Revista de Enfermagem e Cuidados

Background: Cesarean birth may negatively affect mother-infant interactions, while professional support may positively affect these interactions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a process-oriented training program for antenatal midwives and postnatal nurses on first time mothers’ perceptions of professional support and on their relation to and feelings for their baby after a cesarean or a normal birth.

Methods: An intervention through process-oriented training for health professionals regarding professional support in childbearing was conducted between 1999 and 2003. Ten municipalities were paired and within each pair, randomly assigned to intervention (five) or control (five) municipality. Mothers having caesarean (n=94) or normal birth (n=301) were included. Mothers received routine care (Control Group=CG) or care from health professionals having received training (Intervention Group=IG). The mothers answered questionnaires three days, three and nine months after birth. Factor analysis identified three factors: “Taking in baby,” “Confidence in relation to baby,” and “Feelings for baby.”

Results: Mothers in the IG with cesarean birth reported more positive for the “Taking in baby” factor (p=0.002) three days after birth, more positive for the “Confidence in relation to baby” factor (p=0.004) and for the “Feelings for baby” factor (p=0.004) nine months after birth compared to Mothers in the CG. Mothers in the IG reported stronger professional support from health professionals compared to CG.

Conclusion: Our result suggests that improved professional support during pregnancy may buffer negative effects of caesarean birth for first-time mothers in relation to and feelings for the baby.

Introduction: Nurses play an important role in the prevention and control of surgical site infections or SSI’s because they undertake a high proportion of the treatment and care of surgical patients. Sterile technique plays a vital role in the control and prevention of SSI’s and surgical site contamination.

Aim: This investigation aimed to determine the knowledge and extent of practice of sterile technique among operating room nurses in four selected hospitals in Samar, Philippines.

Methodology: The investigators utilized the descriptive-correlational method of research. Total enumeration was utilized to recruit respondents from four identified hospitals in Samar, Philippines, namely; Calbayog Sanitarium and Hospital, Our lady of Porziuncola Hospital Inc., St. Camillus Hospital, and Samar Provincial Hospital. Knowledge and extent of practice of sterile technique were measured through an investigators formulated questionnaire and evaluation checklist based on the concepts of sterile technique.

Results: Nurses have “Excellent Knowledge” on the concepts/principles of sterile technique and applied it to a “Very Great Extent”. No correlations were found between nurses’ knowledge and extent of practice on sterile technique and their demographic variables such age, gender, length of clinical experience, and number of relevant trainings attended. However, significant relationship was found between knowledge and extent of practice of sterile technique.

Conclusion: Findings suggest positive association between knowledge on sterile technique and its application. Thus nurses’ must continue to upgrade its knowledge to keep them abreast with the new trends and innovations on peri-operative nursing.

Background: Further research is needed about the women’s experience of support during labor in order for health professionals to respond to a woman’s unique needs.

Aim: To explore first time mothers experience of giving birth as well as professional and social support during labor.

Method: This study was carried out in southwestern Sweden in 2008. A qualitative method with content analysis was chosen for the study. The unit of data is from 14 women’s written narratives.

Results: Results show that the women’s experiences of being involved in decisions and the relationship to professional and social support during their first labor can be conceptualized as one main theme: “Most important for first time mothers’ during labor is to be respected for their needs, to feel involved in the care, and support from their partner”. This theme contained three categories: “To be respected for their needs”, “To be involved in the care” and “Support from the partner”. A safe and calm environment positively influenced the women’s sense of support, and the ability to have her partner physically present positively influenced the sense of support.

Conclusion: When healthcare professionals responded to a woman’s unique needs during labor, the woman felt that the support was based on her as an individual and possibility to being involved in decisions; otherwise a feeling of uncertainty emerged. If the woman’s partner was able to offer support, then it was essential that he was physically present in the room throughout the birth.