beyond individual sessions.
“Midwives told us that simply knowing the support was available made them feel more valued, creating a sense that their wellbeing mattered to the organisation.”
Previous research has shown that early‑career midwives are the most likely to leave the profession, reporting higher burnout and stronger intentions to leave than experienced colleagues.
At the same time, many older midwives have accelerated their retirement plans following the COVID‑19 pandemic. This combination has created skill-mix gaps and increased workloads.
“Burnout can lead to depersonalisation and compassion fatigue, which makes it harder for midwives to offer the level of care they want to provide.”
“When midwives don’t get the support they need, this can affect the quality of care they give to parents, which makes structured workplace support more important than ever” she said.
“Group Clinical Supervision offers consistent support that quick‑fix wellbeing activities like lunchtime yoga sessions simply can’t provide.”
The researchers suggest that scaling up GCS across maternity services and offering more frequent sessions or consistent closed groups could deepen the benefits observed.
While the program was effective, Professor Catling emphasised that broader reforms are also essential.
“We need safer staffing levels, improved skill mix and workplace culture, as well as flexible models of care.
“But while those changes are developed, we cannot ignore the everyday realities facing midwives. Programs like GCS offer a clear and achievable way to support the workforce now,” said Professor Catling.
“Midwives play an irreplaceable role in ensuring safe, high‑quality maternity care.
“It’s time to provide them with the same level of care and compassion they give others every day.”