Intrapartum Nurses' Perceived Influence on Delivery Mode Decisions and Outcomes

The responses of experienced, intrapartum nurses to actual and perceived time pressures and the subsequent impact on nurse-physician communication patterns and delivery mode outcomes are significant. Findings indicate the need to further explore how individual nursing practice may function as an independent predictor of delivery mode and how shared decision making among physicians, laboring women, and nurses affects rates of cesarean delivery.