Perceptions and experiences of midwives regarding the use of the labour care guide at two state hospitals in Khomas region, Namibia
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Date
2025
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University of Namibia
Abstract
The Labour Care Guide (LCG) is a new tool for monitoring labour, introduced to replace
the partograph, which had been used improperly and inconsistently across various
contexts. Early research suggests that healthcare practitioners view the LCG as a tool that
enhances the quality of care during labour and delivery. Despite these findings, there
remains a gap in understanding the long-term impact and sustainability of midwives'
engagement with the LCG; hence, there is a need to explore midwives' evolving
perceptions and experiences of using the LCG. The purpose of this study was to examine
midwives' perceptions and experiences of using the LCG at two state hospitals in the
Khomas region of Namibia. This study employed a qualitative transcendental
(descriptive) phenomenology design. Purposive sampling and maximum variation
sampling were applied. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews
and analysed through thematic analysis based on descriptive phenomenology. Ethical
considerations were all upheld throughout the study. The findings revealed the following
themes; midwives' experiences related to the differences between the LCG and the
partograph and their implications for practice, midwives' perceptions of the LCG and how
these affected their adjustment to using it, along with implications for practice, the LCG
is a user-friendly tool that enhances user experiences and management of labour,
challenges related to completing the LCG experienced by midwives and navigating from
incompetency to expertise in using the LCG and its implications for practice. The findings
of this study demonstrated that midwives had both negative and positive perceptions of
using the LCG. While early perceptions were shaped by initial exposure to the LCG, later
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perceptions were grounded in the midwives’ experiences of using the LCG. Generally,
midwives found the LCG valuable but needed training and adjustments to suit the context
Description
A research thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Nursing Science
Keywords
Experiences, Labour Care Guide, Midwives, Perceptions, Namibia, University of Namibia