title: Work load and management in the delivery room: changing the direction of healthcare policy.
abstract: Nurse staffing, increased workload and unstable nursing unit environments are linked to negative patient outcomes including falls and medication errors on medical/surgical units. Considering this evidence, the aim of our study was to overview midwives' workload and work setting. We created a questionnaire and performed an online survey. We obtained information about the type and level of hospital, workload, the use of standardised procedures, reporting of sentinel and 'near-miss' events. We reported a severe understaffing in midwives' work settings and important underuse of standard protocols according to the international guidelines, especially in the South of Italy. Based on our results, we strongly suggest a change of direction of healthcare policy, oriented to increase the number of employed midwives, in order to let them fulfil their duties according to the international guidelines (especially one-to-one care). On the other hand, we encourage the adoption of standardised protocols in each work setting.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , University of Verona , Verona , Italy.
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sfregola
authors.affiliation: b Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi" , University of Messina , Messina , Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio Simone
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Laganà
authors.affiliation: b Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi" , University of Messina , Messina , Italy.
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Granese
authors.affiliation: c Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Castellaneta Hospital , Taranto , Italy.
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sfregola
authors.affiliation: d Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Azienda Sanitaria Locale Bat , Bisceglie , Italy.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lopinto
authors.affiliation: b Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi" , University of Messina , Messina , Italy.
authors.forename: Onofrio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Triolo
mesh_terms: D003696:Delivery Rooms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008880:Midwifery / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D011247:Pregnancy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Midwifery; healthcare policy; sentinel events; standard protocols; workload