Educational needs for traumatic perinatal events among labor and delivery nurses in Korea: a survey study

Purpose : The present study was conducted to identify the traumatic perinatal events, provision of related education, and education needs of nurses` working in the labor and delivery room. Method: Nurses working in the labor and delivery room (LDR) were invited to participate in the suvery, delivered via paper or online. The data were collected from October 1 to November 25, 2022. Data from 129 nurses were analyzed using frequency, Chi-square test, Fisher exact test, t-test, and ANOVA. Result : This study assessed the following six traumatic perinatal events: difficult birth, postpartum bleeding, baby with abnormality, serious injury of mother/baby, stillbirth by dismembering, and loss of mother/baby. Virtually all participants (98.6%) reported having experienced one or more since working in the LDR. The most shocking traumatic perinatal event experienced was the loss of mother and baby (40.3%), yet 24.8% did not recall ever having received education on the topic. About 63% of participants experienced traumatic perinatal events within a year of working in the delivery room. The average education needs for traumatic perinatal events is 3.67±0.37 out of 4 and the effective educational method that is preferred by nurses in the delivery room is simulation education. Conclusion : Since most of the participants experience various traumatic perinatal events in the early stages of work in the LDR and have a high educational demand for traumatic perinatal events, it is necessary to provide more effective stimulation education programs in the early days of labor and delivery experience.