Obstetric Violence From the Perspectives of Midwife Leaders in Hospitals in Nigeria

Abstract

Objective

To describe midwife leaders’ (i.e., midwives in managerial positions) perspectives on the forms of obstetric violence (OV) women experience in hospitals in Nigeria.

Design

An interpretative qualitative phenomenological approach and the community readiness model (CRM) were used.

Setting

Three hospitals in Nigeria, where OV is recognized as a violation of fundamental human rights that negatively affects maternal and child health outcomes.

Participants

Six midwife leaders were purposively selected, with two representatives from select government-owned hospitals throughout Nigeria.

Intervention/Measurement

Data collection was carried out through key informant interviews and analyzed thematically using NVivo software.

Results

Six themes emerged, highlighting various forms of OV observed by midwife leaders: Physical Abuse, Verbal Abuse, Discrimination Based on Specific Patient Attributes, Nonconsented Care, Nonconfidential Care, and Detainment of Patients.

Conclusion

The findings substantiate the persistent occurrence of OV in government-owned facilities, emphasizing the urgent need for preventive measures to mitigate its detrimental effects on maternal and child health outcomes.