The Birth of the Perinatal Outreach Program

Abstract

The perinatal outreach program was developed to provide professional education and consultative services to perinatal nurses, providers, and additional health care members within a 120-mile radius. We strive to provide better health outcomes for postpartum women and neonates through systematic improvements in health promotion, illness, and injury prevention for infants and postpartum women. Our goal is to enhance learning and growth by promoting and advocating for a consistent standard of care throughout the region. Introduction to this program start with an initial meeting with either the director, manager, or educator for the labor and delivery unit and then an individualized plan for each facility is created. Educational needs depend on hospital volume, location, and resources. A list of three to five educational offerings are discussed, and then an action plan is developed. After the educational offerings are performed, the nurses can use these hand-on tools as resources for future experiences. They can also use the information that they receive from joining our Facebook page and turn to our perinatal outreach coordinator as an information resource, which moves away from text and slides as review and toward a more hands-on approach to education. After education is provided to the facility, a survey is sent to the participants to assess the effectiveness of the education. Feedback is reviewed, individualized plans are updated, and future offerings are planned. The goal of the program is to strengthen an already established foundation and learn how to reinforce their base to best serve their community.