Is the midwifery profession academic enough?

This is the final article in a series of six inspired by themes arising from the Royal College of Midwives' state of midwifery education report. The series has explored the current landscape and challenges in educating the future midwifery workforce, particularly those that relate to the higher education workforce itself. This article considers the academic level of the midwifery profession. The decreasing number of midwifery professors in higher education was noted in the Royal College of Midwives' report. This article explores how relatively recent regulatory changes may have decreased opportunities for registered midwives to advance their academic qualifications and contribute to the professional knowledge base. It also examines how midwives can be better supported to undertake additional academic qualifications and research, whether they work in practice or higher education.