Integrating Entrepreneurial Mindset Education into a Midwifery Curriculum

Against the background of national media criticism of the maternity services, an attempt to illuminate the midwife’srole as a change agent, was made in relation to the current literature on leadership. Whilst the concept of the change agentis discussed as a pivotal role in midwifery leadership, less is understood about the skills and attributes midwives need todevelop, to become effective leaders. Moreover, even less is understood about the meaning of the change agent in the clinicalenvironment, when change, a nebulous concept, is typically associated with senior management roles. Using a case study,the development and delivery of entrepreneurial mindset education for student midwives is explored in the context ofprofessional identity and their role as future leaders; and is framed as a necessity for personal and professional growth anddevelopment. This paper will examine how the focus on Entrepreneurial Mindset Theory (EMT) presents a teachableframework, in which skills, attributes and behaviours, can be explored to illustrate the synergy between entrepreneurial skillsand those expected of the professional midwife. Making enterprise education relevant to the professional role is crucial andnot without its challenges, therefore aligning curriculum content with programme objectives for practice learning and thedevelopment of clinical proficiencies, is essential. Exploring the features and implications of adopting a growth mindset,enables students to understand the importance of developing a strategic approach to navigate complex systems andprocesses, and the relevance of a solution focused lens to address issues in an ever-changing and challenging maternityenvironment. This paper illustrates that integrating entrepreneurial mindset education into the midwifery curriculum at itscore, offers students the opportunity to find clarity in their role and use their skills, knowledge and current evidence in acreative and innovative way to make change happen, confirming that adopting an entrepreneurial mindset is crucial to theprofessional role of the midwife and the future of midwifery.