Women's satisfaction with couplet care nursing compared to traditional postpartum care with rooming-in.

The purpose of this study was to compare patient satisfaction with two types of nursing care postpartum: traditional nursing care with rooming-in versus mother-baby (couplet) nursing care. A descriptive comparative research design was used. Questionnaire responses were obtained from 71 women who received traditional postpartum care with rooming in and 64 women who received couplet care on the same unit 6 months later. Women in both groups were satisfied with nursing care given to themselves and infants, with no difference in satisfaction between groups. The traditional model of having a nurse for the baby and different nurse for the mother can be as satisfying to women as having one nurse for the mother-baby couplet when rooming-in is encouraged and implemented.