Midwive's knowledge and skills of diagnosing hypertensive disorders during pregnancy in selected facilities in Vhembe District, South Africa

Abstract

Midwives’ knowledge and skills which include history taking, blood pressure measurement and urinalysis play an important role in diagnosing the hypertensive disorder in pregnancy. Hypertensive disorders are the contributory factors to morbidity and perinatal mortality rate. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge and skills of midwives in diagnosing hypertensive disorders during pregnancy in selected facilities in Vhembe District, South Africa. The study was quantitative, descriptive, and explanatory. The population was midwives in eight selected health facilities in Vhembe District, South Africa. Four Hospitals and four health centres were selected according to the high number of admission and consultation of pregnant women. The researcher used systematic sampling to get the respondents (n=77) from the total population (N=194). Data were collected by using questionnaires, where all midwives in selected facilities responded to the questionnaires. The validity and reliability of the instrument were assured. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Voluntary informed consent was signed, freedom from harm, right to full disclosure, the right to self-determination, and anonymity were assured. The results were presented in the form of tables and graphs. Data revealed the average knowledge of midwives in diagnosis of hypertensive disorders and limited knowledge in displaying the skills which can lead to proper diagnosis in pregnancy. Recommendations include that curriculum developers in the stream of midwifery enforce the continuity of knowledge and skills update after training and graduating from college and university.