SUMMARY
Background: Access to essential commodities (EC) is part of right to health and pre requisite in achievement of universal access to health services. Rising population and improved life expectancy has increased demand for reproductive health commodities for Nursing Services (NS). The service delivery is challenged by management of the commodities and implementation of free maternity services. There is knowledge gap regarding management practices for the EC for effective NS. Objectives: To assess management of commodities for NS during labour and delivery including approaches to inventory control; ordering and storage practices. Methods: Descriptive and exploratory research study design. Questionnaires were filled by sampled 105 staff working in maternity and labour wards at Mbagathi hospital. Quantitative and qualitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and content/ thematic analysis respectively. Results: Inventory control and ordering practices affected the inventory management more as compared to storage practices (p-value < .001). Prominent method of selecting health commodity was based on services provided 75(71.4%). Majority 63(60.0%) used past consumption data to determine the quantity of health commodities needed. Prominent method of commodity inspection was random sampling inspection 86(81.99%). Conclusion: Management of commodities for NS was highly affected by inventory control and ordering practices. This implied that there was need for capacity development programs that impact staff with skills on information, communication and storage facilities management; temperature control systems; quality assurance procedures and appropriate planning, monitoring and evaluation.