Whose Job is it Perceived by Midwifery-Trained Registered Nurses in Intranatal Units at Tertiary Care Hospitals in the Western Province of Sri Lanka

Abstract

AttachedMidwifery trained registered nurse's (MTRN) scope of practice is contentious and it has not been evaluated so far in the Sri Lankan context.This descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to address the existing knowledge gap describing findings of a survey among MTRNs in intra-natal units at tertiary care hospitals in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. Their opinion of labour room (LR) tasks, and responsibilities was obtained through a postal survey which was mailed to 227 MTRNs at five selected tertiary care hospitals. Response rate was 82% (186).Respondents rated the primary responsible person for each of 39 tasks in the LR. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20; descriptive statistics were calculated. Only 12/39 tasks were rated as primary responsibilities of MTRNs; all other tasks were identified as over-lapping with the roles of other professionals. Eight tasks were rated as primary responsibilities of both MTRNs and doctors;4 as the primary responsibility of MTRNs and Midwives; 6 as primary responsibility of MTRNs, Doctors, and Midwives. The most contentious LR task was performing deliveries, which was rated as a primary responsibility of three professionals; 88% rates this as MTRNs' own tasks, 70% as midwives’ tasks, and 40% as doctors’ tasks. MTRN's held different opinions about their primary responsibilities, a large number of the LR tasks seemed to overlap with other professionals’ tasks; this can lead to role confusion and conflicts among interprofessional teams in maternity care settings. Well-defined professional boundaries are needed for MTRNs in order to improve interprofessional collaboration and ensure safe maternity care delivery.