A Nurse-Navigated, Postpartum Support Text Messaging Intervention: Satisfaction Among Primiparous Women.

More than 50% of maternal deaths in the United States occur during the first year following childbirth. Nearly 40% of these deaths occur between days 1 and 41 of the postpartum period. Historically, women receive less attention from healthcare providers during the postpartum period when compared with the care provided during pregnancy and childbirth. Women may not return for scheduled follow-up care until 4 to 6 weeks after birth, if they return at all. The role of postpartum nurse navigator (PPNN) was developed to deliver a novel, text messaging intervention as part of a randomized controlled trial to 43 primiparous women who experienced an unplanned cesarean birth. Through daily, interactive text messaging, the PPNN assessed study participants' general well-being, assisted with symptom navigation, offered anticipatory guidance, and provided informational support until 4 weeks postpartum. Satisfaction with the intervention was evaluated using a survey that incorporated quantitative and qualitative responses. Overwhelmingly, 93% of participants rated their overall experience with the text messaging intervention as outstanding or good. At least 95% of the participants indicated that they would likely choose to receive daily text messaging from a PPNN following a subsequent birth. Convenient access to professional nurse support for women postbirth warrants further evaluation.

Healthcare Strategies for Reducing Pregnancy-Related Morbidity and Mortality in the Postpartum Period.

The majority of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States occur in the postpartum period, after a woman gives birth. Many of these deaths are preventable. Researchers and health care providers have been focusing on designing and implementing strategies to eliminate preventable deaths and ethnic and racial disparities. Six healthcare strategies for reducing postpartum maternal morbidity and mortality will be described. These strategies, if provided in an equitable manner by all providers to all women, will assist in closing the disparity in outcomes between black women and women of all other races and ethnicities who give birth throughout the United States.

Write It Out! CPR for the Soul.

Many nurses, although expert caregivers for their patients, often overlook extending this expertise to themselves by neglecting to implement self-care activities to nurture their own well-being. This neglect can precipitate a myriad of physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social consequences potentially leading to burnout or even an exit from the nursing profession. Initiating self-care using compassionate purposeful reflection (CPR) journaling, a kind of cardiopulmonary resuscitation for the soul, offers an antidote for self-care neglect and can foster self-compassion creating a protective shield against burnout. CPR journaling can aid in replenishing depleted stores of resilience and compassion enhancing nurses' well-being.

Faculty-Led Role-Play Simulation: Going Live to Teach Patient-Centered Care to Nursing Students.

BACKGROUND: Nursing education of patient-centered care (PCC) principles is recommended to improve the quality and safety of patient care. Role-playing simulations within safe classroom learning environments may increase student competence and confidence in delivering PCC. METHOD: This innovative strategy included course faculty brief role-play scenarios. Students received opportunities to analyze the effectiveness of the PCC portrayed, reenact the scenarios, and consider the value of the simulation in enhancing PCC knowledge and skills. RESULTS: Following a scenario, students correctly identified ineffective PCC components, suggested alternative interactions, and demonstrated therapeutic PCC communication techniques during reenactments. During debriefing, students shared strategies for implementing PCC skills in nursing practice. In the clinical setting, faculty observed students applying PCC principles. Student course evaluations indicated role-play was an effective teaching method. CONCLUSIONS: Use of role-play simulation in prelicensure nursing education creates an engaging approach for reinforcing PCC principles, which may increase implementation of PCC in the clinical setting. [J Nurs Educ. 2019;58(11):665-668.].

Parenting perceptions of low-income mothers.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to gain understanding of perceptions of low-income pregnant women and mothers about parenting. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants were 65 low-income, primarily African American, women in their 20s and 30s who were recruited from a faith-based social service center in Memphis, Tennessee. Interviews were conducted by nursing, social work, and psychology students. The existential phenomenological method was used to analyze verbatim responses of participants to vignettes depicting parenting behaviors of hypothetical mothers. RESULTS: Five global themes were identified: (a) Focus on baby's development: "Because I'm the Mother, I'm the First Teacher"; (b) Focus on baby's safety/security: "The Baby Could Be Hurt"; (c) Focus on conveying love: "She Just Wants the Baby to Feel Her Love"; (d) Focus on learning the rules of good childcare: "It's Important to Know the Do's and Don'ts"; and (e) Focus on doing it differently (better) than parents did: "When You Know Better, You Do Better." CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Findings suggest that these mothers care deeply about providing a better life for their children than the life they have had. They desire to learn about being the best parents they can be. As nurses, we can help to provide educational opportunities for mothers through a variety of evidence-based interventions delivered across the childbearing years.