Perinatal Education in a Community Setting

Abstract

Purpose for the Program To provide childbirth educators and nurses an innovative, community‐based program that creates a positive learning environment and access to a network of interdisciplinary resources for pregnant women and their families. Providing patient education is essential for effective care, improving health, preventing disease, and positive outcomes for patients, families, and communities. Proposed Change Experts concur that prenatal education and care are essential to decreasing preterm births. Knowing the community before developing interventions for health care and services will help in articulating partnerships and culturally congruent care. Extensive literature confirms that many barriers exist to prevent pregnant women from creating healthy environments for their unborn infants: lack of transportation, age, literacy, socioeconomic factors, and racism. This program touches on these issues and provides the community with needed prenatal education at the point of care to improve the outcomes for pregnant women and their infants. Implementation, Outcomes, and Evaluation An obstetrician's office was designated as having a large number of pregnant women who were at risk for not receiving childbirth education. The childbirth education program was presented to the obstetrician's group and was approved. The physician provided a conference room and storage room for weekly classes. Collaborative relationships with lactation, social work, financial counselors, and translators were established. A plan of care, pretests and posttests, evaluation, and curriculum for four classes were developed (Understanding Birth I/II and Baby Basics I/II). The classes focused on topics such as benefits of breastfeeding, signs and symptoms of preterm labor, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), smoking cessation, and car seat safety. The office manager identified the day and times that most prenatal visits occurred. Childbirth educators were recruited to teach weekly classes from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. An incentive program was implemented for women who met three of the five criteria, attended all the classes, and gave birth at Mercy Health Fairfield. Outcome data show that most participants in the program were primiparous women younger than 25 years. Pretest and posttest data illustrated that education produced greater understanding of the information taught. Implications for Nursing Practice Prenatal education for the vulnerable pregnant population before delivery helps support the education given by the perinatal nurse in the hospital. To provide childbirth educators and nurses an innovative, community‐based program that creates a positive learning environment and access to a network of interdisciplinary resources for pregnant women and their families. Providing patient education is essential for effective care, improving health, preventing disease, and positive outcomes for patients, families, and communities. Experts concur that prenatal education and care are essential to decreasing preterm births. Knowing the community before developing interventions for health care and services will help in articulating partnerships and culturally congruent care. Extensive literature confirms that many barriers exist to prevent pregnant women from creating healthy environments for their unborn infants: lack of transportation, age, literacy, socioeconomic factors, and racism. This program touches on these issues and provides the community with needed prenatal education at the point of care to improve the outcomes for pregnant women and their infants. An obstetrician's office was designated as having a large number of pregnant women who were at risk for not receiving childbirth education. The childbirth education program was presented to the obstetrician's group and was approved. The physician provided a conference room and storage room for weekly classes. Collaborative relationships with lactation, social work, financial counselors, and translators were established. A plan of care, pretests and posttests, evaluation, and curriculum for four classes were developed (Understanding Birth I/II and Baby Basics I/II). The classes focused on topics such as benefits of breastfeeding, signs and symptoms of preterm labor, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), smoking cessation, and car seat safety. The office manager identified the day and times that most prenatal visits occurred. Childbirth educators were recruited to teach weekly classes from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. An incentive program was implemented for women who met three of the five criteria, attended all the classes, and gave birth at Mercy Health Fairfield. Outcome data show that most participants in the program were primiparous women younger than 25 years. Pretest and posttest data illustrated that education produced greater understanding of the information taught. Prenatal education for the vulnerable pregnant population before delivery helps support the education given by the perinatal nurse in the hospital.