Leveraging Quality Improvement and Change-Management Tools to Change the Scope of Practice

Leveraging Quality Improvement and Change-Management Tools to Change the Scope of Practice

Aderemi Ejiwunmi, RM, BSc, BHSc, MSc

ABSTRACT

In October of 2019 the College of Midwives of Ontario amended the Standard on Prescribing and Administering Drugs to remove the limitation that restricted midwives from administering oxytocin in the intrapartum period on their own authority.  Trillium Health Partners uses ADKAR, a standardized change management tool for large scale change.   As part of the implementation plan related to this change in scope of practice, the Midwifery Division at Trillium Health Partners, used ADKAR and a quality improvement framework to review outcomes pre and post implementation, to ensure the quality of care midwifery clients received remained consistent through the change of practice.   Outcome, process and balancing measures remained consistent in the post implementation phase and the results were reported out to the whole Women’s Health team.   This article is a reflection on the value of using a quality improvement framework as part of the change management process, as a helpful tool in the expansion of scope of practice. 

KEYWORDS

change management, quality improvement, scope of practice, oxytocin

This article has been peer reviewed.

Leveraging Quality Improvement and Change-Management Tools to Change the Scope of Practice