Patients' responses to short obstetrical hospital stays during a nurses' strike.

A 1984 St. Paul nurses' strike led to a reduction in the length of obstetrical hospital stays, and this effect persisted after the strike. The mean length of hospitalization for vaginal deliveries was 2.7 days before the strike, 1.6 days during the strike, and 2.4 days after the strike. Forty-nine women who delivered during the strike completed questionnaires investigating their attitudes about their length of hospital stay. Although the mean patient response to length of stay was slightly positive, several patients were dissatisfied with their short hospital stays. Patients who stayed for two days or longer were more positive about their length of stay than those who stayed for shorter periods of time. It was planned that most women with vaginal deliveries would be discharged within 24 hours; however, 11 of the 36 women with vaginal deliveries stayed two days or more. This study demonstrates the need to individualize discharge plans. Not all women with vaginal deliveries can be discharged within 24 hours, and one may expect some patient dissatisfaction when early discharge is mandated.