Assessing readiness for change: a baseline situational analysis of breastfeeding support within acute and community healthcare settings in the Republic of Ireland

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorMulcahy, Helenen
dc.contributor.authorLehane, E.en
dc.contributor.authorO'Driscoll, Michelleen
dc.contributor.authorMcLoughlin, Kathleenen
dc.contributor.authorBuckley, Catherineen
dc.contributor.authorMcCarthy, Elizabethen
dc.contributor.authorO'Connor, Sandraen
dc.contributor.authorO'Sullivan, Maireaden
dc.contributor.authorHeffernan, Elizabethen
dc.contributor.authorMurphy, Margareten
dc.contributor.authorO'Connell, Rhonaen
dc.contributor.authorLeahy-Warren, Patriciaen
dc.contributor.funderHealth Research Boarden
dc.date.accessioned2025-04-24T15:49:50Z
dc.date.available2025-04-24T15:49:50Z
dc.date.issued2025en
dc.description.abstractBreastfeeding is a critical component of maternal and child health, but breastfeeding rates vary widely, with Ireland's rates lowest in Europe. This paper, the first stage of the Practice Enhancement for Exclusive Breastfeeding (PEEB) study, describes the methodology and key findings from a multi-component baseline situational analysis of breastfeeding support conducted in acute and community healthcare settings in Ireland. Guided by the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARIHS) framework, a survey of healthcare professionals (n = 85) examined breastfeeding training, competency and attitude towards practice change. Additionally, a workplace environment and policy assessment were conducted. A gap between current practices and evidence-based guidelines was demonstrated and the need for cultural shifts within healthcare settings towards better breastfeeding support. The study also uncovered notable variations in breastfeeding training, perceived barriers to effective breastfeeding support, including staff shortages and communication challenges, which impede successful implementation of breastfeeding initiatives. Despite high levels of staff motivation, there was a lack of empowerment and confidence to implement change. Findings revealed significant differences between community and acute staff across certain factors like community staff being less likely to agree that their teammates considered implementation of changes as futile, acute staff were less likely to disagree that changes would be subject to audit. The PARIHS framework provided a structured approach to understanding the evidence and contextual factors relevant to implementing evidence-based practices in breastfeeding support. Future work will focus on the design and implementation of strategies to optimise breastfeeding support across acute and community settings. en
dc.description.sponsorshipHealth Research Board (HRB APA 2019\u2010029)en
dc.description.statusPeer revieweden
dc.description.versionPublished Versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.citationMulcahy, H., Lehane, E., O'Driscoll, M., McLoughlin, K., Buckley, C., McCarthy, E., O'Connor, S., O'Sullivan, M., Heffernan, E., Murphy, M. and O'Connell, R. (2025), 'Assessing readiness for change: a baseline situational analysis of breastfeeding support within acute and community healthcare settings in the Republic of Ireland', Maternal & Child Nutrition, p.e13778. DOI: 10.1111/mcn.13778en
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/mcn.13778en
dc.identifier.issn17408695en
dc.identifier.journaltitleMaternal and Child Nutritionen
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/17318
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherJohn Wiley and Sons Incen
dc.rights© 2025, the Author(s). Maternal & Child Nutrition published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.en
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectBreastfeedingen
dc.subjectClinical practiceen
dc.subjectHealth services researchen
dc.subjectHealthcare facilitiesen
dc.subjectHealthcare policiesen
dc.subjectMaternal and child health servicesen
dc.subjectOrganisational cultureen
dc.titleAssessing readiness for change: a baseline situational analysis of breastfeeding support within acute and community healthcare settings in the Republic of Irelanden
dc.typeArticle (peer reviewed)en
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Maternal Child Nutrition - 2025 - Mulcahy - Assessing Readiness for Change A Baseline Situational Analysis of.pdf
Size:
627.89 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Published Version
Download
Collections
Nursing and Midwifery - Journal Articles