The Effect of Fathers Upon Direct Nursing Care of Labor Patients

Kline, Mary M.

Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation

The Effect of Fathers Upon Direct Nursing Care of Labor Patients Public Deposited

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Citeable URL: https://scholar.colorado.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/j6731409k

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to observe, time, and compare direct nursing care given to primiparous patients in the labor rooms when the fathers were present or absent, to determine if the father's presence had any significant effect upon the amount of direct nursing care given. An observation guide and recording sheet were devised to collect data regarding the amount of nursing time consumed in five areas of direct intrapartum nursing care. The observations were done in the labor corridors of two private hospitals. Sixteen patients were observed for nursing care, eight with the father present, eight without. Analysis of the data obtained revealed a decrease of 33 per cent in the amount of direct nursing care when the father was present. There was a decrease in all five areas of direct nursing care. Evidence obtained also indicated a possible relationship between the presence of the father and the length of labor. The hypothesis that there would be no significant difference in the total amount of direct nursing care whether the father was present in or absent from the labor room was nullified. Recommendations were made that parents be permitted to be together during labor when they wish, that hospitals reexamine policies concerning fathers in the labor rooms, that students be assigned to labor patients when the father is present, and that studies be done concerning the quality of nursing care and the effect upon the length of labor when the father is present in the labor room.

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