Biomedical subjects

Donna J Sauls

Publications and source records attributed to Donna J Sauls.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Dimensions of professional labor support for intrapartum practice.

PURPOSE: To define and describe the dimensions of Professional Labor Support (PLS). DESIGN AND METHODS: A factor-analytic study was conducted with a random sample of 146 intrapartum nurses in Texas. Nurses' responses to the Labor Support Questionnaire (LSQ) were subjected to principal components analysis and descriptive analysis. FINDINGS: A six-factor solution indicated the dimensions of PLS: Tangible Support, Advocacy, Emotional Support-Reassurance, Emotional Support-Creating Control, Security and Comfort, Emotional Support-Nurse Caring Behavior, and Informational Support. CONCLUSIONS: Although the presence of four dimensions was theorized, six dimensions were found. The emotional support dimension was identified by nurses as being an important component of labor support as indicated by the identification of three separate emotional support dimensions.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed2004

The Labor Support Questionnaire: development and psychometric analysis.

Every year approximately 4 million women in the United States experience childbirth. This event has been cited as pivotal in a woman's life. Labor support is an important part of this experience since it influences the woman's classification of the birth experience as positive or negative. Therefore, understanding how intrapartum nurses perceive the role of supportive care during labor is paramount. The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable and valid instrument that measures intrapartum nurses' perceptions concerning the importance of professional labor support in their practice. The sample included 146 intrapartum nurses from Texas. Cronbach's alpha, Pearson's r, and descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Cronbach's alpha for the Labor Support Questionnaire (LSQ) was 0.90. Convergent validity with the Caring Behavior Inventory was .57 (p < .001). Findings indicated beginning support for the reliability and validity of the LSQ. Further development and psychometric testing is recommended to ascertain the dimensionality of the LSQ.

Female↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of labor support on mothers, babies, and birth outcomes.

Supportive care and childbirth have been connected for all of recorded history. The impact of supportive care on health outcomes, however, has only been investigated over the last few decades. Research provides powerful evidence of improved outcomes for mothers and babies when mothers are supported in labor. These outcomes include, but are not limited to, lower rates of analgesia and anesthesia use, lower operative birth rates, shorter labors, fewer newborns with 5-minute Apgar scores less than 7, increased maternal satisfaction with the birthing process, and much more. Intrapartum nurses must be knowledgeable of the research that is directly related to critical aspects of their care, such as labor support. This article provides an overview of the quantitative research related to the effect of labor support on birth and maternal and fetal outcomes during childbirth. By understanding and applying this research in clinical practice, bedside nurses may improve outcomes and transform intrapartum care.

Female↗