Healthcare Workers’ Knowledge and Use of Safe Childbirth Checklist Tool in Tertiary Hospitals in Rivers State

Abstract

Globally, maternal mortality is an indicator to monitor maternal health services. In 2010, the WHO indicated that maternal deaths in Nigeria contributed to 14% of global maternal deaths. In 2018 Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate was 512 deaths per 100,000 live births. The WHO and other key partners developed the Safe Childbirth Checklist (SCC) as a facility-based tool to serve as reminder to help health workers adhere to evidence-based practices to ensure safety of the mother and baby. SCC has reportedly been adopted for use in other countries like Brazil and Cameroon. The objective of this study was to assess the Doctors and Nurses’ Knowledge and Use of SCC in public tertiary hospitals in Rivers State. Descriptive cross-sectional study was used. Structured questionnaires were self-administered to 207 respondents (35 nurses and 67 doctors at RSUTH, 49 nurses and 56 doctors at UPTH) working in obstetrics and gynaecology department. Chi-square was used to test the hypothesis. Descriptive statistics was used to assess the responses of the respondents. Responses obtained at Teaching Hospital A showed that 80% of the Nurses/Midwives have no knowledge of SCC tool, 100% of the House Officers have not seen the tool; 90% of the Resident Doctors have not also used SCC tool. At Teaching Hospital B, 80% of the Nurses have no knowledge of SCC tool; 20% of the Nurses had seen it earlier. The study showed evidence that SCC tool is not in use in the two tertiary hospitals in Rivers State. Null hypothesis was accepted.