Nurses' Perspectives of the Need for Physical Therapy Services During an Acute Postpartum Stay: A Focus Group

Hypothesis/Purpose: Complications in the postpartum period can include pain, urinary incontinence, diastasis recti abdominis, and pelvic floor injury. Physical therapists are in a unique position to address these concerns during the acute postpartum stay. However, there is a lack of consensus regarding the role of physical therapy (PT) in this patient population. Mother-Baby (MB) nurses work closely with postpartum mothers; therefore, the purpose of this study was to gain nurses' perspectives of their knowledge of and need for PT in the acute postpartum setting. Subjects: Nine MB nurses and 1 newly graduated nurse with MB experience from 2 hospitals near Winchester, Virginia, participated. Materials/Methods: Contact was made with nurse managers to arrange a time for the focus group. A demographic questionnaire was distributed prior to the session. A student moderator led the semistructured interview with preselected open-ended questions. The focus groups were audio/video recorded and transcribed. Transcriptions were used for theme coding and concept map development. Results: Five participants were present for each focus group. Four main themes and 1 subtheme emerged. These included lack of understanding of PT scope of practice with a subtheme of special circumstances, limited time, role overlap, and appropriate timing of PT. Lack of understanding of PT scope of practice was the overarching theme. Conclusion: MB nurses demonstrated a limited understanding of the PT scope of practice and their potential role postpartum. Further education and interdisciplinary collaboration may be beneficial to enhance postpartum care in the United States.