Maternal death surveillance and Primary Health Care nurses’ performance in a Brazilian capital city

Abstract

Objective:  to identify the factors related to Primary Health Care nurses’ performance in maternal death surveillance. Method:  an epidemiological and descriptive-analytical study conducted with 143 nurses from a capital city in the Brazilian Midwest region. The data were collected by means of a structured and self-applied questionnaire and analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics using the Chi-square test and via a multivariate analysis resorting to binary logistic regression, considering a 5% significance level. Results:  most of the participants had been working in their current job position for less than five years and had not undergone any training in maternal death surveillance; however, they were aware about its objective and about the Municipal Maternal Mortality Committee (and its goals). The participants’ time in their current job position was associated with participation in training, with conducting investigation procedures, with knowing about the committee and with taking part in its meetings. Training was associated with knowing about the investigation objective, the committee, its goals and participation in meetings. The nurses that had attended training presented an Odds Ratio of 5.82 (95%CI: 2.46-13.75) as for already having conducted a maternal death investigation process. Conclusion:  permanent education is a predictive factor for nurses’ performance and should be enhanced by institutional policies.