Analysis of midwives’ situation and the need to measure their workloads

Abstract

Objective: to analyze midwives’ employment situation of midwives and detect their workload measurement needs. Methods: a mixed methodology (quantitative and qualitative), observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study. Two phases were carried out. The first methodological phase consisted of conducting semi-structured individual interviews. The second methodological phase analyzed the Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC) interventions that midwives perform in the labor room during daily practice. Results: 90.3% of midwives have work overload, since for 80.6% the midwife-pregnant mother ratio is not well established, since the mean execution time of a Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC) intervention is 20 minutes. For this reason, 100% of the sample considers the development of workload measurement tools to be highly useful. Conclusions: the need to generate an instrument that considers the diversity of Nursing Intervention Classification (NIC) interventions that develop within the labor room is ratified.