A contemporary approach to improve understanding of the midwifery student continuity of care experience: designing an infographic using appreciative inquiry

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Background Continuity of Care Experience is a mandated inclusion in all Australian degrees leading to registration as a midwife. Aim Translating the objectives and learning outcomes of the midwifery student Continuity of Care Experience learning model into practice via an infographic. Design Underpinned by an Appreciative Inquiry approach, this process used a strengths-based approach to engage participants to develop the design of an infographic. Method Participants were Australian midwives working in a healthcare clinical or academic setting and were invited to provide feedback via an online survey on the design elements to inform the development of an infographic. Results An expert midwifery panel included 11 participants representing midwives in clinical practice and academic positions. Content analysis of the survey identified strengths such as flow and visual appeal and what design elements needed improvement to enhance the sense-making of the infographic. Discussion This study describes a process that engages participants meaningfully to contribute to how research findings are communicated. The process used in this study engaged participants meaningfully to develop an infographic for the midwifery student Continuity of Care Experience. This infographic provides a visual representation of learning objectives and outcomes for this learning model to aid translation into practice. Conclusion Infographics are an effective tool in education and healthcare settings. Engaging participants in how an infographic is depicted can enhance the translation of learning outcomes and objectives of the midwifery student Continuity of Care Experience in education settings.