Midwives’ experiences of postpartum haemorrhage: A web-based survey in Sweden
2024 (English)In: Midwifery, ISSN 0266-6138, E-ISSN 1532-3099, Vol. 129, article id 103902Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Objective: The objective was to describe midwives’ experiences of postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) >1000 ml in connection with childbirth. Design: A qualitative web-based survey with open-ended questions was used and the results were analysed with content analysis. Setting: Participants were recruited through convenience sampling from a national Facebook group for midwives. Participants: The study sample included 24 midwives with varying work experience at different maternity units in Sweden, all of whom had experience of postpartum haemorrhage >1000 ml. Findings: The midwives described that the treatment of PPH is limited by a lack of cooperation, knowledge, and assistance, as well as by staff inexperience. They also described how a high-pressure work environment contributed to feelings of inadequacy. Good cooperation, team training, having colleagues present, embodied knowledge, and good working conditions, led to successful handling of such situations, which contributed to feeling at ease with what had happened. Key conclusions and implications for practice: Good working conditions related to external contextual factors such as total load and support, as well as internal factors such as self-efficacy, can help midwives manage PPH while providing patient-safe care and feeling confident in their ability and at ease with the events. Therefore, midwives need to be given opportunities for emotional support, education, and team-based training to maintain the quality of midwifery care and avoid negative long-term effects for both midwives and patients.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Churchill Livingstone , 2024. Vol. 129, article id 103902
Keywords [en]
Childbirth, Cooperation, Midwifery, Qualitative study, Third-stage labour, Work environment
National Category
Health Sciences
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:mdh:diva-65152DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2023.103902ISI: 001135198900001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85179433626OAI: oai:DiVA.org:mdh-65152DiVA, id: diva2:1821857
2023-12-212023-12-212024-01-17Bibliographically approved