DOI: 10.5176/2315-4330_WNC18.204
Authors: M.R.S. Jayathilake, V. Illesinghe, P.P.R.Perera, H.D. Molligoda, K. Samarasinghe Kristianstad
Abstract:
Midwifery Trained Registered Nurses (MTRNs) are members of the multi-professional team providing maternity care in hospitals in Sri Lanka. The absence of defined tasks and responsibilities for MTRNs has been linked to existing conflicts among the maternity care team. The study aimed to explore team members’ perceptions of the MTRNs’ role within the maternity care team in the capital province of Sri Lanka. The study has an exploratory, descriptive cross-sectional design using qualitative methods. Focus group discussions (FGDs) were used as the method of data collection. MTRNs, RNs, and midwives, altogether 45 in number, from three selected tertiary care hospitals in the Western Province, participated in the Study. Data were analyzed using manifest qualitative content analysis method. The results reveal five main points of interactions: Initial care (IC) in the Labor room (LR), Pre-delivery care (PDC) in the LR, Care at the delivery, Postpartum care (PPC) in the LR and Postpartum care in the postnatal unit. In each of these categories, there were consensuses as well as disagreements regarding the MTRN’s tasks and responsibilities. The strongest disagreements in tasks and responsibilities were presented under the category of care at delivery. Different groups of professionals had diverse views about the MTRN’s tasks which manifested in her role being contentious and unclear at the same time. Clearly demarcated professional boundaries will help alleviate the confusion and help promote interprofessional collaboration, to improve the quality of maternity care in this setting.
Keywords: interprofessional collaboration; Midwifery Trained Registered Nurse; role; conflicts
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