Nurse-Led Intervention on Midwives’ Knowledge on World Health Organisation (WHO) Labour Care Guide (LCG) in Tertiary Hospitals in Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Aim: The World Health Organization Labour Care Guide is an evidence-based tool designed to support respectful and systematic monitoring of women during labour. Effective use of the LCG depends on the knowledge of frontline maternity care providers, particularly midwives. This study assessed the effect of a nurse-led intervention on midwives’ knowledge of the Labour Care Guide in selected tertiary hospitals in Ogun State, Nigeria. Study Design: A quasi-experimental pre-and post-intervention design with experimental and control groups was used. Place and Duration of Study: The study involved 71 midwives from three tertiary hospitals in Ogun State, Nigeria. Methods: Babcock University Teaching Hospital (BUTH) and Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta served as experimental groups, while Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) served as the control group. Purposive criterion-based sampling and census sampling were used to recruit 20, 30, and 21 eligible midwives, respectively. Data were collected before and after the intervention using a socio-demographic questionnaire and a 45-item Labour Care Guide knowledge test. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, paired and independent t-tests, and analysis of variance. Results: Mean knowledge scores increased from 19.83 to 33.63 in the BUTH group and from 20.62 to 33.37 in the FMC group post intervention, whereas the control group increased from 16.33 to 17.79. There was no statistically significant difference in mean knowledge gain between the two experimental groups, F(1, 48) = 0.42, p = 0.519. Years of clinical experience also had no statistically significant effect, F(3, 46) = 0.49, p = 0.692 among midwives in the experimental groups. Conclusion: The nurse-led intervention improved midwives’ knowledge of the Labour Care Guide in the experimental groups. Regular structured training may support better understanding and use of the guide in tertiary maternity facilities.