Abstract
Single room maternity model of care, where a woman stays in one room throughout her whole childbirth experience, involves continuity of care provider, with the same nurse providing antenatal, intrapartum and postpartum care. This focused ethnographic study was undertaken to explore the values, beliefs and everyday practices of nurses and other members of the healthcare team at a single room maternity care unit, as they care for childbearing women and their families. Findings revealed two interconnected themes-work family, and creating and maintaining culture- that influenced how members of the care team carried out their daily work related activities. Effective communication and collaborative practice created a supportive and positive working environment, and was key to achieving the goals of patient and family centered care. The unit culture greatly influenced healthcare providers’ perceptions of their roles and daily practices.
