Abstract
Background: Nursing and midwifery champions are seen in a variety of clinical settings to drive innovation and implement evidence-based care. They are often referred to as change champions and clinical leaders undertaking quality improvement initiatives aimed to improve healthcare outcomes. Little is known about their journey, why they accept the role, stay in the role and the support needed that enhances their professional development. Aim: To discover the journey of the nursing and midwifery champion. Methods: A qualitative design using narrative analysis. Findings: Four themes were revealed in this study: Walking your own path: becoming a champion; me myself and I: how being a champion relates to me as a person; the journey of a champion: things that happened along the way; foundations to flourish: influences and keys to growth as a champion and what's in it for me: reasons for being a champion. These themes encapsulate the events, actions and occurrences that shaped the journey of champions. Discussion: The evolution of nurses and midwives into champions is an interesting journey, influenced by many factors. Making a difference in the lives of others is the driving force behind their pursuit of becoming champions. They seek professional development opportunities which are supported by influential managers and role models. Conclusion: A nursing and midwifery champion is responsible for influencing, guiding and implementing initiatives to improve healthcare outcomes. Understanding how they become champions, key influences on their development and the reasons they stay in the role is beneficial to those involved in shaping and supporting emerging nursing and midwifery champions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 510-515 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Collegian |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| Publication status | Published - 2022 |
