Obstetric nurses in the childbirth process: The women's perception

Abstract

Objective: to learn how women at a public hospital in southern Brazil perceive the care given by obstetric nurses during labor, delivery and birth. Method: twenty-four postpartum women participated in this exploratory, qualitative, descriptive study from January to February 2019. Data were collected through individual, semi-structured interviews, and subsequently analyzed according to Minayo’s operative proposal. The project was approved by the research ethics committee. Results: obstetric nurses were found to play an important role in respectful, humanized care during labor, particularly in encouraging the use of non-pharmacological methods of pain relief during labor, in addition to offering emotional support. Conclusion: the obstetric nurses’ work, as perceived by the women, enhances the quality of the care provided, and was evaluated favorably by the study participants.