Nurses' Experiences of Caring for Disabled Women during Pregnancy and Childbirth

Abstract

PURPOSE: This phenomenological study was to describe and to understand nurses' experiences of caring for woman with disability during pregnancy and childbirth. METHODS: Participants were 13 nurses from 3 hospitals and 2 local clinics in J city, and were selected through snow-balling method. Data were collected two face to face, semi-structured interviews. The researcher used MP3 player and smart phone for recording as well as transcription process. As for the data analysis, Colaizzi's method was applied. RESULTS: Nurses' experiences were structured as four theme clusters: ‘Communicating between/among nurses’, ‘Recognizing pregnancy and childbirth of woman with disability’, ‘Taking care of woman with disability based on their differences’ and ‘Reflecting on nursing care for woman with disability’. CONCLUSION: It seemed that nurses' recognition to woman with disability and her pregnancy and childbirth was related their nursing care for woman with disability.

Keywords

• woman with disability
• pregnancy
• childbirth
• nurse
• phenomenological study