Participation of obstetric nurses in the care of labor and delivery in private hospitals in Brazil: a cross-sectional observational study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the participation of obstetric nurses in care provided during labor and delivery within the Brazilian private health system. METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study included women admitted for delivery in six private hospitals-five in São Paulo and one in Santos, Brazil. Data were obtained through structured interviews conducted during the postpartum period and included information on hospital admission, labor and delivery care, healthcare professionals involved, and obstetric interventions. Women with live births during the study period were included. RESULTS: A total of 2,435 postpartum women were interviewed. Among them, 48.2% were in their first pregnancy, and 56.4% were primiparous. Only 14.9% had a previous vaginal delivery, while 31.2% had undergone a previous cesarean section. Labor was attended by a physician in 99.3% of cases. Although 52.3% of women had the presence of an obstetric nurse during labor, only 0.7% received delivery assistance from this professional. Among women with labor onset, 58.3% had a vaginal delivery, and only 3.2% were assisted exclusively by obstetric nurses during labor and delivery. Overall, 76.6% of participants underwent cesarean section. CONCLUSION: Obstetric nurses were frequently present during labor but rarely performed delivery care in private hospitals. Their limited participation suggests underutilization of this professional group within the studied setting.