Abstract
Problem
Little is known about what midwifery leaders need to effectively contribute to maternity
services reform.
Background
Despite evidence establishing midwifery continuity of care as the gold standard of
maternity care, implementation of these models has been slow. Midwives in health service
leadership roles are in an ideal position to re-orientate maternity services to midwifery
continuity of care.
Question
What do midwives in leadership positions need in order to be effective in contributing
to the reform of maternity services in Australia?
Methods
This qualitative descriptive study used purposive sampling to recruit 13 midwifery
leaders from across Australia. Individual telephone interviews were conducted and
analysed through line-by-line coding and identification of themes.
Findings
Five main themes emerged from the data: ‘core leadership skills and education are essential’; ‘motivation and commitment to implementing evidence-based maternity care’; ‘ability to create and sustain strategic relationships’; ‘bringing the vision to life’ which contained two sub-themes of ‘changing the culture’ and ‘reaching midwifery’s full potential’; and, ‘organisational support and commitment are key to maternity reform’.
Discussion
This study echoes findings from previous research emphasising the importance of leadership
attributes and development opportunities for midwifery leaders. Additional needs of
midwifery leaders were also revealed, which have not yet been extensively explored
in the literature, including a strong commitment to continuity of care, effective
relationships with key stakeholders and support from healthcare executives.
Conclusion
Midwifery leaders need to be equipped to contribute to maternity care reform through
leadership development opportunities, effective relationships and support from healthcare
executives.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 27, 2021
Accepted:
April 18,
2021
Received in revised form:
March 10,
2021
Received:
September 28,
2020
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
