Factors Related to Discharge Readiness Among First-time Mothers After Cesarean Section in China

Abstract

The purpose of this descriptive correlation study was to determine the level of discharge readiness and its related factors of first-time mothers after CS. 233 first-time mothers were purposively selected from two of the largest referral centers for high-risk pregnancies in Guiyang city, Guizhou province, China. The discharge readiness questionnaire for a new mother (RHDS-NMF) and the discharge teaching questionnaire - new mother form, (QDTS-NMF) which yielded Cronbach’s alpha values of .95 and .96 respectively, were used to collect the data. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation were applied for data analysis. The results showed that the discharge readiness of first-time mothers after CS was at a moderate level. There were statistically significant relationships between discharge readiness and related factors: age, having complications related to CS and discharge teaching. The findings suggest the need for nursing administrators and nurses to develop some interventions in improving discharge readiness for those first-time mothers who are older, have complications after CS, and to increase the quality of discharge teaching. Discharge readiness could be beneficial to enhance maternal health outcomes after discharge.