Nursing protocol on the usage of oxytocin during labor

Since using medicines in the prenatal / innatal periods can affect the health of both mother and the fetus, this matter should be regarded carefully. A study on intravenous administration of drugs has found an error rate of 47 %. The general causes of mistakes include: 31% neglecting of drug administration, 15% continuation of cancelled orders and 13% administration of wrong dosage. Correct and complete administration of drugs and reducing mistakes is responsibility of the institutes as well as that of the personnel. institutes need the form drug policies, inform their staff regarding new developments in drugs and to establish mechanisms to immediately spot and report faults. With the use of oxytocin in the innatal period, complications such as hyperstimulation and rupture of the uterus, ablatio placenta and tears due to a fast birth in mother, and trauma, hypoxia and hyperbilirubinemia in fetus can occur. The study was planned to analyze application of oxytocin which is widely used in the innatal period for regulating Ihe contractions of the uterus and to develop a protocol to standardize applications in the light of the collected data. The study was started on May 2002 in the maternity clinic of Erdem Hospital and constituted of five steps. in the first stages of the study, the files of expectant mothers who had received oxytocin in the month of April were retrospectively analyzed from the aspects of care and follow up. İn the second stage, a protocol was formed according to the collected data, literature findings and the facilities and policies of the clinic. Later, the midwifes and nurses took a 2 day course to be introduced to the protocol and to be informed on how it was going to be used. The protocol was put the use in the fourth stage. Finally, the effects of the use of the protocol on applications will be assessed by retrospectively analyzing the files of the patients who are receiving oxytocin according to the protocol after two months.