Application of the Coping With Labor Toolkit to Assist Laboring Women

The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) (2013) set a goal for 100% of women to obtain continuous labor support to meet the physical and emotional needs of the laboring woman. Women who are given continuous labor support are more inclined to achieve a spontaneous vaginal birth without analgesia, dissatisfaction, or instrumental birthing methods. Despite the need for labor support, intrapartum (IP) nurses may see labor support as an exception instead of routine care due to their multiple responsibilities, their beliefs, or due to a lack of education about labor support (AWHONN, 2013; Yost et al., 2015). The purpose of this study was to determine if using the Coping with Labor Toolkit and Coping with Labor Algorithm would impact the perceived frequency of labor support interventions provided by IP nurses.

The Coping with Labor Toolkit was created by the author to provide education and assist IP nurses in implementing the Coping with Labor Algorithm created by Roberts, Gulliver, Fisher, and Cloyes (2010). The Coping with Labor Toolkit provides participants with information about how to use the Coping with Labor Algorithm, educates participants about labor support interventions that are available to support laboring women, and outlines unit-specific policies in place for labor support interventions for the hospital in which the project was conducted. A convenience sample of 23 IP nurses was used for the pre-intervention survey which included the Labor Support Scale (LSS) and the IP Nurse’s Beliefs Related to Birth Practice Scale (IPNBBPS). The participants were then given the Coping with Labor Toolkit and provided with one-on-one education about the toolkit and the Coping with Labor Algorithm. Following implementation, 13 IP nurses completed the post-intervention survey which included the LSS and the IPNBBPS. Positive changes were found in the perceived frequency of labor support that IP nurses provided.

The Coping with Labor Algorithm and the Coping with Labor Toolkit can be used on any IP unit to provide IP nurses with the necessary resources to promote coping among laboring women. Additional training and use of these tools can further assist IP nurses in helping laboring women to cope with labor, improving the frequency of labor support provided, changing the IP nurses’ beliefs, and potentially improving patient outcomes and patient satisfaction of labor and birth experiences.