Effect of Intrapartum Clinical Pathway Application on Maternity Nurses' Performance and Women Satisfaction

Abd Elhaleem Ebraheem Elagamy, Mona; Saber Nady Mohammed, Fatma; A. Shahin, Marwa

doi:10.21608/ejhc.2020.187234

Effect of Intrapartum Clinical Pathway Application on Maternity Nurses' Performance and Women Satisfaction

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Maternal and Neonatal Health Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Tanta University

² Maternity and Newborn Health Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Beni-Suef University

³ Maternal and Newborn Health Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Menoufia University

10.21608/ejhc.2020.187234

Abstract

A clinical pathway is a multidisciplinary management tool based on evidence-based practice in
which the different tasks "interventions" by the professionals involved in the patient care are
defined, optimized. It can be utilized in education and facilitate access to care and providing
improved outcomes for patients and increasing women and staff satisfaction. Aim: The study
aimed to evaluate the effect of clinical pathway application on maternity nurses' performance of
intrapartum care and women's satisfaction. Design: A quasi-experimental design was used.
Settings: This study was applied in gynecology and obstetrics departments affiliated with Tanta
University Hospital. Sample: A purposive sample of 60 maternity nurses and 120 intrapartum
women were recruited in this study. Six tools were used for Data Collection: a structured
interviewing questionnaire for the nurses, a structured interviewing questionnaire for the
intrapartum women and clinical pathway checklist for maternity nurses, an observational
checklist for women, a Numeric Pain Intensity Scale, and maternal satisfaction with hospital
based intrapartum care scale. Results: Statistically significant differences were found between
pre and post-implementation of the clinical pathway reflected by higher knowledge and
performance score for nurses' improvement in the maternity nurses' knowledge regarding all
items of the postpartum clinical pathway after the intervention than before the intervention. The
majority of nurses adequately done all items of newborn care; assessment of newborn,
suctioning, Apgar score, cord care, eye care, measurements, body temperature, vitamin K
administration , and identification. Also, only (8%) of the intrapartum women suffered from
severe pain in a clinical pathway group compared to 38% routine care group. In addition,
intrapartum women's satisfaction in the study group has improved. Conclusion: using of
clinical pathway had a positive effect in improving the maternity nurses' performance and
women satisfaction of intrapartum care post clinical pathway application than pre-intervention.
Recommendations: Training programs should be implemented for maternity nurses about
intrapartum care based on the clinical pathway to improve nurses' performance.

Keywords