A concept analysis of proactive behaviour in midwifery

• Published in: Journal of advanced nursing Vol. 72; no. 6; pp. 1236 - 1250
• Main Authors: Mestdagh, Eveline, Van Rompaey, Bart, Beeckman, Katrien, Bogaerts, Annick, Timmermans, Olaf
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.06.2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: concept analysis; Delivery of Health Care; Female; focus on improving quality; Forecasting; Humans; Midwifery; Nursing; organizational success; Pregnancy; proactive behaviour; Walker and Avant; concept analysis; Walker and Avant; organizational success; midwifery; proactive behaviour; focus on improving quality
• ISSN: 0309-2402; 1365-2648
• DOI: 10.1111/jan.12952

Aim To report an analysis of the concept of proactive behaviour and apply the findings to midwifery. Background Proactive behaviour is a universal phenomenon generalizable to multiple professions. The purpose of this work was to establish a link with midwifery. Design Concept analysis by Walker and Avant's method. Data sources Literature was searched in PubMed, ERIC, NARCIS, Emerald and reference lists of related journal articles with a timeline of 1990 – April 2015 in the period of November 2014 – June 2015. Next key words were combined by the use of Boolean operators: ‘proactive behaviour’, ‘midwifery’, ‘midwife’, ‘proactivity’ and ‘proactive’. Fifteen studies were included. Methods A focused review of scientific publications in midwifery, health care, healthcare education and social sciences, which highlighted the concept of proactive behaviour. Results In the studied literature, several attributes of proactive behaviour were cited. These attributes were narrowed by applying it on a midwifery model case, borderline case and contrary case. Related concepts were elaborated and distinguished of the concept of proactive behaviour in midwifery. Proactive behaviour is triggered by different individual and contextual antecedents and has consequences at multiple levels. Conclusion A midwife who behaves proactive would not look at changes as a boundary, persistently improves things she experienced as wrong, anticipates future barriers and looks for viable alternatives to carry out her work as efficiently and effectively as possible. Various individual and/or contextual antecedents trigger proactive behaviour in midwifery, and this behaviour could cause multiple future benefits for the constant evolving reproductive health care.