Qualified care for women in labour

Reducing maternal mortality is one of the health indicators whose main element is quality labour and birth care. The International Confederation of Midwives advocates the skills and competences needed to provide quality care throughout the pregnancy-puerperium cycle. The aim of this study was to characterise the nursing professionals who work in childbirth care services and to analyse the essential competences developed by these professionals. This was a descriptive study with a quantitative approach carried out in three maternity hospitals in the city of Londrina. We observed differences in the quality of nursing care provided in the participating institutions. Many essential competences for labour and delivery care are not developed. The institutions need incentives to implement actions based on up-to-date evidence.