Experiences of registered midwives assisting with termination of pregnancies at a tertiary level hospital

Abstract

The implementation of teh Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act, Act No. 92 of 1996 brough many challenges for the registered nurses/midwife assisting in teh termination of pregnancy. In teh gynaecologivcal wards at a tertiary level hospital, registered nurses/midwives assist with the termination of pregnancies in women in teh second trimester (13 - 20 weeks), using an oral medication, Misoprostal. A qualitative phenomenological study of the experiences of registered midwives who assist in termination of pregnancies was conducted. Registered nurses/midwives, each with at least six months experience in teh assistance of terminations of pregnancies participated in tehis study. In-depth interviews were conducted with the participants. The audiotaped interviews were transcribed and analysed for themes adn patterns within teh transcriptions. Five theme categories emerged: obstacles experienced by the registered midwives, feelings evoked by the experiences, conflicts encountered, teh coping mechanisms utilised and the need for support systems. Recommendations include the provision of support structures for registered midwives workign in this setting.