Original Research Article
Year: 2018 | Month: July | Volume: 3 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 21-27
Knowledge and Practice of Episiotomy among Midwives at Adeoyo Maternity Hospital Ibadan Oyo State Nigeria
Ogundeji Kolawole Damilare1, Akinyemi Kehinde Funmilola2
1Lecturer, Adeleke University, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Nursing Science, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria
2Assistant Chief Nursing Officer, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
Background & Aim: Although there are records of episiotomy being used for more than a century. However, in the 1950s, the practice of episiotomy was common among midwives around the world and this practice was widespread until it began to be questioned by research findings in the 1980s. Despite the body of knowledge, episiotomy is still a common midwifery practice. The thrust of this study is to examine the knowledge and practice of episiotomy among midwives at Adeoyo Maternity Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
Method: A cross sectional design was adopted and sample size of 150 calculated using Slovin formula was used. 150 questionnaires were distributed to the midwives in the selected wards of the hospital. Reliability of the instrument was done via test- retest method with a coefficient of stability of 0.774. The data were analyzed using Chi-square and Analysis of Variance via the Statistical Product Service Solution (SPSS) at 0.05 level of significant.
Result: About 70% of the respondents with over 11 years of experience are between age 36 years and above (p = 0.000) while about 70% of the respondents with less than 10 years of experience are Registered Nurse/ Registered midwives (RN/RM).There is no significant difference on the rate of giving episiotomy between respondents with more than 11 years’ experience and the respondents with less than 10 years’ experience (p- value = 0.395). There is no difference in knowledge of episiotomy between the respondents with more than 11 years of experience and the respondents with less than 10 years’ experience ( p- value = 0.167)
Conclusion:The rate of giving episiotomy is declining as midwives improve their knowledge about delivery and this can be achieved through continuous education and research oriented practice.
Key words: Knowledge, Practice, Episiotomy, Midwives, Maternity.