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Abstract

Background: Improving optimal midwifery practice remains a priority to reducing maternal mortality. Despite various interventions, Nigeria still recorded unacceptable high maternal mortality and stillbirth rates. This is attributed to sub-optimal midwifery practices in various healthcare facilities, resulting from certain challenges as perceived by midwives.


Objectives: This study explores the perspectives of midwives on optimal midwifery practice and challenges to optimal midwifery practice in Akwa Ibom State.


Methods: A phenomenological qualitative descriptive study was carried out using multi-stage and purposive sampling techniques to select 28 registered midwives from the three tiers of healthcare delivery in Akwa Ibom State. Focused group discussion with a semi-structured interview guide was used for data collection, data transcribed, generated into codes, clustered to form themes, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Ethical approval was obtained from the appropriate research committee.


Results: The majority of the midwives had a good understanding of what optimal midwifery practice is. Also, they understood that the current state of midwifery practice is of suboptimal level due to certain perceived challenges like inadequate supply of materials like gloves, obsolete equipment, shortage of midwives and lack of career development by midwives. Increased maternal, neonatal mortality rates and complications with regard to antepartum haemorrhage and postpartum haemorrhage and burnout were seen as the perceived gap between the current state of midwifery practice and optimal midwifery practice.


Conclusions: Giving attention to the challenges perceived by midwives, alleviates increased workload and closes the perceived gap to optimal midwifery practice.

Keywords

Midwives perspectives Optimal midwifery practice, Challenges Akwa Ibom State

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Copyright (c) 2023 U. S. Edet, C. M. Ndikom, E. Bank, O. Ehoro, I. Ettefia

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Edet, U. S., Ndikom, C. M., Bank, E., Ehoro, O., & Ettefia, I. (2023). Midwives’ Perspectives on Challenges to Optimal Midwifery Practice in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Journal of Public Health and Toxicological Research, 1(1), 30–36. Retrieved from https://jphtr.com/index.php/journal/article/view/17
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