Quality of perinatal data capture by nurses in Osun State, Nigeria

Background: The quality of information that nurses capture in the perinatal period contributes to efficiency in clinical decision making for improved maternal and child outcome. Aims: This study explored the quality of perinatal data capture by nurses in Osun State, Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive design was adopted and multistage sampling technique was used to select 427 nurses from perinatal units across three levels of care. Data were collected using a pre-tested questionnaire and checklists and analysis was done with SPSS version 16. Findings: There was no uniformity in data capture in the study setting. Respondents were not aware of the concept of the national perinatal dataset and the quality of perinatal data capture was poor at all levels of care. Conclusions: Perinatal data capture by nurses was not standardised across the three levels of care and the captured data were inadequate and of poor quality.