A new role at Mackay Base Hospital is helping grow and strengthen the midwifery workforce in the Mackay region and improve care and support for new mums, bubs and families.
As the first clinical midwife facilitator at Mackay Base Hospital, Erin O’Reilly will support, mentor and assess student and graduate midwives and act as a critical bridge between their studies and practical application.
The new role is part of the Midwifery Clinical Facilitator Program, an initiative to grow, strengthen and retain the state’s midwifery workforce in regional and rural communities.
Erin’s appointment, which is one of seven (7) new facilitator roles across the state, has allowed Mackay HHS to expand its capacity and increase midwifery graduates to five this year, the last graduate arriving in May.
Mackay Hospital and Health Service (HHS) Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery James William Jenkins said the initiative recognised the important role that both experienced and graduate midwives play in supporting mothers, babies and their families.
“By expanding supervision and support on the ground, the program will complement the rollout of midwife-to-patient ratios and allow additional graduate midwives to be trained and recruited into regional hospitals like Mackay,” he said.
“These clinical facilitators like Erin will help midwifery students and graduates to build their careers locally.
“By strengthening training pathways and supporting experienced clinicians to mentor the next generation, we’re helping build a more sustainable and supported workforce for our region.”
While Erin has only been in the clinical facilitator role since February, she’s already making a difference for the graduate midwives at Mackay Base Hospital.
“Having this type of support available to our grads makes a world of difference, not only to clinical outcomes but also to staff wellbeing,” Erin said.
“It also helps with retention of staff and improves culture across the nursing and midwifery workforce. If our grads are feeling more supported, they're going to feel more confident in their clinical decisions as well.
“You also become another person for the grads to escalate to, so another layer of safety for local families.”
In addition to her decade of midwifery experience, mentoring the next generation of the midwifery workforce is also proving very satisfying.
“Getting to support women when they are at their most vulnerable is an honour and to get to be there to witness the power of it and make a difference in that special moment is so rewarding,” she said.
“People think that nurses come to midwifery for the babies, but it's really for the women. It’s all about the women.”
Today, May 5, is International Day of the Midwife where midwifes like Erin are recognised for their work and contribution to maternal and newborn health throughout the world.
The Mackay HHS marked the occasion with lunch and the presentation of the 2026 International Day of the Midwife Awards.