Abstract

Background: Leadership development of maternal and child health nurses and midwives through the Maternal-Child Health Nurse Leadership Academy-Africa of Sigma Theta Tau International in partnership with Johnson & Johnson, has the spin-off benefit of inter-professional collaboration. Leadership skills are learnt through facilitated planning and implementation of quality improvement projects in a healthcare setting of own choice to improve healthcare of childbearing women, newborns and children up to 5 years old. To improve healthcare of any population cannot be optimally done in isolation or disciplinary silos. Healthcare disciplines need each other to meet the patients' and communities' needs, and even more in low resource settings with staff shortages. Quality improvement projects based on Kouzes and Posner's Leadership Challenge create space and skills for interprofessional collaboration. Purpose: To illustrate the availability of opportunities for inter-professional collaboration through a leadership development program. Methods: When reflecting on the retrospective measurable outcomes of Maternal-Child Leadership Academy in Africa, a breakdown is done of the various stakeholders identified as beneficiaries affected by the quality improvement projects to illustrate the opportunities created for inter-professional teamwork. This is done for four 18-month cohorts (pilot study plus 3 follow-up cohorts) and 42 quality improvement projects in maternal and child health, from 2014 until 2019. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: A description is given of a variety of quality improvement projects in maternal, newborn and child healthcare, the healthcare professionals who were beneficiaries and the opportunities for breaking down disciplinary silos and initiate inter-professional collaboration. Conclusion: The MCHNLA – Africa's leadership development program is a useful tool to enhance inter-professional collaboration. References: Kouzes, J.M. & Posner, B.Z. 2017. The leadership challenge. 6th edn. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sigma Theta Tau International: https://www.sigmanursing.org

Authors

Carin Maree

Author Details

Carin Maree, BCur (UP), Dipl Child Nursing, Dipl Neonatal Nursing, BACur (UNISA), MCur (UJ), PhD (UP), PGCHE (UP), fANSA, Associate Professor, Department of Nursing Science, Faculty Lead: Sigma Maternal-Child Health Nurse Leadership Academy Africa Cohort 2018/2019, Non-executive Director: Council of International Neonatal Nurses, Board Member: Neonatal Nurses' Association of Southern Africa

Sigma Membership

Chi Xi at-Large

Type

Poster

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Historical

Research Approach

Other

Keywords:

Maternal-Child Health, Leadership Development, Kouzes and Posner

Conference Name

Inter-professional Education and Collaborative Practice for Africa Conference

Conference Host

Tau Lambda at-Large Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International|Amref International University||WHO-FIC Collaborating Centre for the African region||Africa Interprofessional Education Network (AfrIPEN)||WHO Regional Office for Africa

Conference Location

Nairobi, Kenya

Conference Year

2019

Rights Holder

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Review Type

Faculty/Mentor Approved: Sigma Academy Participant Poster

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

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Leadership development as a strategy to enhance inter-professional collaboration

Nairobi, Kenya

Background: Leadership development of maternal and child health nurses and midwives through the Maternal-Child Health Nurse Leadership Academy-Africa of Sigma Theta Tau International in partnership with Johnson & Johnson, has the spin-off benefit of inter-professional collaboration. Leadership skills are learnt through facilitated planning and implementation of quality improvement projects in a healthcare setting of own choice to improve healthcare of childbearing women, newborns and children up to 5 years old. To improve healthcare of any population cannot be optimally done in isolation or disciplinary silos. Healthcare disciplines need each other to meet the patients' and communities' needs, and even more in low resource settings with staff shortages. Quality improvement projects based on Kouzes and Posner's Leadership Challenge create space and skills for interprofessional collaboration. Purpose: To illustrate the availability of opportunities for inter-professional collaboration through a leadership development program. Methods: When reflecting on the retrospective measurable outcomes of Maternal-Child Leadership Academy in Africa, a breakdown is done of the various stakeholders identified as beneficiaries affected by the quality improvement projects to illustrate the opportunities created for inter-professional teamwork. This is done for four 18-month cohorts (pilot study plus 3 follow-up cohorts) and 42 quality improvement projects in maternal and child health, from 2014 until 2019. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics. Results: A description is given of a variety of quality improvement projects in maternal, newborn and child healthcare, the healthcare professionals who were beneficiaries and the opportunities for breaking down disciplinary silos and initiate inter-professional collaboration. Conclusion: The MCHNLA – Africa's leadership development program is a useful tool to enhance inter-professional collaboration. References: Kouzes, J.M. & Posner, B.Z. 2017. The leadership challenge. 6th edn. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sigma Theta Tau International: https://www.sigmanursing.org