Delivering continuity of midwifery care to Queensland women

Section 3
How to implement a new model
This section outlines the steps in planning, preparing and
implementing a new midwifery continuity model. Brief explanations
are provided, with more detail available on some issues in other
sections and appendices available from the NMOQ website.
Dependent upon existing resources and community links, planning
and preparing for implementation may take 8 to 12 months. Carefully
approaching the planning process will avoid significant difficulties later
on in the implementation phase. Please refer to Homer, Brodie and Leap (2008) as an
overarching guide to planning and establishing models.
Implementation tasks have been listed below under four headings:
• Phase 1—Preparation: Steps taken by senior management to allow the establishment of a
new model of care.
• Phase 2—Commencing the project: Detailed consultation and decision-making about
what the model will look like.
• Phase 3—Pre-implementation: Detailed planning and preparations for implementation.
• Phase 4—Implementation: Assisting midwifery staff to deliver care and function effectively
in the service.
• Phase 5—Evaluation: this must be factored into implementation.
Not all services will need to follow each step below in the specified order. Steps may need to
be re-ordered due to local needs and some steps may have already been achieved.
Phase 1—Preparation
• The CEO of the Hospital and Health Service identifies the minimum continuity of maternity
care target for their service. There is no upper limit to the target a service may choose to
achieve.
• The CEO secures a senior executive sponsor or sponsors for the project (in most cases
the Director of Nursing and Midwifery (DONM) or the Exectutive Director of Nursing and
Midwifery (EDNM).
• Senior executive notifies staff of intent to investigate and develop a model.
• Senior executive staff engages with Queensland Nurses Union (QNU) and consumers.
• Senior executive staff will identify funding for a project officer from current establishment
or alternative funding source (e.g. Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Service).
• Senior executive staff will develop a role description for a project officer/change agent
capable of developing the model and recruiting (e.g. Midwifery Unit Manager or senior
clinical midwife). The project officer is appointed.
Phase 2—Commencing the project
The project officer referred to in this section will be the person specifically charged by the
senior executive with developing and implementing the midwifery model of care.
• The executive sponsor ensures the project officer has project and change management
skills or arranges training for the project officer.
• The project officer develops a project plan including objectives (see generic project plan
template in Appendix 3.06, see example Gantt chart provided in Appendix 3.03).
• The project officer, in conjunction with senior executive staff, identifies internal and
external stakeholders for inclusion on the steering committee or for engagement through
other communication strategies.
• The project officer ensures the steering committee operates under terms of reference
guided by Midwifery Models Clinical Governance (Queensland Health 2008) (see Section
6 and Appendix 3.01). It is important to schedule meetings six months in advance.
A guide to implementation
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