Improving the culture of care

Consideration is given to how the Professional Midwifery Advocate (PMA) role can serve as a catalyst for change and help drive improvement within maternity services as it promotes the development of a positive learning culture and compassionate care. The significance of advocating for education and quality improvement (A-EQUIP) and potential that the PMA role has to contribute to the transformation of maternity services is emphasised.

The A-EQUIP model incorporates the four functions presented in Figure 1 which provide the framework for the PMA role. These are normative, formative, restorative and personal action for quality improvement. An overview of these four functions is provided in Table 1.

Figure 1. A-EQUIP model

Based on one of the most commonly used clinical supervision frameworks (Proctor, 1986) with the addition of the fourth function, ‘personal action for quality improvement,’ (NHS England, 2017) A-EQUIP should be used as a tool for optimising personal and professional accountability, facilitating professional development, supporting staff wellbeing, and contributing to a learning and compassionate care culture.