Nurse-midwives' knowledge of and attitude to obstetric triage in Kiambu referral hospitals: a cross-sectional study in Kenya

Abstract

Background/Aaims Obstetric triage is a brief assessment performed when a woman presents to hospital to prioritise her care. The aim of this study was to determine nurse-midwives' knowledge of and attitude to obstetric triage in two county referral hospitals in Kiambu, Kenya. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 40 nurse-midwives using a structured questionnaire. Mean scores were calculated for knowledge of goals, models and activities in obstetric triage, as well as the participants' attitudes to triage, with scores of at least 80% indicating that the participant was knowledgeable and had a positive attitude. Results The majority (85%) of participants were female, with a diploma (97.5%) and had an average of 7.5 years' experience. Only 20.0% were deemed knowledgeable about the goals of obstetric triage, and 42.5% lacked knowledge of any triage model. The mean score for knowledge of activities during obstetric triage was 93.0%, indicating that midwives were knowledgeable in this area, and the mean attitude score was 77%, falling short of the cut off to show a positive attitude. Conclusions Nurse-midwives showed knowledge gaps related to the goals and models for obstetric triage, but were highly knowledgeable on activities conducted during triage. On average, the participants were found to have a negative attitude to obstetric triage. It is recommended that nurse-midwives are trained on obstetric triage, to improve their knowledge and attitude.