Introduction: Clinical Leadership is a way of facilitating change and increasing the quality of care at the front line of practice. However, the failure of midwifery leadership and being designated an oppressed group questions the ability of midwives to practice as clinical leaders in the labour ward environment. Whilst there is some research relating to clinical leadership in nursing, no research exists that investigates the clinical leadership of midwives who are directly involved in giving care to women. Aim: The aim of this research was to explore clinical leadership on the labour ward and to develop an understanding of the associated characteristics of clinical leadership. The attributes that delineated effective clinical leadership were examined in addition to associated professional discourses and relationships of power that existed on the labour ward. Methods: A critical ethnographic approach was undertaken on the labour ward of a district general hospital and a teaching hospital in the North of England, using participant observation and semi-structured interviews. A total of sixty-nine hours of participant observation was undertaken. A purposive sample of 30 midwives were interviewed in the first instance and further interviews were undertaken with 18 midwives who were nominated as effective clinical leaders by the midwives in the initial interviews. Data were examined through the lens of Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice. Findings: Clinical leadership existed at different levels on the labour ward, however, midwives mostly identified LWCs in this role. LWCs’ clinical leadership was necessary, contradictory, gendered, socialised and unsupported within the hierarchical, high-risk and fearful labour ward. A combination of heroic and values-based clinical leadership was required to maintain safety and facilitate productivity. Heroic leadership, the high level of accountability and symbolic capital invested in the LWC led to a loss of autonomy for other midwives, a lack of dissent and difficulty initiating changes in practice. The contradictory nature of the LWCs’ work and a lack of support led to them experiencing both emotional and physical stress. Within an increasingly highrisk labour ward environment the LWC clinical leaders experienced professional misrecognition and discrimination that resulted in dysfunctional inter-professional relationships and keeping the obstetricians away from women. Conclusion: A high level of responsibility invested in the LWC combined with socialisation led to heroic leadership which fostered dependency prevented change and innovation. Inequalities of power and dysfunctional relationships were symptoms of a system failure that does not support midwifery practice or woman-centred care. Recommendations are made for policy, education, practice and future research.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:717029 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Parkin, Julie |
| Contributors | Marshall, Joyce ; Deery, Ruth ; Fisher, Pamela |
| Publisher | University of Huddersfield |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/31925/ |
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