Usefulness of a completed modified World Health Organization partograph on maternal and foetal mortality reduction in health facilities in Makueni County, Kenya: Nurses and midwives perceptions

Abstract

Objective: to explore usefulness of the partograph as perceived by Nurses and Midwives in Makueni County, Kenya.
Study design: This is a census and qualitative.
Setting: This study was conducted in Makueni County Referral Hospital and Makindu Sub-County Hospital.
Participants: 46 nurses and midwives working in the maternity wing were interviewed.
Results: The study found that most of midwifery care-providers partially filled partographs, yet this was useful in monitoring foetal-maternal and labour progress (89.0%) and in avoiding complications in labour among women in the labour ward. Several reasons for not completing the partograph by midwifery care providers include Lack of knowledge and skills on partograph use (56.4%), high workload (21.8%), Lack of support supervision (19.2%) and low staff motivation (2.6%).
Conclusion: The study therefore recommends increased routine supervision to ensure partographs are filed on time. Hospital managers can be encouraged to increase the number of midwifery care-providers to improve efficiency in the hospital and emphasize on training programmes to enable midwifery care-providers acquire relevant skills to complete partographs during the labour process.