Abstract

Exposure to adverse events can impact on the way healthcare professionals provide patient care. We examined the experiences of healthcare professionals following exposure to intrapartum death (the death of an infant after the onset of labour but before they are born) in a tertiary maternity hospital. We invited Consultant Obstetricians, Trainee Obstetricians and Midwives to complete a survey. Eighty percent of healthcare professionals had a direct involvement with an intrapartum death. Most (82%) received no training in dealing with intrapartum death, while 94% had no education on self-care strategies. Despite it being desired by most (80%), debriefing was offered to just 11% of healthcare professionals who were involved in an intrapartum death. Three key issues from open-ended responses to the survey were: the personal impact of intrapartum deaths on healthcare professionals, implications for professional practice and future patient care, and the importance of non-judgemental support. Maternity hospitals need to improve their support structures for healthcare professionals following an intrapartum death.