Implementing Patient-Centered Trauma-Informed Care for the Perinatal Nurse.

Adverse childhood experiences and trauma significantly impact physical and mental health. Increased maternal perinatal depression/anxiety, preterm labor, and low birth weight, as well as infant morbidity and mortality, are some examples of the impact of trauma on perinatal health. Trauma-informed care begins with knowledge about trauma, the ability to recognize signs of a trauma response, responding to patients effectively, and resisting retraumatization. As holistic providers, perinatal nurses can create safe care environments, establish collaborative patient relationships based on trust, demonstrate compassion, offer patients options when possible to support patient autonomy, and provide resources for trauma survivors. This can prevent or reduce the negative impact of trauma and improve the health and well-being of infants, mothers, and future generations. This clinical article outlines key strategies for implementation of patient-centered trauma-informed perinatal nursing care.

Incorporation of Sexual Violence in Nursing Curricula Using Trauma-Informed Care: A Case Study.

BACKGROUND: One in five women will experience sexual violence in their lifetime. As a consequence of this violence, survivors face health care concerns such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and gynecologic problems. Nurses are at the forefront of health care delivery to survivors of sexual violence, yet literature about nursing curricula addressing sexual violence is scant. METHOD: A holistic, single-case study from a student survivor about the impact of sexual violence, being taught from a trauma-informed care perspective, is presented. RESULTS: The powerful case study highlights the personal and professional benefits stemming from a sexual violence curriculum being taught from a trauma-informed care lens. The student survivor reports personal growth and an understanding of herself, as well as a new framework with which to care for patients who have experienced sexual violence. CONCLUSION: In preparation to deliver care to sexual violence survivors, students must be educated about the prevalence, long-term sequela, and health care needs of survivors, which can be effectively done using the model of trauma-informed care. The student's case suggests that discussing sexual violence is imperative for one's own healing and contribution to the nursing profession.