Experiences Of Midwives In Neonatal Resuscitation Within The Immediate Postnatal Period At The 37 Military Hospital, Accra

Abstract The birth of a child should be a time of wonder and celebration, however, babies especially in the low middle-income countries, are in extreme danger due to birth-related complications that end in poor health outcomes. Often, newborns suffer from preventable complications that end in death. Neonatal mortality remains unacceptably high and the risk is greatest in the first day of life. Major causes of neonatal mortality are infections, prematurity and intrapartum complications including birth asphyxia. Birth asphyxia is a preventable respiratory emergency. Since midwives are in the frontline as direct care providers of maternal and newborn care in Ghana, this study seeks to explore midwives’ experiences in neonatal resuscitation within the immediate postnatal period. A purposive sampling technique was used to select twelve (12) midwives from the maternity unit of the 37 Military Hospital. The entire research process was guided by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) propounded by Icek Ajzen (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980), which establishes that one focal determinant of behaviour is the intention to perform it. Data were collected using an exploratory descriptive research approach, through interviews with the aid of an interview guide to generate an in-depth description of midwives’ experiences in neonatal resuscitation. Each interview lasted between 45 minutes to one hour. Data were transcribed verbatim, thematically analysed and five (5) themes were generated. The study found that there are challenges in terms of midwives recognizing the “Golden Minute” immediately after birth to restore spontaneous respirations in the newborn. This was attributed to inadequate preparation to receive the newborn and delay in time for resuscitation of the newborn. Furthermore, findings of the study indicated, limited space, inadequate equipment, shortage of personnel, inadequate skills and knowledge, and resource shortage, as some challenges that prevent midwives to ensure the implementation of standard neonatal resuscitation protocol into routine practices. The result is non-adherence to standard neonatal resuscitation guidelines mostly due to organizational barriers. Given this, there is a need for policy development to assist healthcare institutions with the needed human resource, capital, and infrastructure to equip midwives in effective neonatal resuscitation for positive neonatal health outcomes in Ghana. Keywords: Experiences, Midwives, Neonatal Resuscitation, Golden Minute, Lifesaving Resources, Postnatal Period.