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Nurses' Knowledge and Teaching of Possible Postpartum Complications
Patricia D Suplee1, Debra Bingham, Lisa Kleppel
1Patricia D. Suplee is an Associate Professor, Rutgers University, School of Nursing-Camden, Camden, NJ. She can be reached via e-mail at suplee@camden.rutgers.edu Debra Bingham is a Perinatal Consultant, Founder, Institute for Perinatal Quality Improvement, and Associate Professor for Healthcare Quality and Safety, University of Maryland School of Nursing, Department of Partnerships, Professional Education and Practice, Baltimore, MD. Lisa Kleppel is a Consultant in private practice, and was the Project Manager for this project for the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, & Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN), Washington, DC.
Postpartum nurses often lack up-to-date knowledge on maternal mortality rates and may not consistently educate patients on warning signs, highlighting a critical need for improved postpartum care education to reduce maternal deaths.
Area of Science:
- Maternal Health
- Nursing Education
- Public Health
Background:
- Maternal morbidity and mortality rates are a growing concern in the United States.
- Effective postpartum education is crucial for patient safety and recognizing complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate postpartum nurses' knowledge of maternal mortality and morbidity.
- To assess the extent of postpartum warning sign education provided to patients before discharge.
Main Methods:
- An electronic survey was administered to 372 registered nurses (RNs) providing postpartum care.
- Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses were employed for data interpretation.
Main Results:
- Only 12% of nurses accurately knew postpartum maternal death rates, though 54% recognized rising trends.
- Most nurses identified hemorrhage as a key cause of death, but 67% spent less than 10 minutes discussing warning signs at discharge.
- Nurses over 40 reported higher confidence in educating on complications.
Conclusions:
- A significant gap exists in nurses' knowledge regarding current maternal mortality statistics and timing.
- Inconsistent and often brief patient education on postpartum warning signs was observed.
- Enhanced, consistent nursing education is vital to mitigate maternal mortality and complication severity.
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