PubMed · 11114870
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L H Klotz. 2000. Waiting lists.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11114870/
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BACKGROUND: Health systems worldwide face persistent health workers challenges including nursing shortages, workforce strain, and inequities. In Canada, these challenges have prompted renewed national and provincial reforms to strengthen recruitment, retention, leadership, and sustainability. This paper compares nursing workforce policy directions across Canada, and international jurisdictions to inform policy and planning. METHODS: A cross-country comparative analysis of policies building on a comprehensive national funded review that included an umbrella review of 69 systematic reviews, a comparative policy review of nursing workforce strategies in five jurisdictions, and validation through national horizon-scanning and policy dialogues (n >100). Evidence was analyzed across system, organizational, and individual levels. RESULTS: At the system level, international jurisdictions demonstrate comprehensive, legislated approaches integrating data, governance, and multi-year funding have advanced key nursing strategies. In Canada, the advances show the importance of strategies to have national and provincial/territorial alignment emphasizing leadership, flexibility, and inclusion as key levers. Organizational and individual-level reforms such as mentorship, leadership development, and wellness initiatives are expanding but remain variably evaluated. Experts identified national workforce data strategies and policy integration with embedded evaluation as key enablers to inform scalability and sustainability of implemented strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Canada's nursing workforce reforms are advancing toward coordinated, equity-driven, and evidence-informed strategies. Continued investment in evaluation, leadership, and national integrated data systems along with integrating nursing workforce planning within broader intersectoral planning will consolidate these gains and position Canada as an international leader in sustainable nursing workforce policy.
CONTEXT: North American cesarean delivery rates have risen dramatically since the 1960s, without concomitant improvements in perinatal or maternal health. A Cochrane Review concluded that continuous caregiver support during labor has many benefits, including reduced likelihood of cesarean delivery. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of nurses as providers of labor support in North American hospitals. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial with prognostic stratification by center and parity. Women were enrolled during a 2-year period (May 1999 to May 2001) and followed up until 6 to 8 postpartum weeks. SETTING: Thirteen US and Canadian hospitals with annual cesarean delivery rates of at least 15%. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 6915 women who had a live singleton fetus or twins, were 34 weeks' gestation or more, and were in established labor at randomization. INTERVENTION: Patients were randomly assigned to receive usual care (n = 3461) or continuous labor support by a specially trained nurse (n = 3454) during labor. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was cesarean delivery rate. Other outcomes included intrapartum events and indicators of maternal and neonatal morbidity, both immediately after birth and in the first 6 to 8 postpartum weeks. RESULTS: Data were received for all 6915 women and their infants (n = 6949). The rates of cesarean delivery were almost identical in the 2 groups (12.5% in the continuous labor support group and 12.6% in the usual care group; P =.44). There were no significant differences in other maternal or neonatal events during labor, delivery, or the hospital stay. There were no significant differences in women's perceived control during childbirth or in depression, measured at 6 to 8 postpartum weeks. All comparisons of women's likes and dislikes, and their future preference for amount of nursing support, favored the continuous labor support group. CONCLUSIONS: In hospitals characterized by high rates of routine intrapartum interventions, continuous labor support by nurses does not affect the likelihood of cesarean delivery or other medical or psychosocial outcomes of labor and birth.