The Experience of Men Whose Partners Have Postpartum Depression [Formula: see text].

BACKGROUND: The correlation of paternal depressive symptomatology to maternal postpartum depression can approach 50%. Paternal depression during a female partner's postpartum time period can include feelings of fear, confusion, frustration, anger, helplessness, and lack of support. There are only a few published studies that address the interaction between paternal and maternal mental health during the postpartum period. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the experiences of men whose partners had postpartum depression as a foundation for intervention and program development. METHOD: This qualitative study used a descriptive phenomenological approach. A purposive sample of 10 men who lived with a partner diagnosed with postpartum depression was recruited via flier postings in mental health clinics, a perinatal mental health email listserv, and word-of-mouth. Single, audiotape-recorded interviews were completed. Qualitative data analysis was used to reduce initial coding to final themes that described participant experiences. RESULTS: The participants described efforts to provide support and care for their families; their efforts not to make things worse; their fears, anxieties, and physical responses; and the isolation associated with not knowing how to ask for help. The five themes included needing to support partners, maintaining stability, experiencing mutual symptoms, feeling isolated, and providing insight for others. CONCLUSIONS: Depression is known to have a negative effect on all members of a family. It is imperative that fathers' experiences are understood in order to fill this gap in caring for families.

Forming Focus Groups for Pediatric Pain Research in Nursing: A Review of Methods.

BACKGROUND: Within current priorities for pain research set by the American Society for Pain Management Nursing, there is a paucity of pediatric pain research. Qualitative approaches are helpful when researching topics about which little is known. Focus groups are one method of qualitative data collection and have been successfully implemented with children and parents. AIMS: The purpose of this paper was to identify ideal conditions for nurse researchers to employ when using focus groups as a data collection method for studies aiming to investigate pain in children. The aims of this paper are to identify focus group conditions (1) facilitating adequate scientific rigor and trustworthiness and (2) eliciting the richest data from participants. METHODS: A critique of research studies that used focus groups with children, parents/caregivers, or nurses in hospital or community settings was performed to achieve the stated aims. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines directed the process of selecting studies for inclusion in this review. RESULTS: The final sample for critique included four studies. Methods such as transcription processes and approaches to analysis used in the four publications were appraised for scientific rigor and usefulness in pediatric pain research. CONCLUSIONS: Researchers investigating priority areas must consider trustworthiness and strategies to eliciting quality data when planning to employ focus groups as a data collection method. Nurses in the clinical setting can use findings of this report to strengthen pain assessment practices as well as evaluate qualitative work for inclusion in evidence-based policies.

Sexual health and dissociative experiences among abused women.

Sexually transmitted infections are a significant public health issue impacting women. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is one risk factor for STIs/HIV. Women who are the victims of IPV often experience psychological difficulties, including dissociation. Dissociative symptoms may play a role in women's ability to practice safe sex and negotiate condom use, although this has been underexplored. This mixed methods study examined the dissociative symptoms of 22 women experiencing IPV and examined the ways in which these women described their own sexual health and behaviors as well as how they protected themselves from sexually transmitted infections and HIV.

Attitudes of adult/adolescent sexual assault nurse examiners and caring for younger patients.

INTRODUCTION: Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs) are specialized nurses who provide sexual assault (SA) examinations and forensic evidence collection. Currently, Adult/Adolescent (A/A) SANEs in Massachusetts are trained and certified to care only for patients 12 years and older who present acutely to EDs. The purpose of this study was to describe the attitudes of SANEs regarding the possibility of cross-training to care for younger patients (<12 years). METHODS: This qualitative, descriptive study included a sample of 45 A/A SANEs who participated in a series of 6 focus groups. The focus groups were audiotape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Content analysis was used to analyze the raw data. Units of in vivo coding assisted in the identification of initial broad categories that were winnowed to represent final themes that described the participants' attitudes. RESULTS: Although the majority of SANEs enthusiastically endorsed the option of pediatric cross-training, a smaller portion of participants expressed strong opposition to the proposal. The SANEs' concerns included the emotional toll of caring for children who have been sexually assaulted, and the need for an adequate infrastructure within the SANE Program to educate, train, and support the cross-training effort. DISCUSSION: This research fills a gap in the forensic and ED nursing literature by providing insights into the attitudes and concerns of SANEs who care for some of the most vulnerable patients. The findings of this study can inform the acute care and evidence collection practices that are used when caring for pediatric patients who have experienced SA.

How to Get Your Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project Published.

Publication of doctor of nursing practice scholarly projects is an important way to disseminate clinically relevant scholarship to support evidence-based practice.

The Role of Nurses in Political Advocacy.

The involvement of nurses in political advocacy and development of health care policies is essential to ensure evidence-based, equitable care for all patients.

Patient-Centered Care for Women.

Patient-centered care for women acknowledges the unique differences between men and women, considers women's concerns, and allows for a partnership between women and providers.

Breastfeeding Support Must Acknowledge Individual and Societal-Level Barriers.

Breastfeeding challenges related to larger societal issues and social determinants of health must be considered in research and policy initiatives.

Comprehensive Management of Menopausal Symptoms.

Menopause is an inevitable physiologic process that typically occurs in women between the ages of 45 and 56 years old. It involves the permanent cessation of ovarian function and is recognized to have occurred when there has been no menstrual cycle for 12 consecutive months without another cause. Vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flushes and night sweats, and genitourinary syndrome of menopause, which includes symptoms of vaginal dryness, dyspareunia, and urinary incontinence, are common symptoms of menopause. Symptoms range from mild to severe, and for those interested in treating their symptoms, there are hormonal and nonhormonal options available. Choosing appropriate therapies is based on each individual's health history and personal preferences. Because menopause can affect mental, physical, and emotional health, it is critical for nurses to recognize the changes that occur in menopause so that they can make appropriate inquiries to elicit symptom information. Nurses play an important role in counseling and supporting individuals through the menopause transition with evidence-based guidance.

