White, DeborahSebastian, Sandra Jean2013-09-232013-11-122013-09-232013Sebastian, S. J. (2013). Birthing Unit Culture and Its Impact on How Nurses View and Enact Birth Plans (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/25143http://hdl.handle.net/11023/1009Pregnancy and childbirth are important milestones in the development of a family. Birth plans allow childbearing women to plan and express their wishes for their birth experience. Labour and delivery nurses play a key role in providing care on birthing units in Canada and are uniquely placed to enact a woman’s birth plan. A focused ethnographic study was undertaken to examine birthing unit culture and its impact on how labour and delivery nurses care for women with birth plans. Findings revealed three overarching themes (ensuring safe care, teamwork, and connecting with patients) that shaped birthing unit culture and impacted how labour and delivery nurses viewed and enacted birth plans. Organizational influences and individual healthcare provider preferences influenced how birth plans were enacted on the unit. Patient safety was a dominant driver of care. Challenges exist on how to partner with childbearing women and their families while assisting them in the goals for their birth experience. Collaboration is key as providers strive to embrace a woman’s birth plan expectations and work toward a shared understanding and partnership in childbirth.engUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.NursingObstetrics and Gynecologybirth planslabour and deliverynursesmaster thesis10.11575/PRISM/25143