Background: Neonatal mortality is a major health issue in low-income countries, as Uganda.  The profession of the pediatric nurse has a vital role in quality improvements projects and to provide immediate newborn care to reduce neonatal mortality rate (NMR). 

Aim: The aim is to investigate whether a quality improvement project driven by nurses and midwives influences the immediate newborn care.

Methodology: The method was quantitative cohort study in collaboration with the MIDWIZE quality improvement project. 336 women were included, and data was collected through observations at the labour ward at Naguru Hospital in Kampala, Uganda from May-November 2022.

Result: The results showed increased numbers of skin-to-skin care within 1 minute (p=<0,001) and early initiation of breastfeeding (p=0,013). It also shows decreased numbers of Apgar scores < 7 at five minutes (p=<0,001), fewer newborn babies in need of resuscitation (p=<0,001) and transfer to NICU (p=0,015).

Conclusion: The quality improvement project driven by nurses and midwives had a significant positive impact of the immediate newborn care.