FACTORS AFFECTING LABOR SUPPORT BEHAVIORS OF INTRAPARTUM NURSES

Abstract

This descriptive research was designed to study the correlations and predictive ability of attitude toward labor support behaviors, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention on the labor support behaviors of intrapartum nurses. The samples comprised 60 intrapartum nurses from six government hospitals in the Bangkok Metropolitan area who were simple random sampling selected for ten samples from each hospital. Data were collected by using a personal data questionnaire, a questionnaire of attitude toward labor support behaviors, a subjective norm questionnaire, a perceived self-efficacy in labor support questionnaire, an intention for labor support behaviors questionnaire and a labor support behavior questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product moment correlation, and multiple linear regression analysis.

            The results of the study revealed that attitude toward labor support behavior, subjective norms, perceived behavior control of labor support behaviors and intention for labor support behaviors were positively correlated with labor support behaviors of intrapartum nurses with statistical significance (p<.05) and were accounted for variance explained on labor support behaviors of intrapartum nurses of 85% (p<.05).

            The findings recommend the promotion of positive attitude toward labor support behavior and education concerning guidelines for performing labor support behaviors to increase nurses’ practical ability in properly managing patients giving birth.