Developing Competences for Maternity Nurses during Labor and Immediate Postpartum Period Regarding Prevention of Postpartum Hemorrhage

Abstract

Background: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) prevention is the main stay and corner stone to achieve the millennium developmental goal 5 (MDG5). Maternity nurses play a crucial role in maternal morbidity reduction resulting from PPH and competency of maternity nurses directly affects quality of treatment and health outcomes. Aim: was to develop competences for maternity nurses during labor and immediate postpartum period regarding prevention of postpartum hemorrhage. Design: A quasi-experimental design was used. Setting: The research was carried out in maternity hospital at Zagazig university hospitals, Sharkia Governorate, Egypt. Subjects: included fifty nurses provided direct nursing care for women during labor and postpartum period. Tools: Four instruments were used; in this study, a structured interviewing questionnaire; that includes socio-demographic data of nurses, knowledge about control and prevention of postpartum hemorrhage, an observational checklist for nurses' practice, nurses' attitude and the intervention program. Results: The results of this study showed that there was an improvement in nurse’s knowledge, practice and attitudes toward prevention of postpartum hemorrhage after developing competences for maternity nurses. Also, there were positive correlation between nurses' knowledge score and their attitude scores, performance scores and age. Conclusion: there was highly statistically significant improvement in nurses’ knowledge and performance level during the third stage of labor to prevent PPH after implementation of educational intervention program compared to pre intervention. Recommendations: Offer training programs or workshops for developing the nurses’ competency regarding postpartum hemorrhage prevention to develop their best practice.