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Patients’ Lived Experiences of the Care Provided Before and After Caesarean Sections in the City of Tshwane, Gauteng, South Africa

A caesarean section is an incision of the abdomen and uterine walls to deliver the foetus. An emergency caesarean section may be performed if complications during pregnancy or labour arise. Various indications such as abnormal presentation, a previous caesarean section, and other related conditions may need an elective caesarean section. In South Africa, the national average caesarean section rate between 2015 and 2016 was 26.2 per cent, whereas the rate in district hospitals was 24.1 per cent. At a community hospital in the City of Tshwane, the caesarean section rate of 32 per cent in 2015 was recorded as high. The aim of this research was to explore and to describe patients’ lived experiences of the care provided before and after a caesarean section in the City of Tshwane, Gauteng, South Africa. To achieve the aim of the study, a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study was conducted. The sampling method used was purposive, and the sample size was determined by data saturation. An interview schedule was used to collect the data. The study concluded that some women were satisfied with the care provided, whereas the majority were dissatisfied. The need for strategies to improve such care provided by nurses and midwives was highlighted. Multidisciplinary teams have to acknowledge gaps and develop effective strategies to motivate nurses and midwives in the workplace to provide quality care. Research should be conducted to design an effective nursing framework for caesarean section care.