Effects of the presence of parturient women on the length of time that nurses and midwives spend in the rooms of other patients during a night shift in a mixed obstetric ward

Abstract

　Due to the small number of staff working night shifts in hospitals, there are concerns about whether the time spent caring for parturient women decreases the availability of care for other patients. This study aimed to investigate how the presence of parturient women influences the length of time that nurses and midwives spend in other patients′ rooms during a night shift in a mixed obstetric ward. The location and length of stay were measured using a wireless communication device, and the median length of stay in the 5-night shifts in the presence of parturient women were compared with that of the 7- night shifts in the absence of parturient women. The results revealed that when parturient women were present in the ward, midwives showed a significant increase in the length of stay in the delivery area, while nurses showed a significant increase in the length of stay in the obstetric 4-bed rooms, and a significant decrease in the rest area. Even when parturient women were present during the night shift in a mixed obstetric ward, a significant reduction was not observed in the length of stay in other patients′ rooms due to the collaboration of nurses and midwives.