Determination of perinatal care practices and maternal satisfaction in labor in a university hospital

This study was conducted as a descriptive and relationship-seeker study to determine perinatal care practices and maternal satisfaction in labor in a university hospital. The sample of the study included 62 vaginal and 62 cesarean delivery women who applied to give birth to the maternity ward of Hacettepe University Adult Hospital. Data were collected by using "Demographic Information Questionnaire", "Optimality Index-Turkey (OI-TR)" and "The Scales for Measuring Maternal Satisfaction (SMMS) in Vaginal and Cesarean Birth". Demographic Information Questionnaire; patient file and data in Hospital Information System, data from face-to-face interviews with mother and the data obtained from interviews with healthcare personnel who work in the delivery room, obtained from using the data by the researcher was completed. Just before the mothers were discharged, SMMS was applied according to the manner of delivery. Data were analysed with number, percentage, minimum and maximum values, mean, standard deviation, independent sample t-test and Pearson correlation analysis. According to the results of the research, the Perinatal Background Index (PBI) score of all women was %87,61 and the optimality index (OI) score was %79,11; the women who gave birth vaginally PBI scored %90,16 and the OI score was 76.11%; and the women who gave birth by caesarean section had a PBI score of 85.07% and the OI score was 82.12%. When SMMS scores were analyzed according to the type of birth, it was determined that the mothers who gave birth both vaginally and by caesarean section had high levels of satisfaction from birth. There was no correlation between total OI score and total SMMS scores of women who gave birth by vaginal delivery and total OI score of women who gave birth by caesarean section and total SMMS scores (p>0.05). According to the results of the research; it is recommended to establish institutional culture for the use and dissemination of evidence-based perinatal practices, to develop guidelines and to provide training to increase evidence-based knowledge and skills of health personnel by using innovative training methods.