Abstract:
Background: Medical equipment is an important tool in a Labour Unit to assess,
monitor, diagnose and prevention of complications during labour. The purpose of
the study was to investigate how equipment is a potential impediment to optimal
intrapartum monitoring and delivery of pregnant women.
Research method: Across-sectional descriptive design of quantitative research
approach was used to investigate how equipment impede monitoring and delivery
of pregnant women. A total of 59 midwives were recruited for participation in the
study. Data collected using an electronic structured questionnaires were
analyzed with descriptive statistics on a Statistical Package for Social Sciences
(SPSS) version 28.0.
Results: Midwives described a lack of equipment, and non-functionality of some
equipment as barriers for intrapartum monitoring and delivery of pregnant
women. Midwives expressed that improving the equipment is significant for
optimum labor practice. However, midwives noticed that the use of equipment for
infection control and prevention during intrapartum was of optimum practice.
Conclusion: The availability of good working equipment in the labor unit is
needed to enhance optimal intrapartum monitoring and delivery of pregnant
women. Therefore, it is recommended that quality and quantity of equipment in
labour unit need to be monitored with daily checklist, improved effectively by
fixing or replacing to minimise barriers to optimal care of pregnant women during
labour.
