Maternal Satisfaction with Postpartum Nursing Centers

Monday, 13 July 2009: 2:45 PM

Chich-Hsiu Hung, PhD
School of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

Learning Objective 1: understand a complementary postpartum health care practice in Taiwan.

Learning Objective 2: assess quality of care for women who stay in a health care institution for some part of their postpartum recovery.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore predictors of women’s satisfaction with postpartum nursing centers. Methods: A sample of 401 postpartum women completed demographic questionnaires at eight postpartum nursing centers and completed the Chinese Health Questionnaire, the Social Support Scale, the Hung Postpartum Stress Scale, and the Satisfaction with the Postpartum Nursing Center Scale over the telephone in their fourth week after childbirth.  

Results: Women having longer stay day in the postpartum nursing centers, higher social support, and lower postpartum stress were more satisfied with the postpartum nursing centers. If the woman herself was the source of payment or was minor psychiatric morbidity was less satisfied with the postpartum nursing. This study also indicated that high women’s social support and low postpartum stress contributed significantly to predicting their satisfaction with the postpartum nursing centers.

Conclusion: Future studies will be needed to determine whether the postpartum nursing centers compared to traditional care at home can help to equip mothers better for smooth transition to parenthood, to reduce the emotional and mental problems, and to enhance higher level of competence in childcare.