The discussion of leadership styles related to midwifery clinical practice is important to guide practitioners in terms of developing their leader skills (Bannon, Alderdice, & McNeills, 2017; Divall, 2015a; Divall, 2015b). In the article “What Attributes Do Australian Midwifery Leaders Identify as Essential to Effectively Manage a Midwifery Group Practice?” Hewitt, Priddis and Dahlen (2019) focused on investigating qualities typical of midwifery leaders in the Australian context. The purpose of this paper is to provide the critique of the selected article and analyse how its findings can inform the practice of midwives.
The researchers started their article from discussing the background for the study and presented the relevant purpose for their research: to explore the attributes midwifery managers should have to provide sustainable services. Hewitt et al. (2019) selected a qualitative methodology as appropriate for their study because a qualitative study based on the thematic analysis was effective to collect data for interpreting subjective visions of midwifery leaders regarding attributes to possess. The selected research design, an interpretive study, was chosen as suitable for this project. Furthermore, the researchers also explained the recruitment and sampling strategies. It was stated that purposive sampling was important to attract eight midwives practicing in Australia to provide their views on leadership in this area.
The data were successfully collected with the help of semi-structured interviews appropriate for the selected research type. Hewitt et al. (2019) considered their relationship with the participants while adding the statement about reflexivity.
The necessity to take approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee at Western Sydney University was also mentioned in the article. The midwives’ narratives were analysed with the help of thematic analysis that was efficient to reveal traits associated with effective midwifery leaders with a focus on transformational leadership. The findings were carefully interpreted in the context of the previous literature, and the importance of transformational leadership qualities in midwifery leaders was discussed in the Australian context. Limitations of the study were also described and addressed by the researchers.
The results of the critiqued article can inform midwifery practice while listing the qualities and traits midwives should develop to be perceived as transformational leaders. Following the study results, midwives can develop their effectiveness in interacting with colleagues, focusing on patients’ needs, as well as improving their inner leadership attributes. This article accentuates the importance of developing a transformational leadership style to act as an effective midwifery manager.
References
Bannon, E. M., Alderdice, F., & McNeills, J. (2017). A review of midwifery leadership. British Journal of Midwifery, 25(10), 655-661.
Divall, B. (2015a). A rock and a hard place: Challenges for midwifery leadership. Women and Birth, 28, S12-S13.
Divall, B. (2015b). Negotiating competing discourses in narratives of midwifery leadership in the English NHS. Midwifery, 31(11), 1060-1066.
Hewitt, L., Priddis, H., & Dahlen, H. G. (2019). What attributes do Australian midwifery leaders identify as essential to effectively manage a Midwifery Group Practice? Women and Birth, 32(2), 168-177.