Opinions of Health Professionals about the Management of Vaginal Deliveries: A Qualitative Research

Abstract

The research aimed to identify the opinions of health professionals working in the field of obstetrics about the management of vaginal deliveries. The research was carried out with 18 health professionals having active duties in vaginal deliveries at a state university hospital in western Turkey. The maximum variation sampling method, one of the purposive sampling methods, was used. The research data were collected through information form and structured information form. They were analyzed through the thematic analysis method. Ethic Approval was received. Three main themes were identified about the management of vaginal deliveries in this research. (I) opinions of midwives about the management of vaginal deliveries, (II) opinions of nurses about the management of vaginal deliveries and (III) opinions of doctors about the management of vaginal deliveries. The participants (especially midwives and doctors) stated that they overall viewed themselves as a significant activist in the responsibility for vaginal delivery, and midwives could carry out vaginal deliveries due to the workload and the fact that the pregnant women were followed up by midwives. Midwives and nurses emphasized that delivery was not only a medical action but also brought significant responsibilities requiring active care in pregnancy, delivery and the postpartum. The perspective of health professionals was mainly in the direction of the fact that all midwives, who had sufficient education and skills, could carry out vaginal deliveries independently. They agreed that the team who would carry out the delivery should be given continuous institutional training in terms of theory and practice. It is necessary that active studies should be planned on matter of the fact that especially the nurses and midwives in university hospitals could carry out their independent duties and increase their responsibilities for vaginal deliveries as a part of a team.