A Participatory Action Research Project: Investigating a Structured, Whole-of-degree Approach to Developing Undergraduate Midwifery Students’ Teamwork Skills

Teamwork skills are an intrinsic part of day-to-day activities of maternity services, influencing workplace culture, midwife retention and quality, safe care. Effective teamwork depends upon the social and emotional competencies involved in interpersonal interactions in the workplace. Intra- and inter-professional relationship components of effective teamwork are contingent upon the individual’s social and emotional skills. A regional university implemented a whole-of-degree educational strategy aiming to facilitate the development of midwifery students’ teamwork skills that are sustainable in real-world practice following graduation. A PAR methodology to develop and refine the strategy, which engaged educators and students in an iterative process over 3 years of their undergraduate degree, was approved by University Ethics Committee. The study resulted in theory and evidence to describe, explain and predict the effects of implementing the strategy designed to teach and assess teamwork skills. Newly graduated midwives who had been taught teamwork skills and practice, and developed those skills throughout their degree, appeared to be more effective team members, despite their junior status. Implementing a whole-of-degree educational strategy to develop teamwork skills in undergraduate midwifery students may improve inter-professional interactions, reduce the incidence of bullying and make health care safer. The study contributes to understanding how to teach and assess undergraduate health students’ teamwork skills in ways that students find effective and satisfying. It adds to the midwifery body of knowledge about teaching and assessing teamwork skills and may provide a useful template for professional development in teamwork skills for graduate midwives and doctors