Table 6.

Provider perceptions of task shifting using open-ended questions, by type of provider

Topic area:	Advantages to task shifting:	Disadvantages to task shifting:	Suggestions to improve task shifting:
Skilled providers' responsesa (n = 19b)	- Skilled providers have more time for clinical tasks* - Facilitates the clinical work by enabling focus on clinical tasks that reduces fatigue - Allows skilled workers to attend to urgent cases as needed* - Improves the continuity of counseling even when the skilled provider is unavailable - Requires provider confidence - Increases/expands participation of all health workers in the provision of care* - Nurse aides speak the local language(s), so decreases language barriers	- Sometimes it's possible that the counseling could be poorly done by the unskilled worker - Difficult to implement in cases where there are severe shortages of both types of providers* - Aides prolong antenatal consultation as a result of counseling	- Increase circulation of the counseling task among the nurse aides - Post delegated task items for viewing - Expand task shifting to other health centers* - Improve site-level communication between cadres - Allow skilled workers to perform counseling also
Lay nurse aides' responsesa (n = 24c)	- Provides more clarity on what are the tasks/role of nurse aides* - Have ability to conduct the counseling even in the absence of a skilled provider* - Women like counseling by aides - Improves the consultation - Allows aides to participate more in counseling activities - Aides received new knowledge* - Aides are more familiar/have more in common with the women from the community - Aides appreciated being promoted to new service* - Improved work relationship between providers	- Shortage of personnel makes it difficult to implement at times*	- Explore possibility of task shifting to nurse aides in other domains - Increase the number of nurse aides* - Improve supervision - Expand role of nurse aides at all sites*

[a] The symbol (*) denotes that the response was commonly stated. [b] Only 19 providers (out of 21) were interviewed. All responded 'yes' when asked if they thought task shifting should be introduced at other sites. [c] Only 24 unskilled providers (out of 27) were interviewed. All responded 'yes' when asked if they thought task shifting should be introduced at other sites.