Women and Birth
Volume 21, Issue 3 , Pages 99-105, September 2008

Time to listen: Strategies to improve hospital-based postnatal care☆

  • Virginia Schmied

      Affiliations

    • University of Western Sydney, School of Nursing, Building ER – Parramatta Campus, Penrith South DC 1797, Penrith, NSW, Australia
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +61 2 9685 9505/430 242 140 (Mob.); fax: +61 2 9685 9599.
    • ,
  • Margaret Cooke

      Affiliations

    • University of Technology, Sydney, Centre for Midwifery, Child and Family Health, Australia
    • ,
  • Rosalind Gutwein

      Affiliations

    • St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW, Maternity Unit, Australia
    • ,
  • Elizabeth Steinlein

      Affiliations

    • St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW, Maternity Unit, Australia
    • ,
  • Caroline Homer

      Affiliations

    • University of Technology, Sydney, Centre for Midwifery, Child and Family Health, Australia

Received 18 September 2007; received in revised form 7 April 2008; accepted 30 April 2008.

Summary 

Background

In Australia and internationally, women report high levels of dissatisfaction with hospital-based postnatal care.

Aim

To design and implement strategies to improve hospital-based postnatal care at a Sydney metropolitan hospital.

Method

This was an Action Research study. In Phase One, midwives considered the literature and participated in group discussions and interviews to determine their perceptions of postnatal care and the factors that facilitate or hinder the provision of quality care. In Phase Two, midwives participated in 12 working group meetings to design strategies to improve care.

Results

Several important principles of postnatal care were described, including building a relationship with women, meeting their individual needs, being flexible in approach and providing continuity of care. ‘Listening to women’, ‘being there,’ and ‘normalising experiences and expectations’ were believed to be critical to achieving these principles. A key strategy ‘One to One Time’ was designed to provide women with an uninterrupted period of time each day with a midwife who was available to listen to their needs and concerns and discuss issues related to their health and that of their baby.

Conclusion

Midwives designed and implemented strategies that they believed would improve in-hospital postnatal care.

Keywords: Postnatal care, Women's health, Midwifery, Health services research, Communication, Assessment of health care needs

 

☆ The work was undertaken in the Maternity Unit, St George Hospital, Gray Street Kogarah, NSW 2217, Australia.

PII: S1871-5192(08)00045-0

doi:10.1016/j.wombi.2008.04.002

Women and Birth
Volume 21, Issue 3 , Pages 99-105, September 2008

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