Exploring the key elements required for midwives to develop a new model of postnatal care within an acute care setting
type: CreativeWork
description: Aim This research aimed to explore the key elements to improve the quality of postnatal care provided to women in a public hospital postnatal ward in Sydney and to attempt to implement a new model of postnatal care. Background Reports, internationally and nationally, indicate that women are least satisfied with hospital-based postnatal care when compared with antenatal, labour and birth care. Many researchers have identified the components of postnatal care that women find most helpful however, there continues to be barriers to develop and test innovative approaches or models of postnatal care within hospital settings. The focus of this project was to try to move the postnatal ward to a culture that is woman and baby centred rather than illness or institution-centred. The development process drew on Practice Development approaches that would enable midwives to facilitate change in the environment and culture of the postnatal ward with a view to improving postnatal care for women and their families. Method A qualitative descriptive study, using a three phased approach, was adopted for this research. Phase one was to identify the issues and concerns by conducting focus groups with staff. Phase two challenged usual practices and explored new ways of providing care in the postnatal ward. This phase incorporated working with the staff utilising Practice Development approaches. The third phase explored with key stakeholders the outcomes and issues of phase two including the barriers and limitations to enable midwives to implement a new model of postnatal care. Findings There were a number of barriers for change to occur including the current system of maternity care provided to women. This has also been reported by others over the past few decades. Within an acute care hospital environment, the midwives struggled to provide quality midwifery care with a philosophy of care counter to that which had been imbedded over many years. Midwives were caught up managing the day to …
abstract: Aim This research aimed to explore the key elements to improve the quality of postnatal care provided to women in a public hospital postnatal ward in Sydney and to attempt to implement a new model of postnatal care. Background Reports, internationally and nationally, indicate that women are least satisfied with hospital-based postnatal care when compared with antenatal, labour and birth care. Many researchers have identified the components of postnatal care that women find most helpful however, there continues to be barriers to develop and test innovative approaches or models of postnatal care within hospital settings. The focus of this project was to try to move the postnatal ward to a culture that is woman and baby centred rather than illness or institution-centred. The development process drew on Practice Development approaches that would enable midwives to facilitate change in the environment and culture of the postnatal ward with a view to improving postnatal care for women and their families. Method A qualitative descriptive study, using a three phased approach, was adopted for this research. Phase one was to identify the issues and concerns by conducting focus groups with staff. Phase two challenged usual practices and explored new ways of providing care in the postnatal ward. This phase incorporated working with the staff utilising Practice Development approaches. The third phase explored with key stakeholders the outcomes and issues of phase two including the barriers and limitations to enable midwives to implement a new model of postnatal care. Findings There were a number of barriers for change to occur including the current system of maternity care provided to women. This has also been reported by others over the past few decades. Within an acute care hospital environment, the midwives struggled to provide quality midwifery care with a philosophy of care counter to that which had been imbedded over many years. Midwives were caught up managing the day to …
author: Passant, L
language: en
keywords: Postnatal care., Midwifery., Maternity., Breastfeeding., Australia.
date published: 2012
date modified: 2026-07-24T06:32:42Z
provider: University of Technology Sydney
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Technology Sydney

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/10453/20419