Strategies for the adaptation of midwives after maternal deaths at a tertiary hospital complex in Limpopo province, South Africa

Abstract

Maternal death rate is high worldwide and whenever there is a maternal death, the affected midwives face the emotional trauma of having to deal with such death. The aim of the study was to examine the adaptations of midwives after maternal deaths and develop strategies to enhance adaptation of the  midwives at a tertiary hospital complex in Limpopo Province, South Africa. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive phenomenological research design was used for this study. A snowball sampling method was used to recruit 19 participants that were determined by data saturation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed following the Tesch’s method from which themes and sub-themes were developed. The findings indicated that after maternal deaths the midwives had poor adaptation mechanisms and received limited support from hospital management. Managers of maternity units should implement strategies to facilitate midwives’ adaptation after maternal deaths.

Keywords: Adaptation strategies, maternal deaths, midwives, tertiary hospital.