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Midwives and Practitioners of Natural Healing (NOC 3232)
Description
Midwives provide care and advice to women and their babies during pregnancy, labour, birth and for six weeks after birth to both the new mother and the baby. They are employed by Regional Health Authorities, the Northern Medical Unit and the provincial government.or in private practice. Practitioners of natural healing provide alternative forms of health care to patients. They are employed by clinics, health clubs, spas or health food stores, or they may work in private practice.
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Example Titles
- acupuncturist
- Chinese medical practitioner
- doula
- herbalist
- herborist
- homeopath
- homeopathist
- midwife
- reflexologist
- rolfer
>> View all titles
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Classified Elsewhere
- Massage therapists (in 3235 Other Technical Occupations in Therapy and Assessment)
- Naturopathic and osteopathic physicians (in 3123 Other Professional Occupations in Health Diagnosing and Treating)
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Duties
The following is a summary of the main duties for some occupations in this unit group:
- Midwives provide primary care to women and their babies during pregnancy, labour, birth and the post-natal
- period including monitoring the health of mother and baby, counselling and providing advice on diet, conducting routine deliveries and assisting in complicated deliveries. They also admit patients to hospitals through Family Practice Medicine, prescribe medications, order and interpret diagnostic tests and perform minor surgical procedures.
- Acupuncturists diagnose the diseases, physiological disorders and injuries of patients and treat them by the insertion of acupuncture needles or through the use of heat, pressure, electric current or rays of light.
- Chinese medical practitioners diagnose the diseases, physiological disorders and injuries of patients and treat them using raw herbs and other medicines, dietary supplements or acupuncture.
- Herbalists advise patients on the use of herbs for the treatment of conditions such as arthritis, rheumatism, asthma, skin
- disorders and stomach ailments and may sell these herbs.
- Homeopaths diagnose illnesses and treat them by administering, in chemical or herbal form, a small dosage of the illness
- itself or by suggesting lifestyle changes.
- Reflexologists apply gentle finger pressure to specific spots on the clients' hands or feet to promote relaxation and better health and well-being.
- Rolfers systematically manipulate various parts of the body such as the legs and shoulders in order to realign the structure of the body and reduce chronic pain and stress.
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Skills
Midwives and Practitioners of Natural Healing need the following skills and abilities:
Essential Skills:
- be able to relate well to a wide range of people and gain their confidence,
- ability to work independently and as a member of a team,
- good problem-solving and decision-making skills,
- emotional stability, maturity, integrity, reliability, realistic self appraisal,
- ability to cope with stressful situations,
- physical stamina and manual dexterity,
- good listening and observational skills,
- good verbal and written communication skills,
- knowledge of computers.
Technical skills:
- operation of technical medical equipment
- supervisory skills in directing and instructing staff,
- administrative skills such as basic accounting, human resources and materials
- management may be required for practitioners operating their own offices.
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Employment Requirements
- Midwives require the successful completion of an approved program leading to a degree, diploma or certificate in midwifery and/or an approved core competencies
- assessment. Midwives in Manitoba must be registered with the College of Midwives of Manitoba.
- Specialized training (along with a period of supervised practical training) at college, university or private institutes is required to work in most fields of natural healing.
- Doctors of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Doctor of Acupuncture, Acupuncture Practitioners, Adjunct Acupuncturists, and Herbalists may require membership to The Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Association of Canada. To qualify for membership 6-7 years of specialized university-level education is usually required.
- Doctors of Naturopathic Medicine require a 4-year post-graduate degree accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education and are required to be licensed by the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE).
- Doctors of Homeopathic Medicine require the successful completion of an accredited program. They may be required to be a member of The National United Professionals Association of Trained Homeopaths and/of the North American Society of Homeopaths. Membership with the Homeopathic Medical Council of Canada may also be required.
- Reflexologists may require membership with the Reflexology Association of Canada.
- Reiki Practitioners may require registration with the Canadian Reiki Association.
- For more information please contact the local or national association in that field.
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Terms & Conditions
The working conditions of midwives and practitioners of natural healing vary greatly depending on their specialty. Midwives either share call or are on call 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. They may work rotating shifts and long, unpredictable hours. They may be required to attend to expectant mothers on very short notice. The work of midwives is physically demanding as they stand, kneel, bend or squat for long periods of time when providing care to their patients. They may be required to lift or reposition patients. Midwives must have reliable vehicles and the equipment required to practice midwifery.
Practitioners of natural healing generally work regular business hours in offices, clinics, wellness clinics, retail outlets or client's homes. They may work evenings and weekends to accommodate clients. Some lifting (up to 10 kilograms) may be required.