Implementing a Respectful Maternity Care Guideline During Childbirth Experiences.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the impact of an evidence-based guideline on respectful maternity care on nurses' attitudes and beliefs about childbirth practices. DESIGN: A quality improvement pilot project with a pretest/posttest design examining the attitudes and beliefs of intrapartum nurses about childbirth practices of respectful care. SETTING: High-risk intrapartum unit at a tertiary care center in the southeastern United States. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 130 registered nurses were invited to participate, and nine completed the pre- and posttests. INTERVENTION/MEASUREMENTS: The intervention included a recorded webinar, access to printed and electronic copies of the guideline, discussions in daily huddles, and a virtual journal club. Data were collected using the 42-item Nurse Attitudes and Beliefs Questionnaire-Revised. Lower scores are reflective of attitudes and beliefs that support a medical model of care, whereas higher scores are reflective of a physiologic model of care. Descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed rank test were used to analyze changes in attitudes and beliefs based on the aggregate scores of the nurse participants. RESULTS: Although there was no change in nurse attitude and beliefs about childbirth practices after 3 months (p = .058), the aggregate scores on a scale of 42 to 168 increased by 5.6 points. Two subscales of the Nurse Attitudes and Beliefs Questionnaire-Revised-Medical Model of Conflict and Women's Autonomy-had the greatest increase in aggregate scores. CONCLUSION: Understanding nurses' attitudes and beliefs can assist in identifying barriers to the provision of respectful care, particularly during labor and birth, when patients are most vulnerable. Measurement of nurse attitudes and beliefs regarding respectful maternity care may require a longer immersion in a respectful maternity care program to allow for changes over time.

Increasing U.S. Maternal Health Equity Among Immigrant Populations Through Community Engagement.

Immigrant women in the United States are at an elevated risk of poor maternal health outcomes due to cultural, linguistic, or socioeconomic barriers that may lead to critical delays in obtaining adequate health care. Ensuring access to high-quality, culturally appropriate perinatal health care is crucial to improve the health and well-being of immigrant mothers and their children. Various aspects of perinatal health care for immigrant women can be improved through community engagement strategies. Barriers can be addressed by involving community members in designing and delivering culturally appropriate maternal health services. Some strategies discussed in this commentary include working with community health workers, encouraging telehealth through community health workers, providing breastfeeding and mental health support within cultural norms, and involving community-based doulas and midwives.

Racial and ethnic identity in nursing research.

Nurse researchers need to be able to identify the race and ethnicity of participants in their studies for several reasons including addressing health disparities, ensuring adequate representation from under-represented minorities, and making sure other nurses can understand how findings may or may not pertain to their own patient population. However, obtaining accurate information about race and ethnicity requires careful attention to norms of study participants. Race and ethnicity are not always viewed as 2 separate constructs and the definition of both changes over time. In fact, a random sample of 100 patients in 1 hospital found an 11% discrepancy between patients' self-identification of race using 2 different methodologies of self-identification. To optimize accuracy of self-identification of race and ethnicity, this paper discusses techniques learned in practice and in the literature for improving self-identification of these 2 constructs.

Abuse experiences, substance use, and reproductive health in women seeking care at an emergency department.

INTRODUCTION: Abuse experiences can have negative health consequences for women. Many women present to the emergency department for episodic, nonemergent care and may have unique needs as survivors of abuse. The purpose of this study was to describe child sexual abuse experiences, intimate partner violence, substance use, and reproductive health outcomes in a sample of adult women who were seeking care from a rural emergency department to better understand the health care needs of this unique population. METHODS: One hundred forty-five adult women (18-45 years old) were recruited at an emergency department in the southeastern United States. Questionnaires were used to assess for demographic characteristics, history of child sexual abuse (CSA), intimate partner violence, reproductive health, and substance use. RESULTS: In the sample, 42.8% of women (n = 62) reported a positive history of CSA and 34.7% of women (n = 49) experienced intimate partner physical violence during the past year. More than 46% of the women (n = 65) had harmful drinking patterns in the past year and more than 50% reported some type of substance use in the past 3 months. Women who experienced CSA had a significantly greater number of lifetime sexual partners, were more likely to report pain with sexual intercourse, and were more likely to report a medical history of an abnormal Papanicolaou smear. DISCUSSION: The women in this sample had high rates of abuse, harmful drinking patterns, and substance use and were at risk for sexually transmitted infections. Through screening for lifetime violence, including sexual violence, emergency nurses can be an important liaison between women who have experienced CSA and appropriate referrals within the health care system.

The Role of Nurses in Health Promotion.

Nurses promote health through consistent application of screening protocols for health conditions.

Top Issues for Maternal/Child and Women's and Gender-Related Health.

Nurses must consider the complex and intersecting issues that affect the health of individuals and work toward a collective goal of health equality.

Promoting Scholarship and Publication.

The promotion, dissemination, and utilization of clinically relevant scholarship is essential for nurses.

Promoting Women's Health and Gender Equality.

Inequities increase the marginalization of women in society and negatively affect the health of women.

Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy During the Perinatal Period.

Nurses play a significant role in addressing vaccine hesitancy, encouraging immunizations, and understanding the evidence base that supports immunization recommendations.

Our Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

The editors and Editorial Advisory Board of Nursing for Women's Health are committed to promoting the principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Coming Together and Moving Forward.

The AWHONN convention can help inspire and revitalize nurses as they move forward in their careers and develop their own scholarship.