Almost all midwives are employees of the Manitoba Regional Health Authorities. The majority of practitioners of natural healing are self employed (58%) in private practice or as business owners. Almost half (39%) of them work part time.
The earnings quoted apply to those who work full time only.
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Earnings
$75,700 per annum - starting
$82,100 per annum - average
$88,600 per annum - high
Earnings are reviewed annually or more frequently if new information becomes available.
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Education / Training
Midwifery:
Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine:
Training is not available in Manitoba. Training is available out-of-province at:
British Columbia:
- PCU College of Holistic Medicine (Burnaby) - acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, and herbology. http://www.pcucollege.ca
- Canadian College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (Victoria) - Acupuncture, Traditional Chinese Medicine. http://www.ccaom.com
- Academy of Classical Oriental Sciences (Nelson) - Traditional Chinese Medicine, International College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Vancouver) - Traditional Chinese
- Medicine, Chinese Acupuncture and Chinese Herbology. http://www.acos.org/
- The Oshio College of Acupuncture and Herbology (in Victoria) - Acupuncture, Chinese Herbology and Chinese Medicine. http://www.oshio.ca/
Alberta:
- The Alberta College of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (Calgary), offers a diploma program in Acupuncture, Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine program,
- and a Master of Herbology program. http://www.acatcm.com/
- The Canadian Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Calgary) offers diploma programs in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, and Chinese Massage.
Ontario:
- Toronto School of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Toronto) - Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Medicine and Chinese Massage.
- http://www.tstcm.com/
- Ontario College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Toronto), Ryerson University (Toronto) - continuing education, The Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Toronto), The
- Institute of Traditional Medicine (Toronto), College of Acupuncture and Therapeutics (Kitchener).
Homeopathy and Naturopathy:
- The Manitoba College of Homeopathic Medicine offers a three-year Doctor of Homeopathic Medicine Diploma with extensive clinical training.
- Programs accredited by The National United Professionals Association of Trained Homeopaths are available at: Hahnemann College for Heilkunst (Manotick, Ontario), Toronto School of Homeopathic Medicine (Toronto) and British Institute of Homeopathy Canada (Ottawa, Ontario).
- Accredited training to become a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine is not available in Manitoba. The only accredited training program in Canada is at the Canadian College of
- Naturopathic Medicine (North York, Ontario).
Reflexology and Reiki:
- The Reflexology Association of Canada offers professional certification and private reflexology training programs. http://www.reflexologycanada.ca/
- Certified Reiki Teachers generally offer Reiki certification level courses through private businesses or classes.
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Career Paths
Experienced nurses or health care aides may develop an interest in midwifery and obtain certification with further training and education. Midwives currently practicing in Manitoba are employed by local Regional Health Authorities. Advancement to other positions is possible with further training and education.
Doctors of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Herbalists and Acupuncturists, Doctors of Naturopathic Medicine, Homeopaths, Reflexologists, and Reiki Masters may be employed by others or have their own private practices, where expanding the number of clients is the usual way of advancing a career.
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Outlook
Employment prospects for midwives and practitioners of natural healing are expected to be good in the 2010 - 2014 period. Employment in Manitoba in 2010 is estimated at 200.
This is a very small occupational group, but one that will benefit from the growing interest in "natural" alternatives to traditional western medical practice. As well, people are becoming more willing to supplement conventional medicine with alternative methods to achieve optimum physical and mental health.
The growing midwifery trend is an example of the greater shift in attitude toward birthing. More expectant mothers are choosing midwives because they want a more natural, relaxed birth that is tailored to their individual needs. In Manitoba, the midwifery act and regulation legislated in 2000 made midwifery a self-regulated profession. As of March 2009, there were 51 midwives registered with the College of Midwives of Manitoba. Forty of these are currently practising and all are employed by regional health authorities.
The Manitoba government plans to construct a new womens hospital at the Health Science centre in Winnipeg and will acquire the property for this project in October 2009. When complete this facility employ leading-edge technology and expand the range of birthing facilities and options available. The provincial government is also planning to establish a new birthing centre in southern Manitoba; the location has not been determined.
Midwives are found in most regions of the province , but the greatest concentration is in the south of the province. Practitioners of natural healing are found in most regions of Manitoba, although the greatest concentration is in the North. Across industries, members of this occupational group are employed in Health Care and Social Assistance (83%), Other Services (except Public Administration) (5%) and Retail Trade (5%).
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Employment by Age Group
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Employment by Industry
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Employment by Region
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Employment by Gender
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Employment by Aboriginal Self-Identification
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Employment by Visible Minority
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Please Note - The source for above charts is the 2006 Census.
Professional Associations, Unions, and Regulatory Bodies...
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